Effectiveness of the primary Bacillus Calmette-Guérin vaccine against the risk of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection and tuberculosis disease: a meta-analysis of individual participant data.

Background: Tuberculosis vaccine trials using disease as the primary endpoint are large, time consuming, and expensive. An earlier immunological measure of the protection against disease would accelerate tuberculosis vaccine development. We aimed to assess whether the effectiveness of the Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine for prevention of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection was consistent with that for prevention of tuberculosis disease.

Awareness, Knowledge, and Treatment Patterns of Nonmetastatic Inflammatory Breast Cancer in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: The BRIDGES Study.

Purpose: Trimodal therapy (TMT) is the standard treatment for patients with nonmetastatic inflammatory breast cancer (IBC). TMT consists of neoadjuvant systemic therapy, modified radical mastectomy (MRM), and postmastectomy radiation therapy. Although broadly considered the best approach for IBC, in the United States, only a third of patients receive TMT.

Character strengths as predictors of general and academic self-efficacy in university students.

Positive psychology has introduced the concept of character strengths, which are positive traits fundamental to well-being and mental health. Research on university students has shown that these strengths impact psychoeducational variables and personal functioning, acting as a protective factor in the general and student populations. This study aims to analyze the predictive relationships between character strengths and general self-efficacy and determine their joint contribution in predicting academic self-efficacy.

Health-Related Quality of Life due to malaria in the Brazilian Amazon using EQ-5D-3L.

Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease caused by protozoa of the genus Plasmodium. Despite of the progress in malaria control in the last decades, malaria remains a major public health problem, contributing to increased morbidity and mortality in tropical and subtropical countries. Among American countries, Bolivia, Venezuela, and Brazil account for 73% of the cases.

An explainable analysis of diabetes mellitus using statistical and artificial intelligence techniques.

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic disease prevalent worldwide, requiring a multifaceted analytical approach to improve early detection and subsequent mitigation of morbidity and mortality rates. This research aimed to develop an explainable analysis of DM by combining sociodemographic and clinical data with statistical and artificial intelligence (AI) techniques.

Methods: Leveraging a small dataset that includes sociodemographic and clinical profiles of diabetic and non-diabetic individuals, we employed a diverse set of statistical and AI models for predictive purposes and assessment of DM risk factors.

The potential for AI to revolutionize conservation: a horizon scan.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is an emerging tool that could be leveraged to identify the effective conservation solutions demanded by the urgent biodiversity crisis. We present the results of our horizon scan of AI applications likely to significantly benefit biological conservation. An international panel of conservation scientists and AI experts identified 21 key ideas.

Sustaining measles and rubella elimination through the Regional Monitoring and Re-Verification Commission in the Americas.

The elimination of endemic rubella and measles transmission in the Region of the Americas was verified by the Pan American Health Organization's (PAHO) Regional Verification Commission in 2015 and 2016, respectively. Upon achieving this success, this Commission was disbanded. Shortly afterwards, the Region faced challenges in the post-elimination era, notably responding to and stopping transmission of imported measles cases.

[A comprehensive approach to achieving reverification of measles elimination in Venezuela, 2019-2023Abordagem integral para a reverificação da eliminação do sarampo na Venezuela, 2019-2023].

Objective: To describe the comprehensive activities implemented in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to achieve reverification of measles elimination by 2023.

Methods: Descriptive study of the procedures implemented to achieve reverification of measles elimination by 2023 according to the components set forth in the Regional Framework for the Monitoring and Re-verification of Measles, Rubella, and Congenital Rubella Syndrome Elimination in the Americas, published in 2022.

Results: Due to a measles outbreak that began in epidemiological week (EW) 26 of 2017, Venezuela lost the elimination status which had been conferred in 2016 by the Expert Committee.

[Risk factors and control measures in measles outbreaks in countries of the Region of the Americas, 2017-2023Fatores de risco e medidas de controle em surtos de sarampo em países da Região das Américas, 2017-2023].

Objective: To document and compare risk factors and control measures for the largest measles outbreaks in the post-elimination era in the Region of the Americas.

Methods: Description of risk factors such as vaccination coverage, notification rate of suspected cases, measles incidence, and a summary of control measures for major measles outbreaks in six countries from 2017 to 2023. The analysis also includes a review of outbreak characteristics (time, place, and person).

[Comprehensive approach to the interruption of the measles outbreak in Venezuela, 2017-2019: lessons learnedAbordagem integral para a interrupção do surto de sarampo na Venezuela, 2017-2019: lições aprendidas].

Objective: Describe the challenges, strategies and lessons learned in Venezuela during the measles outbreak of 2017-2019, and discuss the mechanisms employed for its containment, which led to the interruption of endemic transmission.

Methods: Descriptive study of the actions taken by Venezuela to interrupt the outbreak.

Results: When the outbreak was confirmed, the Venezuelan government, with technical cooperation from the Pan American Health Organization, activated a plan to interrupt measles transmission.

