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The formation and analysis of amyloid fibers by two ß-glucosidases, BglA and BglB, belonging to the GH1 enzyme family, are reported. Both proteins have the (ß/α)8 TIM-barrel fold, which is characteristic of this family and is also the most common protein structure. BglA is an octamer, whereas BglB is a monomer. Amyloid fibrillation using pH and temperature as perturbing agents was investigated using fluorescence spectroscopy as a preliminary approach and corroborated using wide-field optical microscopy, confocal microscopy, and field-emission scanning electron microscopy. These analyses showed that both enzymes fibrillate at a wide range of acidic and alkaline conditions and at several temperature conditions, particularly at acidic pH (3-4) and at temperatures between 45 and 65 °C. Circular dichroism spectroscopy corroborated the transition from an α-helix to a ß-sheet secondary structure of both proteins in conditions where fibrillation was observed. Overall, our results suggest that fibrillation is a rather common phenomenon caused by protein misfolding, driven by a transition from an α-helix to a ß-sheet secondary structure, that many proteins can undergo if subjected to conditions that disturb their native conformation.

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Introducción: Las publicaciones científicas permiten el desarrollo científico y tecnológico sobre un área del conocimiento. Objetivo: Caracterizar la producción científica de autores con afiliación a instituciones latinoamericanas sobre ansiedad y COVID-19. Métodos: Se realizó una revisión de las publicaciones indizadas en la base de datos Scopus relacionados con la ansiedad y la COVID-19, especificando que al menos un autor tenga afiliación de un país latinoamericano. Se revisó cada artículo para seleccionar solo aquellas publicaciones que hayan estudiado estas variables. Finalmente, sus características fueron registradas y analizadas usando Microsoft Excel y el software VOSviewer. Conclusiones: La producción científica latinoamericana sobre ansiedad y COVID-19 aún es escasa, pero se encuentra en crecimiento, por lo que es importante generar alternativas para incrementar el número de redes de colaboración y producción(AU)

Introduction: Scientific publications allow scientific and technological development on an area of knowledge. Objective: To characterize the scientific production of authors affiliated to Latin American institutions on anxiety and COVID-19. Methods: A review of the publications indexed in the Scopus database related to anxiety and COVID-19 was carried out, specifying that at least one author had affiliation with a Latin American country. Each article was reviewed to select only those publications that studied these variables. Finally, their characteristics were recorded and analyzed using Microsoft Excel and VOSviewer software. Conclusions: Latin American scientific production on anxiety and COVID-19 is still scarce, but it is growing, so it is important to generate alternatives to increase the number of collaborative networks and production(AU)

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El SARS-CoV-2, ha tenido un gran impacto en la salud humana a nivel mundial, infectando a un gran número de personas y causando enfermedades graves. Durante el comienzo de la pandemia de Covid-19 no había la existencia de alguna cura o vacuna designada, la única forma conocida de romper la cadena de infección era el autoaislamiento y el mantenimiento del distanciamiento físico. Por lo tanto, con la finalidad de conocer y hacer un seguimiento para la correcta gestión y atención a los pacientes con Covid­19, las nuevas herramientas tecnológicas han cobrado un importante papel que ha permitido mejorar la atención en salud con respecto a la enfermedad y ayudar a evitar los contagios, así como favorecer a un buen pronóstico y progresión positiva de la enfermedad. Por medio de la revisión de publicaciones científicas actuales se ha podido observar la amplia implementación de diferentes apps para agilizar el reconocimiento, detección y diagnóstico oportuno de pacientes que contraen esta enfermedad, como la aplicación de rastreo de contacto, reconocimiento facial, Chatbot, APP para radiografías de tórax­Covid, dispositivo móvil basado en IoT, entre otros. Todas estas nuevas tecnologías presentan un importante impacto socioepidemiologico en las regiones a través de la disminución de la mortalidad, permitir el distanciamiento físico, detección oportuna, seguimiento geográfico y mapeo epidemiológico, reducción de los tiempos de espera y control de la propagación del covid; permitiendo a los sistemas de salud organizarse y prepararse mejor para futuras pandemias y así evitar el colapso de las redes de salud(AU)

