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Personal protective equipment (PPE) has become a new pollutant derived from the COVID-19 pandemic. Much of the efforts to characterize PPE litter has focused on its spatial distribution (i.e., trying to identify hotspots of PPE litter), however, such efforts have been limited in the temporal domain, which might result in under- or overestimations in annual projections. Here, using 55 continuous days of sampling in an urban and tropical neighborhood in south east Mexico, I show that in order to have a robust and defensible average and variance values it is needed at least 22 days of random sampling. Nonetheless, this minimum number might change in different ecosystems and land use areas of the built environment due to the temporal variability of the human behavior and activities related to the surveyed areas, as well as the influence of weather conditions that might affect the mobility of people. Furthermore, I discuss how it is recommended to report the daily average density of PPE litter (items m-2 day-1) and its variability (i.e., 95 % confidence intervals), rather than only the density of PPE litter (items m-2) in order to facilitate annual estimates of PPE litter disposal.

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In Mexico, the genus Uranotaenia includes 11 species distributed mainly in the tropical and subtropical regions in the southeast of the country. Uranotaenia sapphirina has been reported in 18 states in Mexico: Campeche, Coahuila, Colima, Chiapas, Guerrero, Hidalgo, Jalisco, Mexico City, Mexico State, Michoacán, Morelos, Oaxaca, Quintana Roo, Sinaloa, Tabasco, Tamaulipas, Veracruz, and Yucatán; whereas Ur. socialis has been reported in Chiapas and Quintana Roo. In recent surveillance studies of mosquito species in Tabasco, Ur. sapphirina and Ur. socialis were omitted due to the lack of recent collection records, but in historical records, the presence of Ur. sapphirina and one species consistent with the description of Ur. socialis were mentioned. During a mosquito survey collection, immature stages from ground-level natural habitats in conservation areas of Tabasco, Ur. sapphirina and Ur. socialis were collected in association with Anopheles albimanus, Culex erraticus, Mansonia titillans, and Ur. lowii. Additionally, 2 Mexican entomological collections were reviewed, searching additional records of those species. An identification key to separate larvae and adult females of Ur. sapphirina and Ur. socialis is provided. With the addition of Ur. sapphirina and Ur. socialis to the mosquito fauna of Tabasco, there are currently 107 species in the state, being the 3rd state in Mexico with the highest richness of mosquito species. Specimens collected during this study were deposited in the Collection of the Entomological and Bioassay Research Unit of Tabasco.

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International organizations recommend mothers practice exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) during the first six months of their infant's life and introduce complementary feeding (CF) thereafter while continuing breastfeeding. However, the earlier introduction of liquids and foods is common worldwide and may have negative effects on breastfeeding practice, nutrition, and health. In this formative cross-sectional study, we interviewed 143 mothers from semi-rural communities in Tabasco, Mexico, whose infants were 4-6 months old. We explored (1) which feeding practices substituted EBF and (2) which factors were associated with each practice. During the first month of life, 42.7% of infants received formula milk (FM); this proportion increased to 74.5% by the sixth month. Adjusted Poisson regression analyses showed that giving FM was positively related to working away from home (PR 1.27; 95% CI 1.06, 1.54) and the perception that FM is an important food to accompany breast milk (PR 1.38; 95% CI 1.19, 1.70). Giving FM was negatively associated with not being sure the infant is full after breastfeeding (PR 0.75; 95% CI 0.61, 0.92). Regarding CF, less than half (47.5%) of infants had not received it by the fifth month. Factors positively associated with timely CF introduction were: the mother was told during prenatal care visits the optimal age to start CF is 6 months (PR 1.17, 95% CI 1.06, 1.29); she is convinced that giving only breast milk is best for her baby (PR 1.15, 95% CI 1.03, 1.29), and a higher infant weight-for-length (PR 1.04, 95% CI 1.00, 1.08) and length for age (PR 1.04, 95% CI 1.00, 1.09) z-scores at the study visit; conversely, it was negatively associated to the idea that if the infant is not full, she/he should receive formula milk or some other food (PR 0.87, 95% CI 0.78, 0.96). In these communities, EBF is lost to the use of FM and early CF. The factors associated with these inadequate feeding practices are related to returning to work, information received during prenatal visits, and the mother's beliefs and thoughts. This work will guide the design of an intervention on infant feeding practices for these communities and other similar ones.

