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Introduction: Increased triglycerides (TGs) are a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Furthermore, hypertriglyceridemia is commonly associated with a reduction of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and an increase in atherogenic small-dense low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C) levels. Studies provide support that polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids (ω3-LCPUFAs) are cardioprotective and have antithrombotic and anti-inflammatory effects. The potential effects of ω3-LCPUFAs on cardiometabolic factors and anti-inflammatory actions in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) are limited. This is a secondary analysis of a previous clinical trial registered at clinical trials.gov (# NCT01051154) that was conducted to analyze the effect of ω3-LCPUFAs in pediatric patients with ALL who were receiving treatment.Objective: To examine the effect of supplementation with ω3-LCPUFAs on cardiometabolic factors in children with ALL undergoing treatment. Methods: Thirty-four children (placebo group: 20 patients; ω3-LCPUFAs group: 14 patients) aged 6.7 ± 2.7 years who were newly diagnosed with ALL were evaluated. Children were randomized to receive either ω3-LCPUFAs or placebo capsules (sunflower oil). ω3-LCPUFAs were administered in the form of 500-mg soft capsules. The ω3-LCPUFA capsules contained 225 mg of DHA, 45 mg of EPA, and 20 mg of another ω3-LCPUFAs. The omega-3 dose was administered at a rate of 0.100 g/kg of body weight/day for three months. Main outcomes: Fasting cholesterol, HDL-C, very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL-C), TGs, atherogenic index of plasma (AIP), android/gynoid ratio (A/GR), IL-6, TNF-α, and percentage of fat mass (DXA) were measured in all patients. Fatty acid analyses in red blood cells were performed with gas chromatography. Results: We found significantly lower levels of TGs (p=0.043), VLDL-C (p=0.039), IL-6 (p=0.025), and AIP (p=0.042) in the ω3-LCPUFAs group than in the placebo group at three months. In contrast, the total cholesterol concentration was higher at 3 months in the ω3-LCPUFAs group than in the placebo group (155 mg/dl vs. 129 mg/dl, p=0.009). The number of children with hypertriglyceridemia (85% vs. 50%; p=0.054) tended to be lower between the time of diagnosis and after 3 months of supplementation with ω3-LCPUFAs. Conclusion: These findings support the use of ω3-LCPUFAs to reduce some adverse cardiometabolic and inflammatory risk factors in children with ALL. Clinical trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier NCT01051154.

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Resumen Bajo las nuevas condiciones generadas por la pandemia de COVID-19, los tratamientos para el cáncer de mama requieren algunas reorientaciones y cuidados que se exponen en este artículo. Se consideran aquí las tres fases de gravedad de la pandemia y los respectivos tratamientos que demandan en función de los lineamientos dictados por el Ministerio de Salud y Protección Social de Colombia. Se trata de un conjunto de referencias para orientar las terapias y tratamientos, inspiradas en las políticas de salud regionales, nacionales e institucionales.

Abstract Under the new conditions generated by the COVID-19 pandemic, breast cancer treatments requires some reorientations and cares that are discussed in this article. The three phases of severity of the pandemic and the respective treatments they require -based on the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of Colombia- are considered here. It is a set of references to guide therapies and treatments, inspired by regional, national and institutional health policies.

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Background: In February 2020, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), was classified as a pandemic. In the pediatric population, coronavirus disease (COVID)-19 has a reported mortality of less than 6% in complicated cases; however, the clinical characteristics and severity are not the same as those presented in the adult population. This study aimed to describe the clinical manifestations of patients younger than 18 years old and their association with the confirmation of the test and outcomes. Methods: We conducted an analytical cross-sectional study of symptoms suggestive for SARS-CoV-2 infection. All subjects with a confirmatory test for SARS-CoV-2 were included. Initial symptoms, history of influenza vaccination, and previous contact were documented, and mortality and the requirement for assisted mechanical ventilation were identified. The proportions of the variables were compared with the χ2 test. The odds ratio for a positive test and the requirement of intubation was calculated. Results: Of a total of 510 subjects, 76 (15%) were positive for SARS-CoV-2. The associated symptoms were chest pain, sudden onset of symptoms, and general malaise. The variable most associated with contagion was the exposure to a relative with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19. Infants and subjects without the influenza vaccine showed an increased risk for respiratory complications. Conclusions: The frequency of positivity in the test was 15% (infants and adolescents represented 64% of the confirmed cases), and the associated factors identified were contact with a confirmed case, sudden onset of symptoms, and chest pain.