SARS-CoV-2 has had a great impact on human health worldwide, infecting large numbers of people and causing serious illness. During the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic there was no designated cure or vaccine, the only known way to break the chain of infection was self-isolation and maintaining physical distancing. Therefore, in order to know and follow up for the correct management and care of patients with COVID - 19, the new technological tools have played an important role that has allowed improving health care regarding the disease and help avoid contagion, as well as favor a good prognosis and positive progression of the disease. Through the review of current scientific publications, it has been possible to observe the wide implementation of different apps to expedite the recognition, detection and timely diagnosis of patients who contract this disease, such as the application of contact tracing, facial recognition, Chatbot, APP for chest x-rays ­ Covid, IoT-based mobile device, among others. All these new technologies have a significant socio-epidemiological impact in the regions by reducing mortality, allowing physical distancing, timely detection, geographic monitoring and epidemiological mapping, reduction of waiting times and control of the spread of covid; allowing health systems to better organize and prepare for future pandemics and thus avoid the collapse of health networks(AU)

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The objective of the present study was to assess the association between the observed and perceived food environment and food insecurity among households with children <18 years in Lima, Peru. This was a cross-sectional study including an income-stratified random sample of households (n 329) in Villa el Salvador, a low-income district in Lima, Peru. Data were collected with a household questionnaire - including the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) and the University of Pennsylvania's Perceived Nutrition Environment Survey (NEMS-P) - and a neighbourhood food outlet census, including recording of food outlets' GPS coordinates. Three-quarters of the households interviewed were food insecure. Compared with food secure households and adjusting for socio-demographic covariates, food insecure households were more likely to disagree to having easy access (OR 5⋅4; 95 % CI 2⋅1, 13⋅4), high quality (OR 3⋅1; 95 % CI 1⋅7, 5⋅5) and variety (OR 2⋅5; 95 % CI 1⋅4, 4⋅6) of fresh fruits and vegetables in their neighbourhood. About 60 % (513 out of 861) of the food outlets identified in participants' neighbourhoods were classified as fresh, including markets, bodegas, and fruit and vegetable vendors. There was no difference in distance to fresh food outlets by household food insecurity; all households were on average within 52-62 m from a fresh food outlet (~2-min walk). Despite negative perceptions of their neighbourhood food environment, food insecure households had similar physical access to fresh food sources than their food secure counterparts. Thus, changes to the food environment may not alleviate food insecurity in urban poor areas of Peru.

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Background: Currently, there is a worldwide health crisis due to the COVID-19 pandemic; consequently, it is necessary to find effective vaccines in order to immunize the population and prevent the transmission of the disease. Likewise, it is important to know vaccine progress and efficacy research, mainly in Latin American countries where no studies have been conducted yet to know the scientific production on COVID-19. Methods: A retrospective and descriptive study was carried out and COVID-19 vaccine publications in Scopus-indexed journals were considered as a unit of analysis for the period between 2020 and June 2021, with authors affiliated to Latin American institutions. Results: We found 141 published Scopus-indexed COVID-19 vaccine articles with authors affiliated to Latin American institutions. Brazil has the highest scientific production with 33.33%, followed by Mexico, Colombia, Argentina and Chile. Regarding productivity by institution, 137 international institutions have participated in the Latin American COVID-19 vaccine production. The journals with the highest number of published articles are Vaccines and Vaccine. Both journals are located in Q1 of the SJR. The most frequently used descriptor was coronavirus disease 2019. Conclusion: The Latin American scientific production on COVID-19 vaccines included 141 published Scopus-indexed articles. Likewise, Brazil is the Latin American country with the highest scientific production.

