Efficience of human Plasmodium falciparum malaria vaccine candidates in Aotus lemurinus monkeys

The protective efficacy of several recombinat and a synthetic Plasmodium falciparum protein was assessed in Aoutus monkeys. The rp41 aldolase, the 190L fragment of the MSA-1 protein and fusion 190L-CS. T3 protein containg the CS. T3 helper "universal epitope were emulsified in Freund's adjuvants and injected 3 times in groups of 4-5 monkeys each one. The synthetic polymer Spf (66)30 also emulsified in Freund's adjuvants was injected 6 times. Control groups for both experiments were immunized with saline solution in the same adjuvant following the same schedules. Serology for malaria specific antibodies showed seroconversion in monkeys immunized with the recombinant proteins but not in those immunized with the polymer nor in the controls. Challenge was performed with the 10 (elevado a quinta potência) parasites from the P. falciparum FVO isolate. Neither rp41 nor SPf (66)30 induced protection, whereas 190L induced significant delay of parasitemia. The fusion of the CS. T3 epitope to 190L significantly increased is protective capacity

Parasitismos en una comunidad marginada

Dos barrios económicamente deprimidos de Santafé de Bogotá, fueron estudiados por medio de una muestra de población para determinar la predominancia de varios parasitismos y sus más importantes factores de riesgo. Se estudiaron 207 sujetos y se encontraron las siguientes tasas globales de positividad en las heces: A. lumbricoides, 9.5%; T. trichiura, 1.5%; S. stercoralis, 0.5%; H. diminuta, 0.5%; E. histolytica, 3%, y G. lamblia, 12.1%. Los resultados serológicos fueron: T. gondii, 30%; E. histolytica, 5.9%; T. canis, 47.5%, y T. solium (larva), 5.9%. EI barrio más pobre, en el cual las condiciones ambientales y socioeconómicas eran peores, mostró la más alta predominancia de parasitismo

Prevalence of canine visceral leishmaniasis in municipalities of huila, colombia

With the purpose of establishing the prevalence of canine leishmaniasis a descriptive study was carried out in 17 villages of the municipalities of Neiva, Tello and Algeciras, in the department of Huila, Colombia. The selected canine population was composed of 307 dogs, which were submitted to clinical examination, stained smears of lymph node needle aspiration, and bleeding for serological analysis by the Immunofluorescent Antibody Tests (IFAT). The canine population was conformed by mestizo dogs, with a 3 year age average; 30,6 % were females. Upon physical examination loss of weight was observed in 31% of dogs; lynfadenopathy of the popliteal node in 3,2 %; alopecia in 21,8 %, eritematous lesions in 11,5 % and skin ulcers in 3,3 %. 17,2 % of the dogs has a positive serology and in 1.43% of them, amastigotes were observed in the smears of lymph node aspirates. These prevalence of anti-L. chagasi antibodies is relatively high compared with other studies in Colombia and in other countries. The present study, confirms the endemic nature of the illness in the area, high lighting the need for strengthening public health surveillance and active search for human cases.Con el propósito de establecer la prevalencia de leishmaniosis canina se efectuó un estudio descriptivo en 307 caninos, ubicados en 17 veredas de los municipios de Neiva, Tello y Algeciras, a los cuales se les practicó examen clínico, punción y aspiración del ganglio linfático poplíteo para extendido y coloración en lámina; toma de sangre completa por venopunción para análisis mediante la técnica de inmunofluorescencia indirecta. La población canina estuvo conformada por perros mestizos con edad promedio de tres años; el 30,6 % fueron hembras y el 69,4 % machos. En el examen físico de los caninos se observó: enflaquecimiento, 31 %; onicogrifosis, 29,3 %; linfadenitis de ganglio poplíteo 3,2 %; áreas alopécicas 21,8 %; lesiones eritematosas 11,5 % y úlceras cutáneas 3,3 %. El 1,4 % de los caninos analizados presentaron amastigotes en el aspirado y el 17,2 % fueron seropositivos. La prevalencia de anticuerpos contra L. chagasi es alta comparada con otros estudios realizados en Colombia y otros países, corroborando la endemicidad de la enfermedad en el área. Por consiguiente, es necesario fortalecer las estrategias de vigilancia epidemiológica y la búsqueda activa de casos humanos

Local hydrological conditions influence tree diversity and composition across the Amazon basin

Tree diversity and composition in Amazonia are known to be strongly determined by the water supplied by precipitation. Nevertheless, within the same climatic regime, water availability is modulated by local topography and soil characteristics (hereafter referred to as local hydrological conditions), varying from saturated and poorly drained to well-drained and potentially dry areas. While these conditions may be expected to influence species distribution, the impacts of local hydrological conditions on tree diversity and composition remain poorly understood at the whole Amazon basin scale. Using a dataset of 443 1-ha non-flooded forest plots distributed across the basin, we investigate how local hydrological conditions influence 1) tree alpha diversity, 2) the community-weighted wood density mean (CWM-wd) – a proxy for hydraulic resistance and 3) tree species composition. We find that the effect of local hydrological conditions on tree diversity depends on climate, being more evident in wetter forests, where diversity increases towards locations with well-drained soils. CWM-wd increased towards better drained soils in Southern and Western Amazonia. Tree species composition changed along local soil hydrological gradients in Central-Eastern, Western and Southern Amazonia, and those changes were correlated with changes in the mean wood density of plots. Our results suggest that local hydrological gradients filter species, influencing the diversity and composition of Amazonian forests. Overall, this study shows that the effect of local hydrological conditions is pervasive, extending over wide Amazonian regions, and reinforces the importance of accounting for local topography and hydrology to better understand the likely response and resilience of forests to increased frequency of extreme climate events and rising temperatures