Molecular Modeling of Vasodilatory Activity: Unveiling Novel Candidates Through Density Functional Theory, QSAR, and Molecular Dynamics.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) pose a significant global health challenge, requiring innovative therapeutic strategies. Vasodilators, which are central to vasodilation and blood pressure reduction, play a crucial role in cardiovascular treatment. This study integrates quantitative structure- (QSAR) modeling and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to predict the biological activity and interactions of vasodilatory compounds with the aim to repurpose drugs already known and estimateing their potential use as vasodilators.

Pot-Pollen Volatiles, Bioactivity, Synergism with Antibiotics, and Bibliometrics Overview, Including Direct Injection in Food Flavor.

Stingless 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.

Morphological and molecular characterization of Henneguya chirodactyli n. sp. (Cnidaria: Myxosporea), a parasite of the Peruvian morwong Chirodactylus variegatus (Valenciennes, 1833) (Centrarchiformes: Latridae).

A new species of Henneguya Thélohan, 1892 (Myxosporea: Bivalvulida: Myxobolidae) infecting the internal region of the stomach of the Peruvian morwong Chirodactylus variegatus (Valenciennes, 1833) (Centrarchiformes: Latridae), an economically important fish in Peruvian artisanal fishery, is described. Morphologically, Henneguya chirodactyli n. sp.

Discovery and Characterization of Mannan-Specialized GH5 Endo-1,4-β-mannanases: a Strategy for Açaí ( Mart.) Seeds Upgrading.

The pulp of açaí palm fruits ( Mart.) is a valuable export commodity in Brazil. Its production generates 1.

Effect of various physical and chemical stress conditions on the infectivity and survival of Heterorhabditis indica and Steinernema feltiae: Relationship with lipid oxidative stress.

Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) of the genera Heterorhabditis and Steinernema represent an alternative for the biological control of insects. The limited half-life of EPNs is still one of the most concerning issues in their commercialization. Lipid peroxidation (LPO) caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS) may be one of the most important causes of loss of infectivity and survival of EPNs when exposed to various physicochemical stress conditions (temperature, pH, hypoxia and osmotic pressure).

[Serum indices of hepatic steatosis in indigenous Venezuelan adults of the Piaroa ethnic group].

Introduction: metabolic dysfunction associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is a condition characterized by hepatic steatosis (HS) of metabolic origin. To predict it, HS serum indices (HSSI) have been proposed and validated, whose performance in indigenous populations is unknown.

Objectives: to describe the variation of cardiometabolic risk (CMR) indicators according to four SHSI in indigenous Venezuelans of the Piaroa ethnic group, and to explore the frequency of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and MAFLD in this population.

[Clinical approach to the patient with obesity document by the Argentine Society of Medicine, the Uruguayan Society of Internal Medicine, and the International Forum of Internal Medicine].

Obesity is one of the non-communicable chronic diseases with the highest increase in recent decades in Latin America, affecting children, adolescents, and especially young adults. Forty percent of adults have a body mass index greater than 25 kg/m2. Numerous studies have demonstrated a relationship between obesity and cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension, coronary artery disease, heart failure, cardiac arrhythmias, diabetes, sleep apnea, and oncological diseases, among others.

COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and attitudes toward routine vaccinations among Venezuelan migrants in Trinidad and Tobago: implications for a National Immunization Policy.

Introduction: Vaccine hesitancy poses a threat to the prevention of COVID-19 and other vaccine-controlled diseases. In 2019, the Government of Trinidad and Tobago launched a policy outlining the scope of health services in the public sector available to registered Venezuelan migrants to include access to routine immunizations. Little is understood about immunization uptake among migrants, including the uptake of COVID-19 vaccinations in Trinidad and Tobago.

The use of phosphate rock and plant growth promoting microorganisms for the management of (Stapf.) R.D. Webster in acidic soils.

Background: Forage production in tropical soils is primarily limited by nutrient deficiencies, especially nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). The use of phosphate rock by plants is limited by its low and slow P availability and microbial phosphate solubilization is the main mechanism for P bioavailability in the soil-root system. The objectives of this study were (i) select a nitrogen-fixing bacteria which could be used as a co-inoculant with the IR94MF1 phosphate-solubilizing fungus and (ii) evaluate under field conditions the effect of inoculation combined with phosphate rock (PR) application on yield and nutrient absorption of a pasture which was previously established in a low-fertility, acidic soil.

An international survey on the knowledge, attitudes and clinical patterns of use of medical cannabis for cancer care: The TASMAN study.

Background: Medical cannabis (MC) has gained traction in oncology for managing cancer-related symptoms, but its integration faces challenges due to limited evidence, inconsistent guidelines, and varied legal frameworks.

Methods: The TASMAN study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of oncologists and palliative care providers globally regarding MC use in cancer care. A survey of healthcare providers from diverse regions and income levels was conducted.

A new species of Tapajosa Melichar from Curaçao, Lesser Antilles (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Proconiini).

A new species of the Neotropical genus Tapajosa Melichar 1924 from Curaçao is proposed, described, and illustrated. Tapajosa arawaka sp. nov.