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BACKGROUND: From 2014-2019, Latin America and the Caribbean had the fastest growth of moderate-to-severe food insecurity than any other region, rising from 22.9% to 31.7%. While the prevalence of food insecurity is higher among women than men in every continent, Latin America has the largest food insecurity gender gap. Factors contributing to this gender inequity include underrepresentation of women in formal employment, heightened burden of dependent care on women, and unequal compensation of labor for women vs. men. The objective of this study was to investigate the association between the gender of the head of the household, employment status of household members, and food insecurity in households with children in a low-income district of Lima, Peru. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was carried out in Villa El Salvador, the fifth largest district in Metropolitan Lima, Peru, where over 20% of the population lives in poverty. Data were collected on a stratified random sample (n = 329) using a household questionnaire, including a validated food security tool (HFIAS). We ran multivariate logistic regression models predicting household food insecurity, with independent variables including gender of household head, education of household head, employment of household head, household-level employment status, age, and weekly food expenses per person. RESULTS: In fully adjusted models, woman-headed households had almost thrice the odds of being food insecure compared to man-headed households. Education also had a significant effect size: a household whose household head did not complete high school was 3.4 times more likely to be food insecure than if they had some post-secondary education. Woman-headed households had a significantly higher proportion of members not formally employed, compared to man-headed households, but employment status was not associated with food insecurity. CONCLUSIONS: Gender of the household head was a major contributing factor to household food insecurity in Villa el Salvador. Gender dynamics affecting opportunities for employment, education, and non-remunerated work should inform national food security policies and interventions with the goal to not only lower food insecurity, but also reduce gender inequities in food insecurity and other nutritional outcomes.

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Understanding the responses that some plants exhibit to acclimatize and thrive in different light environments can serve as a guideline to optimize their production or establishment. Morpho-physiological changes in Crescentia alata and Enterolobium cyclocarpum were examined in response to varying light levels: 25%, 35%, 55% and 70% of photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) of total solar radiation. One-month-old seedlings were subjected to the light treatments; subsequently, the effects on morphology, photosynthetic capacity, nutrient status, non-structural carbohydrate reserves (NSC) and growth were evaluated in three-month-old seedlings. Light levels affected several morpho-physiological parameters. C. alata responded better to higher light levels and E. cyclocarpum to lower levels. Particularly, C. alata with 70% PPFD increased its size in height and diameter, and accumulated more biomass in leaves, stems, and roots; it also exhibited higher net assimilation rates, improved nitrogen and phosphorus status and growth. In contrast, E. cyclocarpum with 25% PPFD increased aboveground biomass, nitrogen levels and NSC in leaves. Both species show morpho-physiological changes that determine their ability to acclimatize to different light conditions. This serves as a basis for designing better management strategies in the nursery or field by defining the light environments conducive to a proper functioning.

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Abstract Crotalid envenomation is a neglected collective health problem involving many countries in America, which need secure and inexpensive snake anti-venom treatments. Here, high antibody titers (IgY) were raised in the Ostrich (Struthio camelus) egg yolk by immunizing with the venom of Venezuelan venomous Crotalus snakes. Ostriches were immunized with a pool of venoms from common rattlesnake (Crotalus durissus cumanensis), Uracoan rattlesnake (Crotalus vegrandis), Guayana rattlesnake (Crotalus durissus ruruima) and black rattlesnake (Crotalus pifanorum). The anti-snake venom antibodies were prepared from egg yolk by the water dilution method, enriched by the addition of caprylic acid (CA) and precipitation with ammonium sulfate at 30% (W/V). The purity and molecular mass of the final product was satisfactory, yielding a single ∼ 175 kDa band in SDS-PAGE gels ran under non-reducing conditions. In the immunoblot analysis, specific binding of the antivenom was observed with most venom proteins. The LD50 was 16.5 g/mouse (825 μg/kg body weight). High titers of IgY against Crot/pool venom were shown by ELISA. The median effective dose (ED50) was 19.66 mg/2LD50. IgY antibodies neutralized efficiently the Crot/pool venom lethality. As far as we know, this is the first anti-snake venom produced in ostriches, which could make this technology an affordable alternative for low-income countries, since it is likely to produce manteniabout 2-4 g of IgY per ostrich egg. Hence, almost 400 g of IgY can be purified from only one ostrich during a year. In addition, there are enormous differences in the cost of investment in the maintenance of horses, from the points of view of infrastructure, feeding and veterinary care, in which the cost can reach USD 100 per animal per day, compared to a maintenance cost of USD 146 per month per producing bird. These results are encouraging and could easily be extrapolated to the manufacturing of other antivenoms and antitoxins as well, as they could be applied to the manufacturing of potential diagnostic tools.