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INTRODUCTION: In this study we describe breastfeeding practices among women from semi-rural communities in southeast Mexico, and explore which factors, modifiable or not, are associated with such practices. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a formative cross-sectional study that included 143 mothers with infants 4-6 months old, from semi-rural communities in Tabasco, Mexico. We collected data on two categories of factors: (1) women's sociodemographic characteristics, and (2) maternal / infant factors. We first analyzed the frequency of various breastfeeding practices. Then, we classified participants into the up to 1 month of exclusive breastfeeding group ( ≤ 1 m-EBF) and the beyond 1 month EBF group (>1 m-EBF), if they practiced EBF for less or more than 1 month, respectively. We compared the two categories of factors between groups and then, using logistic regression models, explored which factors were associated with practicing >1 m-EBF. RESULTS: By the end of the 1st month postpartum, 51.7% of participants had abandoned EBF, introduced milk formula (35%), other food (9.1%), non-nutritive liquids (7.7%), or had stopped breastfeeding completely. In the next months, EBF practice fell sharply and mixed feeding grew importantly.Logistic regression models showed that women were more likely to be in the >1 m-EBF group if they lived with the baby's father, had complications during pregnancy, delivered vaginally and attended a health center at least three times postpartum. To the contrary, women were less likely to be practice >1 m-EBF if they gave infants other liquids during their hospital stay; experienced pain or discomfort in breasts/nipples, or used a pacifier after hospitalization; had larger bodies (i.e., higher BMI); and believed that you should give the infant powdered milk or some other food when the baby is not full. CONCLUSION: Many factors associated with abandoning EBF, particularly in the early postpartum period, are modifiable and can be altered through timely interventions that include giving correct information and ensuring its comprehension; assertive personal counseling and accompaniment must be provided to mothers; and reinforcement during the early postpartum at health facilities and other settings.

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Anthropogenic ultrafine particulate matter (UFPM) and industrial and natural nanoparticles (NPs) are ubiquitous. Normal term, preeclamptic, and postconceptional weeks(PCW) 8-15 human placentas and brains from polluted Mexican cities were analyzed by TEM and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. We documented NPs in maternal erythrocytes, early syncytiotrophoblast, Hofbauer cells, and fetal endothelium (ECs). Fetal ECs exhibited caveolar NP activity and widespread erythroblast contact. Brain ECs displayed micropodial extensions reaching luminal NP-loaded erythroblasts. Neurons and primitive glia displayed nuclear, organelle, and cytoplasmic NPs in both singles and conglomerates. Nanoscale Fe, Ti, and Al alloys, Hg, Cu, Ca, Sn, and Si were detected in placentas and fetal brains. Preeclamptic fetal blood NP vesicles are prospective neonate UFPM exposure biomarkers. NPs are reaching brain tissues at the early developmental PCW 8-15 stage, and NPs in maternal and fetal placental tissue compartments strongly suggests the placental barrier is not limiting the access of environmental NPs. Erythroblasts are the main early NP carriers to fetal tissues. The passage of UFPM/NPs from mothers to fetuses is documented and fingerprinting placental single particle composition could be useful for postnatal risk assessments. Fetal brain combustion and industrial NPs raise medical concerns about prenatal and postnatal health, including neurological and neurodegenerative lifelong consequences.