Introducción: En 2019 se reportaron los primeros casos de SARS-CoV-2 (coronavirus tipo 2 del síndrome respiratorio agudo grave), causante de la COVID-19, que alcanzó el grado de pandemia en febrero de 2020. La presentación en la etapa pediátrica reporta una mortalidad menor del 6% en los casos complicados; sin embargo, las características clínicas y su gravedad no son iguales que en la población adulta. El objetivo de este estudio fue describir las manifestaciones clínicas de los pacientes menores de 18 años y su asociación con la confirmación de la prueba, la intubación endotraqueal y la muerte. Métodos: Estudio transversal analítico por cuadro sugestivo de infección por SARS-CoV-2. Se incluyeron sujetos positivos para SARS-CoV-2. Se documentaron los síntomas iniciales, los antecedentes de vacunación contra la influenza y los contactos previos, y se identificaron los desenlaces de mortalidad y requerimiento de ventilación mecánica asistida. Se compararon las proporciones de las variables con la prueba χ2 y se calculó la razón de momios para la presencia de una prueba positiva y requerir intubación. Resultados: De un total de 510 sujetos, 76 (15%) fueron positivos para SARS-CoV-2. Los síntomas asociados fueron dolor precordial, inicio súbito y malestar general. La variable asociada con mayor frecuencia el contagio fue la exposición a un familiar con COVID-19 confirmada. Los sujetos sin vacuna de la influenza presentaron un riesgo mayor de complicaciones respiratorias. Conclusiones: La frecuencia de positividad en la prueba fue del 15%. Se identificaron como factores asociados a prueba positiva el contacto con un caso confirmado de COVID-19, el inicio súbito de los síntomas y el dolor precordial.

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Abstract Background: In February 2020, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), was classified as a pandemic. In the pediatric population, coronavirus disease (COVID)-19 has a reported mortality of less than 6% in complicated cases; however, the clinical characteristics and severity are not the same as those presented in the adult population. This study aimed to describe the clinical manifestations of patients younger than 18 years old and their association with the confirmation of the test and outcomes. Methods: We conducted an analytical cross-sectional study of symptoms suggestive for SARS-CoV-2 infection. All subjects with a confirmatory test for SARS-CoV-2 were included. Initial symptoms, history of influenza vaccination, and previous contact were documented, and mortality and the requirement for assisted mechanical ventilation were identified. The proportions of the variables were compared with the χ2 test. The odds ratio for a positive test and the requirement of intubation was calculated. Results: Of a total of 510 subjects, 76 (15%) were positive for SARS-CoV-2. The associated symptoms were chest pain, sudden onset of symptoms, and general malaise. The variable most associated with contagion was the exposure to a relative with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19. Infants and subjects without the influenza vaccine showed an increased risk for respiratory complications. Conclusions: The frequency of positivity in the test was 15% (infants and adolescents represented 64% of the confirmed cases), and the associated factors identified were contact with a confirmed case, sudden onset of symptoms, and chest pain.

Resumen Introducción: En 2019 se reportaron los primeros casos de SARS-CoV-2 (coronavirus tipo 2 del síndrome respiratorio agudo grave), causante de la COVID-19, que alcanzó el grado de pandemia en febrero de 2020. La presentación en la etapa pediátrica reporta una mortalidad menor del 6% en los casos complicados; sin embargo, las características clínicas y su gravedad no son iguales que en la población adulta. El objetivo de este estudio fue describir las manifestaciones clínicas de los pacientes menores de 18 años y su asociación con la confirmación de la prueba, la intubación endotraqueal y la muerte. Métodos: Estudio transversal analítico por cuadro sugestivo de infección por SARS-CoV-2. Se incluyeron sujetos positivos para SARS-CoV-2. Se documentaron los síntomas iniciales, los antecedentes de vacunación contra la influenza y los contactos previos, y se identificaron los desenlaces de mortalidad y requerimiento de ventilación mecánica asistida. Se compararon las proporciones de las variables con la prueba χ2 y se calculó la razón de momios para la presencia de una prueba positiva y requerir intubación. Resultados: De un total de 510 sujetos, 76 (15%) fueron positivos para SARS-CoV-2. Los síntomas asociados fueron dolor precordial, inicio súbito y malestar general. La variable asociada con mayor frecuencia el contagio fue la exposición a un familiar con COVID-19 confirmada. Los sujetos sin vacuna de la influenza presentaron un riesgo mayor de complicaciones respiratorias. Conclusiones: La frecuencia de positividad en la prueba fue del 15%. Se identificaron como factores asociados a prueba positiva el contacto con un caso confirmado de COVID-19, el inicio súbito de los síntomas y el dolor precordial.

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In addition to plant-derived, fungal pigments have become an alternative in respect to synthetic ones. Besides Monascus sp., several pigment-producing fungi do not have culture conditions well-established yet. In this research, media composition, light wavelength and co-culture were evaluated, results were reported in Absorbance Units per gram of biomass (AU/Bgr). For Fusarium oxysporum a C:N ratio above 7 was advantageous, using both complex and defined media; blue LED light increased the AU/Bgr value from 18013 to 344; co-culture did not enhance pigment production. In Aspergillus chevalieri a high C:N ratio with glucose as carbon source was ideal. When exposing cultures to light, UV and red light gave the highest pigmentation; moreover, differential UV-VIS spectra in all wavelengths suggested production of additional pigments. Particularly a pigment observed when cultured in green light was also found in co-culture with yeast and there was an improvement of AU/Bgr value of 52549%. This is the first report regarding light effect and co-culture for these fungi, as well as C:N ratio for A. chevalieri.