Resumen El envenenamiento por crotálidos es un problema de salud colectiva desatendido, que involucra a muchos países del continente americano, los cuales necesitan tratamientos seguros y económicos. En este trabajo, se obtuvieron títulos altos de anticuerpos (IgY) producidos en yema de huevo de avestruz (Struthio camelus) mediante la inmunización con el veneno de serpientes venezolanas del genero Crotalus. Se inmunizaron avestruces con una colección de veneno de serpientes de cascabel común (Crotalus durissus cumanensis), cascabel de Uracoa (Crotalus vegrandis), cascabel de Guayana (Crotalus durissus ruruima) y cascabel negra (Crotalus pifanorum). Los anticuerpos anti-veneno de serpiente se prepararon a partir de yema de huevo por el método de dilución en agua, enriquecidos mediante la adición de ácido caprílico (CA), seguido de una precipitación con sulfato de amonio al 30% (P/V). La pureza y masa molecular de los anticuerpos (IgY) se definieron mediante ensayos de SDS-PAGE nativos y las masas moleculares se establecieron electroforéticamente, obteniéndose una única banda de IgY de ∼ 175 kDa. El análisis de inmunotransferencia mostró la unión específica del antiveneno con la mayoría de las proteínas del veneno. La DL50 fue de 16,5 μg/ratón (825 μg / kg de peso corporal); Se mostraron títulos altos de IgY contra el veneno de Crot / pool mediante ELISA. La dosis mediana efectiva (DE50) fue de 19,66 mg/2 LD50. Los anticuerpos IgY neutralizaron eficazmente la letalidad del veneno de Crot / pool. Hasta donde sabemos, se trata del primer antídoto de serpiente producido en avestruces, lo que podría abaratar la producción de este tratamiento en países del tercer mundo. Ya que es probable que se obtengan alrededor de 2-4 g de IgY por huevo de avestruz. Por lo tanto, se podrían purificar casi 400 g de IgY de un solo avestruz durante un año. Asimismo, debido a las enormes diferencias en el costo de inversión en el mantenimiento de los caballos desde el punto de vista de infraestructura, alimentación y atención veterinaria, en los que el costo puede llegar a los 100 USD por día, frente a los 146 USD por mes de mantenimiento de la producción de aves. Estos resultados abren un campo terapéutico, para la fabricación de otros antivenenos contra un amplio espectro de toxinas y también como probables herramientas de diagnóstico.

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Reconstituted high-density lipoprotein (rHDL) nanoparticles are excellent transporters of molecules and very useful for targeted therapy as they specifically recognize the scavenger receptor, class B1 (SR-B1) that is present on the surface of a wide range of tumor cells. However, they have rarely been employed to transport photosensitizers (PS) for photodynamic therapy (PDT). Rhodamine (R) compounds have been dismissed as useful PSs for PDT due to their low 1O2 production, excitation wavelengths with little tissue penetration, and poor selectivity for tumor cells. It was recently demonstrated that when irradiating at 532 nm or with Cerenkov radiation (CR) from a ß-emitting radionuclide, R123, R6G, and RB undergo electron transfer reactions (type I reaction) with folic acid. R6G also produces type I reactions with O2. In this work, the photodynamic effects of the rHDL-R system were evaluated in vitro. rHDL nanoparticles loaded with R123, R6G, and RB were synthesized, and the PS was internalized into T47D tumor cells. When cells were irradiated with a 532-nm laser in the presence of an rHDL-R systems, a cytotoxic photodynamic effect was obtained in the order R6G > R123 > RB. In the presence of CR from a 177Lu source, cytotoxicity showed the order R6G > RB > R123. The higher cytotoxicity induced by R6G in both cases corresponds to higher cellular internalization and larger production of type I and II reactions. Thus, in this work, it is proposed that rHDL-R/177Lu system can be applied in theragnostics as a multimodal radiotherapy-PDT-imaging system (imaging by SPECT or Cerenkov) and in hypoxic solid tumors in which external radiation is not effective and 177Lu-CR acts as light source.

