Population Structure in Rural Communities of Córdoba, Argentina: Marriage Patterns and Immigration Effect during Early 20th Century

Besides its cultural and social impact, immigration also has biological consequences. Mate selection may be affected with the arrival of immigrants, altering the identity and genetic variability of the population. In this research, marriage patterns of creoles and immigrants in two rural populations in Córdoba, Argentina were analyzed using data from marriage certificates from three subsequent periods: before, during and after the immigration during the early 20th century. RP, consanguinity coefficients through isonymy, intra-group and inter-group kinship coefficients and Fst were calculated for these periods. Despite its proximity, the populations showed different behavior. In Morteros, marriage between immigrants was favored, as were marriages between relatives and within family lineages. In Villa Concepción del Tío, marriage between locals was more frequent, as were marriages within family lineages, although in the latter years mixed marriages increased. Differences between the populations may be due to their history and population size as well as group distribution

Leaf Anatomy and Ultrastructure of Poa Ligularis After Defoliation and Water Stress

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of defoliation and water stress on leaf anatomy and the mesophyll cell ultrastructure of Poa ligularis. Anatomical differences were detected mainly at epidermal level. Under water stress, leaf roughness was enhanced since the epidermal-cell surface contours became conspicuous. Under defoliation the microscopic roughness decreased as a result of fewer epicuticular wax crystals being formed. Defoliation produced an enhancement of the interlamellar spaces in the irrigated plantís chloroplast. Under no defoliation conditions, chloroplast structure was not affected by water stress. When subjected to water stress, lightly defoliated plants presented chloroplasts with a bellowed outer membrane, irregular thylacoid distribution and the disorganization of peripheral grana. Severely defoliated plants showed disorganized internal chloroplast membranes and even the disappearance of the grana. No breakdown or disappearance of chloroplast external membranes was detected under the imposed growing conditions, suggesting that no irreversible changes were induced

Severe and Complicated Malaria due to Plasmodium vivax

Contrary to the widespread belief that severe malaria is mainly caused by Plasmodium falciparum, malaria caused by Plasmodium vivax infection may also lead to severe clinical manifestations including a plethora of renal, pulmonary, hematologic, neurologic, and multiorgan dysfunction. Anemia and thrombocytopenia are considered as two major important markers of severity during the clinical course of severe P. vivax malaria. In highly endemic areas of P. vivax transmission, early diagnosis is crucial in preventing uncomplicated episodes progressing into severe and complicated clinical forms. In fact, given the wide geographic distribution of P. vivax, there is a large burden of disease, often not adequately acknowledged, and resulting from the combined effect of the large numbers of uncomplicated clinical episodes and the increasingly recognized severe and complicated clinical presentations

Enantioselective Synthesis of Dual Serotonergic Azanoradamantane SC-52491

A racemic synthesis of azanoradamantane (±)-3 was accomplished via Yamamoto\u27s MAD-catalyzed Diels-Alder protocol. Subsequently, a scalable asymmetric synthesis of azanoradamantane benzamide SC-52491 was carried out employing Helmchen\u27s asymmetric Diels-Alder methodology to construct all four contiguous asymmetric centers with the correct relative stereochemistry and in 99.3% e.e

Chikungunya, a Global Threat Currently Circulating in Latin America

Chikungunya fever (CHIK) is a highly important arbovirosis currently established in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC); its acute and chronic burden is an overlooked issue for policy makers. Disease spread control and proper management of chronic-derived sequelae do not seem like a realistic goal in short- and mid-term. The CHIKV circulating in the Western Hemisphere is closely related to strains from Philippines, China, and Yap (Federated States of Micronesia), and vertical and horizontal transmission of infection has been reported. Pathogenesis is still not well understood, and vaccines are under development yet. Here, we provide a summary of information regarding LAC spread of the disease from a public health, clinical and molecular perspective, particularly from the experience in Colombia

Esperando lo inesperado, la pandemia del milenio… hasta el momento: COVID-19

Carta al Editor (Sin resumen

Cocirculation and Coinfection Associated to Zika Virus in the Americas

Zika virus, a flavivirus, has arrived to Latin America in 2013. It became evident causing epidemics since 2015, first in Brazil and later in other countries in the region, such as Colombia, with a higher peak in 2016. The World Health Organization (WHO), based on cumulated evidence on its association with Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) and microcephaly and other birth defects (also the congenital Zika syndrome, CZS), declared for a period of almost a year, an international public health emergency. Epidemics in the region caused around 1 million cases with also additional complications beyond GBS and the CZS, which in patients with comorbidities lead to deaths. Among the events studied in the region, a number of cases with arboviral coinfections/codetection (dengue and chikungunya) were described and published beginning in Colombia and later in Brazil. In addition to that, cocirculation and still ongoing research on antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) are challenges for physicians and public health authorities, given the implications for clinical manifestations and serological diagnosis in patients with previous exposition to other flaviviruses. We reviewed such aspects in this chapter