Genomic Signatures of Domestication in a Fungus Obligately Farmed by Leafcutter Ants.

The naturally selected fungal crop (Leucoagaricus gongylophorus) farmed by leafcutter ants shows striking parallels with artificially selected plant crops domesticated by humans (e.g. polyploidy, engorged nutritional rewards, and dependence on cultivation).

Climate change and Trypanosoma cruzi transmission in North and central America.

Trypanosoma cruzi is a protozoan parasite that causes Chagas disease in humans. Transmission of T cruzi by triatomine vectors is dependent on diverse environmental and socioeconomic factors. Climate change, which is disrupting patterns of human habitation and land use, can affect the epidemiology of Chagas disease by influencing the distribution of vector and host species.

Genital courtship and female-active roles in mating: sexual selection by mate choice in Caenorhabditis elegans.

A new bridge between studies of sexual selection and the massive literature on Caenorhabditis elegans behaviourand nervous system properties promise to provide important new insights into both fields. This paper shows that mate choice likely occurs in hermaphrodite C. elegans on the basis of stimulation from the male genital spicules, making it possible to apply the toolkit of extensive background knowledge of C.

Phylogenetic Analysis Based on Whole Genome Sequences, Antibiotic Resistance, and Virulence of Clinical Isolates from South Korea.

is a major cause of foodborne disease and frequently causes human salmonellosis in South Korea. In this study, we investigated the genome diversity, antimicrobial resistance, and virulence of clinical isolates of from South Korea. We collected 42 subsp.

Chemoinformatic Characterization of NAPROC-13: A Database for Natural Product C NMR Dereplication.

Natural products (NPs) are secondary metabolites of natural origin with broad applications across various human activities, particularly the discovery of bioactive compounds. Structural elucidation of new NPs entails significant cost and effort. On the other hand, the dereplication of known compounds is crucial for the early exclusion of irrelevant compounds in contemporary pharmaceutical research.

Advancing Cardiac Care: A Registry of Heart Transplantation in Latin America (1968-2022).

Introduction: Heart transplantation (HTx) has emerged as a pivotal intervention for end-stage heart failure, offering significant improvements in survival and quality of life. This manuscript elucidates the landscape of HTx across Latin America (LATAM) from its advent in 1968 through December 2022, shedding light on its evolution, current practices, and regional disparities.

Methods: We distributed a structured questionnaire to the national coordinators or representatives of the Interamerican Council of Heart Failure and Pulmonary Hypertension, collating responses from 20 LATAM nations.

Widespread geographic distribution of Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) kdr variants in Panama.

We searched for evidence of knockdown resistance (kdr) mutations in the voltage-gated sodium channel gene of Aedes aegypti (Linnaeus) (Diptera: Culicidae) and Aedes albopictus (Skuse) (Diptera: Culicidae) mosquitoes from Panama. Conventional PCR was performed on 469 Ae. aegypti and 349 Ae.

Retrospective Analysis of Blood Biomarkers of Neurological Injury in Human Cases of Viral Infection and Bacterial Sepsis.

Background: Blood biomarkers of neurological injury could provide a rapid diagnosis of central nervous system (CNS) injury caused by infections. An FDA-approved assay for mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) measures glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and ubiquitin carboxy-terminal hydrolase L1 (UCH-L1), which signal astrocyte and neuronal injury, respectively. Here, we assessed the applicability of this biomarker assay for determining infection-induced brain injury.

Widespread occurrence of fecal indicator bacteria in oligotrophic tropical streams. Are common culture-based coliform tests appropriate?

Monitoring of stream water quality is a key element of water resource management worldwide, but methods that are commonly used in temperate habitats may not be appropriate in humid tropical systems. We assessed the influence of four land uses on microbial water quality in 21 streams in the Panama Canal Watershed over a one-year period, using a common culture-based fecal indicator test and 16S rDNA metabarcoding. Each stream was located within one of four land uses: mature forest, secondary forest, silvopasture, and traditional cattle pasture.

Cross comparison of alternative diagnostic protocols including substitution to the clinical sample, RNA extraction method and nucleic acid amplification technology for COVID-19 diagnosis.

Background: the gold-standard diagnostic protocol (GSDP) for COVID-19 consists of a nasopharyngeal swab (NPS) sample processed through traditional RNA extraction (TRE) and amplified with retrotranscription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Multiple alternatives were developed to decrease time/cost of GSDP, including alternative clinical samples, RNA extraction methods and nucleic acid amplification. Thus, we carried out a cross comparison of various alternatives methods against GSDP and each other.

The genome sequence of (Chiroptera, Emballonuridae, Rhynchonycteris).

We present a reference genome assembly from an individual male (Chordata; Mammalia; Chiroptera; Emballonuridae). The genome sequence is 2.46 Gb in span.

Disorders of gut-brain interaction are common diagnoses among infants and toddlers in gastroenterology practices in Latin America.

Objectives: To assess the relative frequency and associated factors of disorders of gut-brain interaction (DGBIs) in outpatient gastrointestinal (GI) clinics in young children of Latin America.

Methods: Cross-sectional study in 10 pediatric GI outpatient clinics (private and public) in five countries of Latin America (El Salvador, México, Colombia, Panamá, and Nicaragua). Parents of patients 1 month 4 years of age from outpatient clinics complete/d a diagnostic questionnaire for DGBIs per Rome IV criteria (QPGS-IV, Spanish version).

Two +ssRNA mycoviruses cohabiting the fungal cultivar of leafcutter ants.

Leafcutter ants are dominant herbivores in the Neotropics and rely on a fungus (Leucoagaricus gongylophorus) to transform freshly gathered leaves into a source of nourishment rather than consuming the vegetation directly. Here we report two virus-like particles that were isolated from L. gongylophorus and observed using transmission electron microscopy.

The Gongora gibba genome assembly provides new insights into the evolution of floral scent in male euglossine bee-pollinated orchids.

Orchidaceae is one of the most prominent flowering plant families, with many species exhibiting highly specialized reproductive and ecological adaptations. An estimated 10% of orchid species in the American tropics are pollinated by scent-collecting male euglossine bees; however, to date, there are no published genomes of species within this pollination syndrome. In this study, we present the first draft genome of an epiphytic orchid from the genus Gongora, a representative of the male euglossine bee-pollinated subtribe Stanhopeinae.

Association between type of menopause and mild cognitive impairment: The REDLINC XII study.

Objective: To evaluate the association between type of menopause (spontaneous or surgical) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI).

Study Design: This study was a cross-sectional, observational, and sub-analytical investigation conducted within gynecological consultations across nine Latin American countries.

Method: We assessed sociodemographic, clinical, and anthropometric data, family history of dementia, and the presence of MCI using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) tool.

Data of history: An open-source and multiformat wall image dataset of Panam city, a historical place.

Historical data on monuments offers valuable insights into that period's past sculpture, architecture, and preferences. Realising the importance of historical data and the scarcity of data on historical places, this study presents a dataset collected from Panam City. Panam City, established in the late 1300s century, was the capital of the fifteenth-century Bengal ruler Isa Khan.