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By December 2019, multiple cases of unexplained pneumonia were reported in some hospitals in the city of Wuhan, China. Since then, it had been confirmed that it corresponded to an acute respiratory infection caused by a new coronavirus that spread quickly, becoming pandemic in a very short time. On the other hand, this pandemic forced confinement for months, something unprecedented. In that time, millions of people went online for entertainment, education, etc. Consequently, the use of the Internet increased, bringing, on the one hand, online education, and entertainment on the Internet, ensuring social distancing; and on the other hand, it brought new new risks to human life, among them rumors. In this way and given the large number of publications that could denote the level of misinformation about COVID-19 and the impact it could have on global public health, various scientific publications were analyzed and identified from a bibliometric point of view. Potential relationships between the descriptors obtained from the bibliometric search were identified. The results were conglomerated into 5 clusters: Cluster 1, related to studies on access to information provided on COVID-19; cluster 2 shows the list of studies that have been carried out on the information on the COVID-19 vaccine, cluster 3 analyzes the different responses given by conspiracy theories, rumors and misinformation about COVID-19, the Group 4 shows cross-sectional and longitudinal research on COVID-19 and the information it provides to the health sector, and cluster 5 represents studies on scientific production and communication that have contributed to global health during the pandemic(AU)

Para diciembre de 2019, se registraron múltiples casos de una neumonía inexplicables en algunos hospitales de la ciudad de Wuhan, China. Desde ese momento se había confirmado correspondía a una infección respiratoria aguda causada por un nuevo coronavirus que se propagó rápidamente haciéndose pandémico en muy poco tiempo. Por otra parte, esta pademia obligó a un confinamiento por meses, algo sin precedente. En ese tiempo, millones de personas se conectaron en línea para entretenimiento, educación, etc. En consecuencia, el uso de Internet aumentó trayendo, por una parte, educación online y entretenimiento en Internet asegurando el distanciamiento social; y por otra parte, trajo nuevos nuevos riesgos a la vida humana, entre ellos los rumores. En ese sentido, y ante la gran cantidad de publicaciones que podrían denotar el nivel de desinformación sobre el COVID-19 y el impacto que podría tener en la salud pública mundial, se analizaron e identificaron diversas publicaciones científicas desde el punto de vista bibliométrico. Se identificaron las relaciones potenciales entre los descriptores arrojados de la búsqueda bibliométrica. Los resultados se conglomeraron en 5 clúster: El clúster 1, relacionado con los estudios sobre el acceso a la información proporcionada sobre COVID-19; el clúster 2, muestra la relación de los estudios que se han realizado sobre la información de la vacuna COVID-19, el clúster 3, analiza las distintas respuestas que dan las teorías conspirativas, los rumores y la desinformación sobre el COVID-19, el grupo 4 muestra investigaciones transversales y longitudinales sobre el COVID-19 y la información que brinda al sector salud, y el clúster 5 representa los estudios sobre producción y comunicación científicas que han contribuido a la salud mundial durante la pandemia(AU)

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Man's attitudes about the environment have generated irreversible damage to the planet, emerging as an alternative to this problem Environmental Education, which aims to reorient social awareness towards a friendly and thoughtful culture. Through environmental education, we seek to make people aware of the problems of the natural and social environment from their school education in childhood to generate values, new attitudes, behaviors, and beliefs aimed at caring for the environment and learning new relationships between people. Likewise, to carry out these environmental education strategies, it is important to know some specific parameters, such as biological diversity and conservation, in addition to the conservation policies carried out by each nation. In this sense, in this work a bibliometric study was carried out based on high-impact scientific production and stipulated by ScienceDirect related to Environmental Education during a period of the last 20 years. The results were grouped into five clusters: "Environmental Education" OR "Education for Sustainable Development" OR "Education for Sustainability" OR "Education for Climate Change" OR "Eco citizenship". The union of all these clusters are connected and intertwined with each other. Them in a dependent way, which is a consequence of the study carried out(AU)