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Background: Currently, at the global level, human food is mainly based on a few crops extensively cultivated as monocultures. Climate change, changes in land to agriculture and cattle raising, as well as the scarcity of water all affect and reduce the possibility of cultivating alternative crops. One way to face this global problem is to promote the knowledge, production and consumption of native food species on a regional scale.For this study, two databases were constructed for the Gulf of Mexico Province: 1) edible plant species with their corresponding common name, category of use, plant organ(s) utilised as food and type of management; 2) distribution records of these edible species. These species, in addition to being part of the biological diversity of Mexico are of high nutritional, cultural and gastronomical value and have been present in the diet of the inhabitants and ethnic groups in the region since pre-Hispanic times. New information: This study presents the native edible plants of the Gulf of Mexico Province, an area inhabited by 15 ethnic groups. The main novelty of this contribution is the edible plant species database, which includes the records of 482 species that belong to 101 families and 268 genera. We also present information rarely reported in an ethnobotanical inventory: 1) category of food use, 2) category of plant organ used, 3) common name, 4) type of management and 5) the georeferenced distribution of species occurrence in the Gulf of Mexico Province.

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Accurate identification of mosquito species is essential to support programs that involve the study of distribution and mosquito control. Numerous mosquito species are difficult to identify based only on morphological characteristics, due to the morphological similarities in different life stages and large numbers of some species that are members of morphologically similar species complexes. In the present study, the mosquitoes collected in the Pantanos de Centla Biosphere Reserve, southeastern Mexico, were evaluated using a combination of morphological and molecular approaches (mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I [COI] DNA barcode). A total of 1,576 specimens of 10 genera and 35 species, mostly adult stages, were collected. A total of 225 COI DNA barcode sequences were analyzed; most species formed well-supported groups in the neighbor joining, maximum likelihood, and Bayesian inference trees. The intraspecific Kimura 2-parameter (K2P) genetic distance averaged 1.52%. An intraspecific K2P distance of 6.20% was observed in Anopheles crucians s.l., while a deep split was identified in Culex erraticus and Cx. conspirator. This study showed that COI DNA barcodes offer a reliable approach to support mosquito species identification in Mexico.

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BACKGROUND: Migraine is known to mildly increase the risk for ischemic stroke and is associated with vascular MRI markers. However, the potential effect of chronic headache (CH) on stroke outcomes has not been studied. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to assess the interrelation between CH and post-stroke cognitive impairment. METHODS: Data from 455 patients with a first ever stroke from the TABASCO study was available. All patients underwent 3T brain MRI, blood analysis, and a serial cognitive assessment at baseline and 6, 12, and 24 months after. RESULTS: Eighty-five (18.7%) patients reported suffering from CH, of whom 53 (62.4%) reported symptoms of photophobia or nausea, and 34 (40%) reported an aura. CH was associated with female sex, lower prevalence of T2DM (p < 0.001), and lower HbA1C levels (p < 0.001). Multiple regression analysis, controlling for age, sex, education, vascular risk factors, and the presence of acute lesions in MRI, revealed that CH was an independent predictor of better cognitive scores 6, 12, and 24 months post-stroke (p = 0.015, p = 0.01, and p = 0.012, respectively). Stroke patients suffering from CH had also higher normalized gray, white matter, and thalamus volumes, and better white matter microstructural integrity (p < 0.001, p = 0.037, p < 0.001, p = 0.008, respectively)Conclusion:In this study, CH was consistently associated with better long term cognitive scores among post stroke subjects. These surprising findings may partially arise from the higher prevalence of T2DM among subjects without CH, that may represent the existence of chronic cerebrovascular disease, and may reflect mechanisms involving glucose metabolism.

