Platform for Plasmodium vivax vaccine discovery and development

Plasmodium vivax is the most prevalent malaria parasite on the American continent. It generates a global burden of 80-100 million cases annually and represents a tremendous public health problem, particularly in the American and Asian continents. A malaria vaccine would be considered the most cost-effective measure against this vector-borne disease and it would contribute to a reduction in malaria cases and to eventual eradication. Although significant progress has been achieved in the search for Plasmodium falciparum antigens that could be used in a vaccine, limited progress has been made in the search for P. vivax components that might be eligible for vaccine development. This is primarily due to the lack of in vitro cultures to serve as an antigen source and to inadequate funding. While the most advanced P. falciparum vaccine candidate is currently being tested in Phase III trials in Africa, the most advanced P. vivax candidates have only advanced to Phase I trials. Herein, we describe the overall strategy and progress in P. vivax vaccine research, from antigen discovery to preclinical and clinical development and we discuss the regional potential of Latin America to develop a comprehensive platform for vaccine development

Registro ACESUR: atención de pacientes adultos con crisis epilépticas en servicios de urgencias: diferencias entre primer episodio y recurrencia

Objetivo. Describir las características y la atención recibida de pacientes adultos que consultan por crisis epiléptica (CE) en los servicios de urgencias hospitalarios (SUH), diferenciando entre primera crisis y recurrencia en epiléptico conocido. Método. ACESUR es un registro observacional de cohortes multipropósito, prospectivo y multicéntrico con un muestreo sistemático, los días pares de febrero y julio alternando con los impares de abril y octubre de 2017. Se incluyeron pacientes 18 años con diagnóstico de CE en los SUH. Se recogieron variables clínico-asistenciales de la visita índice de pacientes, distinguiendo entre primera CE y recurrencia en epiléptico. Resultados. El registro ACESUR recogió a 664 pacientes procedentes de 18 SUH españoles, 229 (34, 5%) con primera CE y 435 (65, 5%) con CE recurrentes. Los pacientes con primera CE fueron de mayor edad (p < 0, 001), presentaron motivos de consulta distintos (p < 0, 001) y requirieron más traslados en ambulancia (p < 0, 001). La atención recibida en el SUH fue diferente, en pacientes con primera CE se solicitó con mayor probabilidad una prueba complementaria específica (OR ajustada = 13, 94; IC95%:7, 29-26, 7; p < 0, 001) y se necesitó mayor hospitalización o estancia prolongada en el SUH (OR ajustada = 1, 69; IC95%:1, 11-2, 58; p = 0, 015). No hubo diferencias en cuanto al tratamiento farmacológico en fase aguda ni preventivo (OR ajustada = 1, 40; IC95%:0, 94-2, 09; p = 0, 096). Se inició tratamiento con fármacos antiepiépticos (FAE) en 100 pacientes (43, 7%) tras primera CE y se reinició o modificó añadiendo nuevo FAE en 142 pacientes (32, 6%) con CE recurrentes. Conclusiones. Las características clínicas y la atención recibida de pacientes adultos con primera CE en SUH en España difieren de las recurrencias en epiléptico conocido. Objective. To describe the characteristics of care received by patients who come to the emergency department with a first epileptic seizure versus a recurrent seizure in a patient with diagnosed epilepsy. Methods. ACESUR (Acute Epileptic Seizures in the Emergency Department) is a prospective multicenter, multipurpose registry of cases obtained by systematic sampling on even days in February and July 2017 and on odd days in April and October 2017. Patients were aged 18 years or older and had an emergency department diagnosis of epileptic seizure. We recorded clinical variables and details related to care given during each patient''s visit, including whether the event was a first or recurrent seizure. Results. A total of 664 patients attended by 18 Spanish emergency departments were entered into the ACESUR registry. Two hundred twenty-nine (34.5%) were first seizures and 435 (65.5%) were recurrences. Patients who were attended for first seizures were older, consulted for a wider variety of reasons, and were transported in ambulances (P<.001, all comparisons). Care received differed between patients with first seizures versus recurrent seizures. Specific complementary testing was more likely in patients with first seizures (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 13.94; 95% CI, 29-26.7; P<.001), and they were more often hospitalized or stayed longer in the emergency department, (aOR, 1.69; 95% CI, 1.11-2.58; P=.015). Pharmacologic treatment did not differ between the groups, either in the acute phase or for prevention (aOR, 1.40; 95% CI, 0.94-2.09; P=.096). Antiepileptic drugs were given to 100 patients (43.7%) after a first seizure and were restarted or changed in 142 patients with recurrent seizure (32.6%). Conclusions. The clinical characteristics of adults attended for a first epileptic seizure differ from those of patients with diagnosed epilepsy who were attended for recurrent seizures in Spain. The care received also differs

Influence of nutritional and socio-sexual cues upon reproductive efficiency of goats exposed to the male effect under extensive conditions

This study evaluated the effect of nutritional supplementation and socio-sexual cues upon reproductive efficiency of goats exposed to the male effect under rangeland grazing conditions (22N). Criollo goats (n ≤ 73) were distributed in four experimental groups (1) continuous males (CM, n ≤ 19) in which males (n ≤ 2) remained together with females from 7 March to 28 July; (2) supplemented males (SM, n ≤ 16) in which males (n ≤ 2) were kept separately and were individually supplemented with 18% crude protein and 2.77 Mcal ME kg-1 DM, during a 30-day period; (3) supplemented males exposed to the female effect (SM + FE, n ≤ 19), in which supplemented males (n ≤ 2) were maintained with females induced to oestrus before being used for male effect; and (4) supplemented males and supplemented females (SM + SF, n ≤ 19) in which males (n ≤ 2) were supplemented as in group SM, and females received the same supplementation as males 30 days before and 30 days after male introduction. Grazing was performed from 0900 to 1900 hours; liveweight (LW) was registered weekly before grazing and (or) supplementation. Ovarian activity was evaluated (serum P4 concentrations) in the four groups before and after male introduction. At the beginning of the study and supplementation, female LW did not differ among treatments (P 0.01). However, during the supplementation phase, LW increased in a different fashion among groups (P 0.002), favouring the SM, SM + FE and SM + SF groups. A positive correlation between female LW at the beginning of the rainy season and the onset of ovulatory activity was observed (r ≤ +0.90; P 0.01). The average date for the onset of ovarian activity differed (P 0.001) among groups, being earlier in the SM + SF group (9 May 4.3 days), which also depicted the shortest interval between the introduction of males until the onset of ovulatory activity (P 0.001). Results of the present study indicate that nutritional signalling of the reproductive activity of both female and male Criollo goats reared under marginal conditions surmounts the inhibitory effects of long-day photoperiods during the non-reproductive season. An increased level of nutrition during the anestrous season may be used to increase reproductive function of both male and female goats reared in harsh nutritional conditions and applied as a green, clean, and ethical reproductive tool at these latitudes. © CSIRO 2010

Bibliography of foliicolous lichenized fungi, 1952-2013

The bibliography of foliicolous lichenised fungi is compiled, listing publications of the last 60 years following Santesson's world monograph on the foliicolous lichens. It consists of 708 scientific papers, journal publications, books, posters, exsiccates, dissertation manuscripts