Las actitudes del hombre sobre el medio ambiente han generado daños irreversibles al planeta, surgiendo como alternativa para esta problemática la Educación Ambiental, que tiene como finalidad reorientar la conciencia social hacia una cultura amigable y reflexiva. Mediante la educación ambiental se busca concientizar a las personas sobre los problemas del ambiente natural y social desde su formación escolar en la niñez para generar valores, nuevas actitudes, comportamientos y creencias orientadas al cuidado del medio ambiente y el aprendizaje de nuevas relaciones entre las personas. Asimismo, para lleva a cabo estas estrategias de educación ambiental, es importante conocer algunos parámetros específicos, como la diversidad biológica y conservación, además de las políticas propias de conservación llevada a cabo por cada nación. En ese sentido, en este este trabajo se realizó un estudio bibliométrico basado en la producción científica de alto impacto y estipuladas por ScienceDirect relacionados con la Educación Ambiental durante un periodo de los últimos 20 años. Los resultados fueron agrupados en cinco clustes: "Environmental Education" OR "Education for Sustainable Development" OR "Education for Sustainability" OR "Education for Climate Change" OR "Eco citizenship". La unión de todos estos clústers se encuentran conectados y entrelados entre ellos de manera dependiente, lo cual es consecuencia del estudio realiz(AU)

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Recently, it was demonstrated that doxorubicin (Dox.HCl), a chemotherapeutic agent, could be photoactivated by Cerenkov radiation (CR). The objective of the present work was to develop a multimodal chemotherapy-radiotherapy-photodynamic therapeutic system based on reconstituted high-density lipoprotein (rHDL) loaded with Dox.HCl and 177Lu-DOTA. 177Lu acts as a therapeutic radionuclide and CR source. The system can be visualized by nuclear imaging. Fluorescence microscopy showed that rHDL-Dox specifically recognized cancer cells (T47D) that are positive for SR-B1 receptors. Encapsulated Dox.HCl was released into the cells and produced reactive oxygen species when irradiated with a 450-nm laser (photodynamic effect). The same effect occurred when Dox.HCl was irradiated by 177Lu CR. Through in vitro experiments, it was confirmed that the addition of 177Lu-DOTA to the rHDL-Dox nanosystem did not affect the specific recognition of SR-B1 receptors expressed in cells, or the cellular internalization of 177Lu-DOTA. The toxicity induced by the rHDL-Dox/177Lu nanosystem in cell lines with high (T47D and PC3), poor (H9C2) and almost-zero (human fibroblasts (FB)) expression of SR-B1 was evaluated in vitro and confirmed the synergy of the combined chemotherapy-radiotherapy-photodynamic therapeutic effect; this induced toxicity was proportional to the expression of the SR-B1 receptor on the surface of the cells used. The HDL-Dox/177Lu nanosystem experienced uptake by tumor cells and the liver-both tissues with high expression of SR-B1 receptors-but not by the heart. 177Lu CR offered the possibility of imparting photodynamic therapy where laser light could not reach.

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Ulomoides dermestoides are used as a broad-spectrum medical insect in the alternative treatment of various diseases. Preliminary volatilome studies carried out to date have shown, as the main components, methyl-1,4-benzoquinone, ethyl-1,4-benzoquinone, 1-tridecene, 1-pentadecene, and limonene. This work focused on the production of metabolites and their metabolic variations in U. dermestoides under stress conditions to provide additional valuable information to help better understand the broad-spectrum medical uses. To this end, VOCs were characterized by HS-SPME with PEG and CAR/PDMS fibers, and the first reported insect essential oils were obtained. In HS-SMPE, we found 17 terpenes, six quinones, five alkenes, and four aromatic compounds; in the essential oils, 53 terpenes, 54 carboxylic acids and derivatives, three alkynes, 12 alkenes (1-Pentadecene, EOT1: 77.6% and EOT2: 57.9%), 28 alkanes, nine alkyl disulfides, three aromatic compounds, 19 alcohols, three quinones, and 12 aldehydes were identified. Between both study approaches, a total of 171 secondary metabolites were identified with no previous report for U. dermestoides. A considerable number of the identified metabolites showed previous studies of the activity of pharmacological interest. Therefore, considering the wide variety of activities reported for these metabolites, this work allows a broader vision of the therapeutic potential of U. dermestoides in traditional medicine.