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INTRODUCTION: Cerebral microinfarcts (CMI) are common lesions, carrying an important contribution to small-vessel-related cognitive impairment. CMIs were previously found to cause local microstructural damage and disruption of white matter integrity. This study examines CMIs influence on cortical thickness in remote brain areas. METHODS: Six small silent diffuse weighted imaging (DWI) lesions corresponding to subacute CMI were identified among five patients who underwent baseline and follow-up MRI scans from the Tel-Aviv Acute Brain Stroke Cohort (TABASCO). Regions of interest (ROIs) corresponding to the site of the DWI lesions and of the non-lesioned contralateral hemisphere (control ROI) were co-registered. DTI tractography was additionally performed to reconstruct the white matter tracts containing the ROIs. The normalized cortical thickness was calculated for the DWI lesional tract as well as for the contralateral non-lesional tract, and the lesion-to-control cortical thickness ratio (CTR) was calculated. RESULTS: Post-lesional scans, performed 25.1 ± 1.2 months after CMI detection, demonstrated reduced mean CTR within the ROI from 1.8 to 1.1 (p = 0.032). There was no difference between the CTR of the right hemisphere relative to those on the left hemisphere, or between the CTR change of the cortical and non-cortical CMI. DISCUSSION: This study demonstrated the prolonged influence of CMI on cortical thickness in remote ROI. The total number of CMIs is difficult to determine, however it has been shown that detecting even a single CMI suggests the existence of hundreds to thousands lesions. Therefore, the cumulative impact of these widely distributed lesions on cerebral cortex may have a significant contribution to the development of vascular cognitive impairment.

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Two new species of ambrosia beetles in the Xyleborini from southeastern Mexico are described and illustrated: Ambrosiodmus spinosus n. sp. and Dryocoeetoides tuberculatus n. sp.

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Resumen: Introducción: La diabetes mellitus (DM) es un problema de salud pública en aumento y las poblaciones indígenas no son la excepción. Aunque se ha estudiado desde diversas perspectivas, poco se ha indagado el significado que tiene para esta población. Objetivo: Comprender el significado de la diabetes y algunas diferencias de género en indígenas chontales. Metodología: Se realizó un estudio de corte cualitativo con 29 personas de 20 años y más, seleccionados del registro del centro de salud. Se utilizó la entrevista a profundidad, previo consentimiento se grabó en audio. El análisis se realizó a través de transcripción, codificación, segmentación, reducción e interpretación de los discursos producidos. Resultados: Participaron 29 informantes, de quienes 21 fueron mujeres. El promedio de edad fue 48.5 años; Todas las personas participantes estaban casadas. El 100 % las mujeres se dedicaban al trabajo doméstico no remunerado; la escolaridad predominante fue la primaria (seis años o menos). La DM se percibía como destino fatal, se encontró desconfianza en los tratamientos de diálisis e insulina, que se conciben como precursores del fallecimiento. La herbolaria es utilizada y significada como tratamiento eficaz para la diabetes; al decir de los informantes, son las mujeres quienes realizan más el autocuidado de la enfermedad. Por último, se encontró una importante confianza en Dios para los resultados de salud. Conclusiones: La diabetes tiene un significado de sentencia de muerte. La diálisis e insulina se perciben como procedimientos que aceleran la muerte. Esto sugiere a los proveedores de cuidado de la salud, considerar los significados de la enfermedad e incorporar la interculturalidad en la atención de personas indígenas.

Abstract: Background: Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is a growing public health problem and indigenous populations are no exception. Although the problem has been studied from different perspectives, little has been investigated about the meaning it has for this population; Objective: To understand the meaning of Diabetes and some gender differences in indigenous Chontales. Methodology: A qualitative study was carried out with 29 people aged 20 years and over, selected from the registry of the health center; the in-depth interview was used, prior consent was audio-recorded; the analysis was carried out through transcription, coding, segmentation, reduction and interpretation of the discourses produced. Results: 29 informants participated, 21 women; average age was 48.5 years; All married; 100% women were engaged in unpaid domestic work; the predominant schooling was primary (six years or less). DM was signified as a fatal fate; distrust was found in the dialysis and insulin treatments, meant as precursors of death. Herbalism is used and signified as an effective treatment for Diabetes; According to the informants, it is women who carry out the self-care of the disease the most; Lastly, significant trust in God was found for health outcomes. Conclusions: Diabetes is meant as a death sentence; Dialysis and insulin are meanings as procedures that accelerate death, this suggests to health care providers to consider the meanings of the disease and incorporate interculturality in the care of indigenous people.