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The long-term physical stability of surfactant-stabilized (Span 80 and Tween 20) concentrated water-in-mineral oil (W/O) emulsions in the presence of an electrolyte (NaCl) was studied. Pulse field gradient NMR and rheology (bulk and interfacial) were used to probe the response at the macroscopic, microscopic, and molecular levels, rendering a multiscale approach. The results show that: (1) Emulsions prepared with NaCl exhibit higher values of the elastic shear modulus ( Gwith NaCl' > Gwithout NaCl') even after ∼20 days. (2) The stabilization effect of salt against the coarsening of droplets is not due to the differences in droplet size (and thus G') or the energy incorporated through emulsification. (3) NaCl relaxes the liquid-liquid interface via a salting-in effect, which results in a lower interfacial shear elasticity ( Gwith NaCls' < Gwithout NaCls') and a higher resistance to coarsening events because of the changes in the adsorption density of the layer.

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More than 50 years ago the owl monkey (genus Aotus) was found to be highly susceptible to developing human malaria, making it an excellent experimental model for this disease. Microbes and parasites' (especially malaria) tremendous genetic variability became resolved during our malaria vaccine development, involving conserved peptides having high host cell binding activity (cHABPs); however, cHABPs are immunologically silent and must be specially modified (mHABPs) to induce a perfect fit into major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules (HLA in humans). Since malarial immunity is mainly antibody-mediated and controlled by the HLA-DRB genetic region, ∼1000 Aotus have been molecularly characterised for MHC-DRB, revealing striking similarity between human and Aotus MHC-DRB repertories. Such convergence suggested that a large group of immune protection-inducing protein structures (IMPIPS), highly immunogenic and protection inducers against malarial intravenous challenge in Aotus, could easily be used in humans for inducing full protection against malaria. We highlight the value of a logical and rational methodology for developing a vaccine in an appropriate animal model: Aotus monkeys.

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Pulmonary ossification is a rare and usually asymptomatic finding reported as incidental in lung biopsies. Similarly, idiopathic pulmonary hemosiderosis is a rare cause of pulmonary infiltrates. We report the case of a 64-year old man with chronic respiratory symptoms in whom these two histopathological findings converged.

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La osificación pulmonar es un hallazgo poco usual, generalmente asintomático, que se reporta como incidental en biopsias de pulmón. Asimismo, la hemosiderosis pulmonar idiopática es una causa poco frecuente de infiltración pulmonar. Se presenta el caso de un hombre de 64 años con síntomas respiratorios crónicos, en quien se detectaron estas dos condiciones en el estudio histopatológico.

Pulmonary ossification is a rare and usually asymptomatic finding reported as incidental in lung biopsies. Similarly, idiopathic pulmonary hemosiderosis is a rare cause of pulmonary infiltrates. We report the case of a 64-year old man with chronic respiratory symptoms in whom these two histopathological findings converged

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La frecuencia de la toxoplasmosis adquirida durante el embarazo, en Bogotá no se conoce con precisión. El Instituto Materno Infantil de la ciudad atiende una población de alto riesgo obstétrico y estrato socioeconómico bajo. Este estudio tuvo como objetivo determinar la frecuencia de madres con marcadores serológicos de infección reciente (IgM e IgA anti-Toxoplasma), que indican riesgo de transmisión congénita, con el fin de estimar la magnitud del problema en las gestantes del IMI. Durante el periodo de julio a diciembre de 1998 se recolectaron 637 muestras de suero de todas las pacientes que consultaban el programa de control prenatal del IMI. Todos los sueros de las gestantes se estudiaron por la técnica IFI-IgG anti-Toxoplasma y aquellas con resultados iguales o superiores a 1:1024 fueron estudiadas por la técnica ISAgA para IgM e IgA anti-Toxoplasma. En total 301 sueros fueron reactivos por IFI-IgG (47/100), 92 tuvieron títulos iguales o superiores a 1:1024. De estos últimos, 14 presentaron pruebas IgM e IgA anti-Toxoplasma positivas, lo que significa que 2,2/100 cumplen criterios de toxoplasmosis reciente. Estos resultados contrastan con reportes previos realizados en otras poblaciones de gestantes de Bogotá y justifican la realización de programas específicos de control.

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La asociación de anticuerpos antifosfolípidos con enfermedades neurológicas ha sido frecuentemente citada en los pacientes con enfermedades autoinmunes; recientemente se ha descrito el síndrome antifosfolípido primario. En el momento actual se atribuye a la presencia de anticuerpos antifosfolípidos un aumento del riesgo de trombosis; se les encuentra asociados a accidentes vasculares isquémicos (stroke isquémicos). Se presentan dos casos donde el síndrome primario antifosfolípido ocurre en dos niños con accidente vascular encefálico (AVE). Consideramos conveniente la presentación de esta infrecuente enfermedad sin referencia previa en nuestro país. Se revisan los aspectos clínicos, de diagnóstico y en especial de la terapéutica de esta asociación que presenta elementos controversiales(AU)

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