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Understanding the spatial and temporal patterns of mortality rates in a highly heterogeneous metropolis, is a matter of public policy interest. In this context, there is no, to the best of our knowledge, previous studies that correlate both spatio-temporal and age-specific mortality rates in Mexico City. Spatio-temporal Kriging modeling was used over five age-specific mortality rates (from the years 2000 to 2016 in Mexico City), to gain both spatial (borough and neighborhood) and temporal (year and trimester) data level description. Mortality age-specific patterns have been modeled using multilevel modeling for longitudinal data. Posterior tests were carried out to compare mortality averages between geo-spatial locations. Mortality correlation extends in all study groups for as long as 12 years and as far as 13.27 km. The highest mortality rate takes place in the Cuauhtémoc borough, the commercial, touristic and cultural core downtown of Mexico City. On the contrary, Tlalpan borough is the one with the lowest mortality rates in all the study groups. Post-productive mortality is the first age-specific cause of death, followed by infant, productive, pre-school and scholar groups. The combinations of spatio-temporal Kriging estimation and time-evolution linear mixed-effect models, allowed us to unveil relevant time and location trends that may be useful for public policy planning in Mexico City.

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An efficient synthetic route to prepare O-(2-O-benzyl-3,4-di-O-acetyl-α/ß-l-fucopyranosyl)-trichloroacetimidate from l-fucose was developed by introducing the thiophenyl group at the anomeric center and the benzylidene functional group to protect the 3 and 4 positions. Although three approaches were considered, the best result was obtained when, after the 2-hydroxyl benzylation, both protective groups were simultaneously removed by using acetic anhydride and perchloric acid supported on silica as catalyst. Selective deacetylation of the obtained tri-O-acetate followed by the reaction of the resultant hemiacetal with trichloroacetonitrile and DBU afforded the trichloroacetimidate with an overall yield of 56% from the l-fucose.

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The large and increasing burden of stroke in Latin American countries, and the need to meet the UN and WHO requirements for reducing the burden from non-communicable disorders (including stroke), brought together stroke experts and representatives of the Ministries of Health of 13 Latin American countries for the 1st Latin American Stroke Ministerial meeting in Gramado, Brazil, to discuss the problem and identify ways of cooperating to reduce the burden of stroke in the region. Discussions were focused on the regional and country-specific activities associated with stroke prevention and treatment, including public stroke awareness, prevention strategies, delivery and organisation of care, clinical practice gaps, and unmet needs. The meeting culminated with the adoption of the special Gramado Declaration, signed by all Ministerial officials who attended the meeting. With agreed priorities for stroke prevention, treatment, and research, an opportunity now exists to translate this Declaration into an action plan to reduce the burden of stroke.

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In El Salvador, chronic kidney disease had reached epidemic propor-tions towards the end of this century's first decade. In 2011-2012, the Ministry of Health reported it was the leading cause of hospital deaths in men, the fifth in women, and the third overall in adult hospital fa-talities. Farming was the most common occupation among men in dialysis (50.7%). By 2017, chronic kidney disease admissions had overwhelmed hospital capacity.In 2009, El Salvador's Ministry of Health, Cuba's Ministry of Public Health and PAHO launched a cooperative effort to comprehensively tackle the epidemic. The joint investigations revealed a total prevalence of chronic kidney disease in the adult population of farming communities higher than that reported internationally (18% vs.11%-14.8%), higher in men than in women (23.9% vs 13.9%) and higher in men who were farmers/farmworkers than in men who were not (31.3% vs. 14.8%). The disease was also detected in children. An association was found between chronic kidney disease and exposure to agrochemicals (OR 1.4-2.5). In 51.9% of all chronic kidney disease cases, traditional causes (diabetes, hyperten-sion, glomerulopathies, obstructive nephropathies and cystic diseases) were ruled out and the existence of a particular form of chronic kidney disease of nontraditional etiology was confirmed (whose initial cases were reported as early as 2002). In the patients studied, functional altera-tions and histopathologic diagnosis confirmed a chronic tubulointerstitial nephritis; most presented with neurosensory hearing loss, altered tendon refiexes and tibial artery damage. The main results of this cooperation were the epidemiologic, physio-pathologic, clinical and histopathologic characterization of chronic kid-ney disease of nontraditional etiology. This characterization facilitated case definition for the epidemic and led to the hypothesis of systemic toxicity from agrochemicals (e.g., paraquat, glyphosate), which par-ticularly affect the kidneys and to which farmers/farmworkers (who may also become dehydrated in the fields) are most exposed. The research thus also laid the foundations for design of comprehensive intersectoral government actions to reduce cases and put an end to the epidemic. KEYWORDS Chronic kidney disease; chronic renal failure; tubuloint-erstitial nephritis; epidemiology; histopathology; international coopera-tion; agrochemicals; environmental pollutants, noxae, and pesticides; occupational health; PAHO; El Salvador; Cuba.