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This study presents a comparison of SO2 concentrations simulated by a dispersion model, using as input both emission data inventories of the Mexican petroleum company Petroleos Mexicanos and emissions estimated by the Ozone Monitoring Instrument on board of the Aura satellite, contrasting results with data measured by an on-ground sensor located in the city of Villahermosa, Tabasco, Mexico, during the month of February 2013. The emissions used came from both oil extraction facilities located in the Gulf of Mexico and oil installations located on land. The days selected to be modeled were those when the winds had a northern component, and there was an observable emission detected by the Aura satellite coming from the emission sources. Evaluation analysis of the results showed that satellite data overestimate SO2 concentration, while the inventories of Petroleos Mexicanos underestimate it. Good correlations (r, r2, and concordance index) were observed between simulated and measured concentrations when the winds had a high frequency of directions of northern component and not-so weak speeds. It is recommended that Mexican oil company calculates more precise and updated emission inventories, considering not only a higher sulfur content of the gas emitted to the atmosphere and its combustion process but also from other existing sources of SO2 emission in this region.

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Poro de Tabasco cheese (PTC) is one of the most popular cheeses in southern Mexico. It has been made by traditional, nonstandardized artisanal techniques dating back more than 50 yr. These techniques result in the cheese having a heterogeneous chemical and microbiological composition and, consequently, distinct organoleptic characteristics. Scientific interest in artisanal cheese is growing because it represents a source of bacteria with potential health benefits. However, the quality of raw-milk cheeses often does not comply with official sanitary standards. The objective of the present study was to explore the chemical composition and microbiological quality of PTC and to describe its production process. Based on chemical composition, this cheese can be classified as a hard, full-fat, fresh cheese, with moisture on a fat-free basis and fat in dry matter ranging from 41 to 55% and from 49 to 57%, respectively. The chemical and microbiological composition of PTC varied among the evaluated dairies due to the lack of standardization in the production process. Microbial populations decreased during production, which may be associated with high acidity and high salt and low moisture contents, the presence of lactic acid bacteria or antimicrobial substances, and the drainage of whey. However, despite the absence of Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp., and Listeria monocytogenes in final cheeses for all dairies, Staphylococcus aureus and its toxins were found in some samples from one dairy. Therefore, heat treatment for milk and good manufacturing practices should be implemented throughout the entire production process to ensure a safe product.

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We studied HLA class I (HLA-A, -B) and class II (HLA-DRB1, -DQB1) alleles by PCR-SSP based typing in 224 Mexicans from the state of Tabasco living in the city of Villahermosa (N = 82) and rural communities (N = 142), to obtain information regarding allelic and haplotypic frequencies. We found that the most frequent haplotypes in Tabasco include 13 Native American and two European haplotypes. Admixture estimates revealed that the main genetic components in Tabasco are Native American (67.79 ±â€¯1.59% by ML; 56.25% of Native American haplotypes) and European (27.21 ±â€¯3.97% by ML; 29.91% of European haplotypes), and a less prominent African genetic component (5.01 ±â€¯4.42% by ML; 8.93% of African haplotypes).