Omecamtiv mecarbil in chronic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, GALACTIC‐HF: baseline characteristics and comparison with contemporary clinical trials

Aims: The safety and efficacy of the novel selective cardiac myosin activator, omecamtiv mecarbil, in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) is tested in the Global Approach to Lowering Adverse Cardiac outcomes Through Improving Contractility in Heart Failure (GALACTIC‐HF) trial. Here we describe the baseline characteristics of participants in GALACTIC‐HF and how these compare with other contemporary trials. Methods and Results: Adults with established HFrEF, New York Heart Association functional class (NYHA) ≥ II, EF ≤35%, elevated natriuretic peptides and either current hospitalization for HF or history of hospitalization/ emergency department visit for HF within a year were randomized to either placebo or omecamtiv mecarbil (pharmacokinetic‐guided dosing: 25, 37.5 or 50 mg bid). 8256 patients [male (79%), non‐white (22%), mean age 65 years] were enrolled with a mean EF 27%, ischemic etiology in 54%, NYHA II 53% and III/IV 47%, and median NT‐proBNP 1971 pg/mL. HF therapies at baseline were among the most effectively employed in contemporary HF trials. GALACTIC‐HF randomized patients representative of recent HF registries and trials with substantial numbers of patients also having characteristics understudied in previous trials including more from North America (n = 1386), enrolled as inpatients (n = 2084), systolic blood pressure < 100 mmHg (n = 1127), estimated glomerular filtration rate < 30 mL/min/1.73 m2 (n = 528), and treated with sacubitril‐valsartan at baseline (n = 1594). Conclusions: GALACTIC‐HF enrolled a well‐treated, high‐risk population from both inpatient and outpatient settings, which will provide a definitive evaluation of the efficacy and safety of this novel therapy, as well as informing its potential future implementation

Búsqueda, aislamiento y análisis de Leishmania circulante dentro de células mononucleares de sangre periférica en la población de tres zonas endémicas para Leishmaniasis

IP 2104-10-004-92Aspectos epidemiologicos y percepciones sobre leishmaniasis cutanea en poblaciones de areas endemicas / Maria;Teresa Palau Castaño. ... [et. al]. -- En: Biomedica. -- Vol.19, no 1. --(1997); p. 122.;ARTICULO(S) EN REVISTA: Hallazgo de ADN de leishmanias enmonolitos de sangre periferica de pacientes y de;personas sanas procedentes de zonas endemicas de leishmaniasismediante lareaccion en cadena de polimerasa /;Maria Teresa Palau Castaño. ... [et. al]. -- En: Biomedica. --Vol. 19, no1. -- (1997); p. 157-158. -

Parasitismos en una comunidad marginada

Dos barrios económicamente deprimidos de Santafé de Bogotá, fueron estudiados por medio de una muestra de población para determinar la predominancia de varios parasitismos y sus más importantes factores de riesgo. Se estudiaron 207 sujetos y se encontraron las siguientes tasas globales de positividad en las heces: A. lumbricoides, 9.5%; T. trichiura, 1.5%; S. stercoralis, 0.5%; H. diminuta, 0.5%; E. histolytica, 3%, y G. lamblia, 12.1%. Los resultados serológicos fueron: T. gondii, 30%; E. histolytica, 5.9%; T. canis, 47.5%, y T. solium (larva), 5.9%. EI barrio más pobre, en el cual las condiciones ambientales y socioeconómicas eran peores, mostró la más alta predominancia de parasitismo

Improvement in Nasal Obstruction and Quality of Life after Nasal Septoplasty with Turbinoplasty: A Pre- and Post-study

Introduction Septoplasty and turbinoplasty are common surgical interventions used to relieve nasal obstructive symptoms. Since it is difficult to measure the degree of nasal blockage, current literature wonders about the frequent performance of these procedures. Objective To evaluate the perceived change in the nasal obstruction and the quality of life (QoL) of patients that underwent a septoplasty along with a turbinoplasty by applying subjective scales, to describe the correlation between those scales, and to study the impact of clinical factors in the postoperative outcomes. Methods Prospective observational study. The Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation (NOSE), the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), and the Glasgow Benefit Inventory (GBI) were assessed. The paired sample Wilcoxon test was used to evaluate the difference between the pre- and postoperative surveys. The correlation coefficient between the subjective scales was calculated. A quantile regression was performed to evaluate the effect of surgery on the results adjusted for clinical and demographic variables. Results A total of 115 patients were interviewed. Postoperative NOSE scores were 45 points lower (95% confidence interval [CI]: - 53.53–- 35.46; p < 0.001) in comparison with the NOSE preoperative scores. Obesity was the only statistically significant factor associated with worse outcomes. Additionally, we found a high correlation between the NOSE and VAS scores and a negative correlation between the GBI and postoperative VAS scores. Conclusion Nasal septoplasty, when paired with a turbinoplasty, decreases nasal obstruction and improves QoL. Obesity was associated with worse results. There was a strong correlation between the NOSE and the VAS results and between the GBI and postoperative VAS results