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Bee pollen is a highly nutritive natural foodstuff. Because of its use as a comestible, the association of bacteria with bee pollen is commercially and biologically important. We report here the bacterial diversity of seven bee pollen samples (five from Europe, one from Chile, and one from Mexico) based on 16S rRNA gene amplicon metagenome sequencing.

RESUMO

Alopecia areata (AA) is a dermatological disease characterized by non-scarring hair loss of the scalp and/or body, with an unpredictable and variable evolution in the patients in which, despite multidisciplinary efforts, its etiology is not entirely known, although some evidence suggests that environmental, immunological and genetic factors could be generating the disease. The aim of this review is to provide an updated panorama of the clinical characteristics, diagnosis and treatment of AA, to analyze the mechanisms that could participate in its etiology, as well as to review some of the most important genetic variants that could confer susceptibility to the development of this disease.

La alopecia areata es un padecimiento dermatológico caracterizado por la pérdida de pelo no cicatricial del cuero cabelludo y/o del cuerpo, con una evolución impredecible y variable en los pacientes. A pesar de esfuerzos multidisciplinarios, su etiología sigue sin conocerse con exactitud, aunque algunas evidencias sugieren que factores ambientales, inmunológicos y genéticos podrían estar originando la enfermedad. El objetivo de esta revisión consiste en dar un panorama actual de las características clínicas, diagnóstico y tratamiento de la alopecia areata, analizar los mecanismos que podrían participar en su etiología, así como revisar algunas de las variantes génicas más importantes, que podrían conferir susceptibilidad al desarrollo de la enfermedad.

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RESUMO

BACKGROUND: Baseline hematologic data are used by veterinarians and wildlife biologists to perform health assessments on target animal species. Hematologic measurements are influenced by various factors including geography. Baseline hematologic RIs have been established for domestic water buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis) from various countries in the Eastern Hemisphere, but these data are not readily available for the Western Hemisphere. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine hematologic values for domestic water buffaloes from several commercial farms in southern Mexico. METHODS: Blood was collected from 126 healthy, postlactating females (3 to 10 years old) from the Murrah breed, and 10 hematologic variables were measured. RESULTS: Means, SDs, RIs, medians (MED), median absolute deviations (MAD), and other statistics were calculated for each hematologic variable. The MED (and MAD) for each variable are as follows: RBC count, 7.6 (1.1) × 1012 /L; hemoglobin, 116.0 (13.3) g/L; PCV, 41.5 (7.6) %; MCV, 56.8 (7.0) fL; MCH, 14.6 (1.6) pg; MCHC, 250.0 (35.6) g/L; RDW (SD), 29.7 (5.5) fL; RDW (CV), 18.2 (1.4) %; reticulocytes, 0.0 (0.0) %, and WBC count, 12.4 (1.3) × 109 /L. These values were compared to those previously reported for water buffaloes from several countries in the Eastern Hemisphere and, on most occasions, they differed significantly. CONCLUSIONS: Our data can be used by veterinarians and other personnel involved in buffalo production in Mexico during medical evaluations.

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