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Three new Acanthodrilinae species from the states of Oaxaca, Tabasco and Chiapas in southern Mexico are described, Diplotrema oaxacana sp. nov., Diplotrema tabascensis sp. nov., and Diplotrema kaxyebensis sp. nov., respectively. D. oaxacana sp. nov. is characterized by the presence of genital setae in segments 8 and 9, a spermathecal ampulla transversally connected to the duct and paired seminal vesicles in 11 and 12. D. tabascensis sp. nov. is separated from all Diplotrema species by genital setae in segment 16. The singleton D. kaxyebensis sp. nov. is characterized by a single pair of seminal vesicles in 12, genital setae in 8 and by a particular arrangement of spermathecal duct-ampulla-diverticulum connections. It is discussed that the neotropical Diplotrema species lineage does probably not belong to the southern hemisphere Diplotrema lineage, which indeed contains the majority of species; its taxonomic separation, however, should wait until more information is obtained on the molecular relationships among neotropical Acanthodrilinae. Finally the topic of describing new earthworm species on singletons is discussed; a decision table is provided to help earthworm taxonomists to decide about this aspect. This paper is dedicated to Dr. Pietro Omodeo for his important contribution to the fields of taxonomy and biogeography of earthworms, on the occasion of his 100th birthday.

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To document and update the mosquito species of Tabasco, Mexico, field collection trips were conducted in the two physiographic regions of Tabasco: the coastal plain of the southern gulf and the mountains of Chiapas and Guatemala. Mosquitoes were collected as immature and adult stages during the dry and rainy seasons from 2014 through 2015. Additionally, the Reference Collection of Arthropods of Medical Importance (CAIM-InDRE) containing mosquitoes of Tabasco was re-examined. In total, 4,913 specimens were collected and examined, which are divided into seven tribes, 18 genera, 27 subgenera, and 104 species. Of these, one genus (Shannoniana Lane and Cerqueira), two subgenera (Georgecraigius Reinert, Harbach and Kitching, and Carrollia Lutz), and 21 species are new records for the mosquito fauna of Tabasco. Culex metempsytus Dyar is a new record for Mexico and Wyeomyia jocosa (Dyar and Knab) is removed from the Mexican mosquito fauna. Seventeen species historically reported were not found in the field collections conducted here. Taxonomic notes, new distribution limits, and comments about the medical importance of species of mosquitoes of Tabasco are discussed. Tabasco is the second state in Mexico with the largest mosquito richness (104 species), followed by Veracruz with 139 species.

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The genus Oreochromis is among the most popular of the tilapiine cichlid tribe for aquaculture. However, their temperature and hypoxia tolerance, if tested at all, is usually tested at temperatures of 20-25°C, rather than at the considerably higher temperatures of 30-35°C typical of tropical aquaculture. We hypothesized that both larvae and adults of the heat and hypoxia-adapted Tabasco-line of the Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus would be relatively hypoxia-tolerant. Oxygen consumption rate ( M ˙ O 2 ), Q10 and aquatic surface respiration (ASR) was measured using closed respirometry at 2 (c. 0.2 g), 30 (c. 2-5 g), 105 c. (10-15 g) and 240 (c. 250 g) days of development, at 25°C, 30°C and 35°C. M ˙ O 2 at 30°C was inversely related to body mass: c. 90 µM O2 g-1 /h in larvae down to c. 1 µM O2 g-1 /h in young adults. Q10 for M ˙ O 2 was typical for fish over the range 25-35°C of 1.5-2.0. ASR was exhibited by 50% of the fish at pO2 of 15-50 mmHg in a temperature-dependent fashion. However, the largest adults showed notable ASR only when pO2 fell to below 10 mmHg. Remarkably, pcrit for M ˙ O 2 was 12-17 mmHg at 25-30°C and still only 20-25 mmHg across development at 35°C. These values are among the lowest measured for teleost fishes. Noteworthy is that all fish maintain equilibrium, ventilated their gills and showed routine locomotor action for 10-20 min after M ˙ O 2 ceased at near anoxia and when then returned to oxygenated waters, all fish survived, further indicating a remarkable hypoxic tolerance. Remarkably, data assembled for M ˙ O 2 from >30 studies showed a > x2000 difference, which we attribute to calculation or conversion errors. Nonetheless, pcrit was very low for all Oreochromis sp. and lowest in the heat and hypoxia-adapted Tabasco line.

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BACKGROUND: Bifidobacterium genus are considered to be beneficial bacteria for their hosts; however, knowledge about the specific species that are part of the gut microbiome of howler monkeys is scarce. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a useful technique for the identification of non-cultivable or difficult to grow bacterial species. With the goal of detecting species of the genus Bifidobacterium in black howler monkeys, we used PCR on DNA derived from faecal samples. METHODS: We collected and extracted DNA from 40 faecal samples. Using specific primers, we performed PCR and nested PCR to detect members of the Bifidobacterium genus and a subset of species: Bifidobacterium adolescentis, Bifidobacterium bifidum, Bifidobacterium infantis, Bifidobacterium longum and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. animalis. RESULTS: 97.5% (39/40) of the samples were positive for Bifidobacterium spp. We found B longum in 100% of the analysed samples. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first report of B longum in black howler monkey faeces.

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Two acanthodriline new species from the states of Tabasco and Chiapas in southern Mexico are described, Diplotrema chajulensis sp. nov. and Lavellodrilus sheylae sp.nov. Diplotrema chajulensis sp. nov. has spermathecae where the ampulla inserts at a right angle from the duct and the diverticulum continues the main axis; it is distinguished from other neotropical Diplotrema species that share this character by the pattern of genital marks and the type of penial setae. Lavellodrilus sheylae sp. nov. is unique in the genus Lavellodrilus by the unpaired condition of the mesial spermathecae; variation in the number of spermathecal diverticula (one or two) was considered a polymorphism. Finally we discuss reasons to maintain one of the new species in an austral genus (Diplotrema) in spite of some morphological differences observed among the Mexican-Cuban-Central American (MX-CA) worms and the austral species. A short esophagus in all the holoic and meroic acanthodriline earthworms from MX-CA and a mid-ventral position of spermathecal pores in Lavellodrilus are interpreted as ancestral characters that evolved and were fixed in the worms that inhabited an ancient Laurasian block, probably in response to the semi-aquatic conditions that prevailed in this region during millions of years.

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BACKGROUND: The definition of transient ischemic attack was traditionally based on clinical features only. The wide use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) led to the definition of a new entity - transient symptoms associated with infarction (TSI). It is unclear why patients with similar radiological infarctions may have different clinical manifestation - ranging from complete symptoms resolution to major neurological sequelae. We sought to determine which factors differentiate acute diffuse weighted imaging (DWI) lesion presentation - stroke versus TSI. METHODS: 282 Participants, recruited for the Tel-Aviv Brain Acute Stroke Cohort study (TABASCO), were enrolled consecutively. Participants underwent extensive cognitive evaluation, wide laboratory tests and brain MRI scans evaluated for cerebral small vessel disease (SVD) biomarkers, according to the STRIVE protocol. Demographic and clinical characteristics were also examined. RESULTS: A total of 239 patients had stroke and 43 patients had TSI. TSI patients had smaller average lesion volume (0.77 cm3 versus 2.64 cm3, p = 0.002). Lesion location did not differentiate TSI and stroke. Stroke patients had elevated inflammatory markers, unrelated to lesion size (CRP 4.2 mg/L versus 1.7 mg/L, p = 0.011). TSI patients had better global cognitive score and MoCA score at admission and 24 months following the index event (p < 0.001). TSI patients also had better Berg balance score (p = 0.004). No significant association was found with MRI SVD markers. CONCLUSIONS: Lesion size, but not location, differentiates TSI and stroke, especially at a cutoff value of 10 cm3. Elevated inflammatory response was linked to worse course independently of lesion volume. Cognitive and high function tests are associated to the clinical phenotype of ischemic lesion and may be a marker of brain reserve and compensatory abilities. SVD markers do not differ between TSI and stroke patients and probably do not fully capture the extent of brain vascular pathology and reserve.

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