The state of optics research in Colombia: a scientometric analysis

Although there is a perception in the community that the state of optics research in Colombia has reached a mature state with international recognition, to date, there is no study that supports this view quantitatively. We aimed to assess the state of optics research in Colombia based on international journal publications. Therefore, we determined scientometric indicators using the research articles published by authors with Colombian affiliation in journals indexed in the Scopus database belonging to the Atomic and Molecular Physics and Optics subject category. The research output has increased dramatically in the past two decades, with an average of 169 articles per year since 2016. Most of these articles are published in high-impact journals. A little over 10% of that research is in the top 10% most cited in the world. Over 25 higher education institutions contribute significantly to this research with many international and national collaborations. The normalized citation impact for Colombian optics research is 0.95, only five points below the world average, and ranked second in Latin America, only superseded by Chile (1.33). Our results show that optics research is an established research area in Colombia with high impact and many active groups from different institutions spread throughout the country

Calculador epidemiológico que acepta veterinarios hispanoparlantes en un ambiente informático de recursos limitados

El análisis estadístico es fundamental en el campo de la investigación epidemiológica. De todas maneras, el software comercial para análisis estadístico es demasiado caro para un uso personal. Algunos programas gratuitos se consiguen en Internet, pero los investigadores no siempre tienen acceso a una computadora para instalar dicho software como quisieran. Los autores desarrollaron un Calculador Epidemiológico, permitiendo cálculos de tamaño muestral, así como análisis simples, para veterinarios hispano parlantes en un ambiente informático de recursos limitados. Tenemos entonces, al menos, cuatro ventajas por el uso del Calculador: (1) No se necesita instalación, (2) No se requiere conexión a la red durante el proceso de cálculo, (3) Una actitud de código abierto, además de, (4) Una actitud que proponga el dominio público.Statistical analysis is fundamental to the field of epidemiologic research. However, commercial statistical software packages are very expensive for personal use. Some free packages are available from the Internet, but researchers do not always have access to a computer for installing such software as they like. The authors developed an epidemiologic calculator, enabling sample size calculations as well as simple analyses, for Spanish speaking veterinarians in a resource-limited computing environment. There are at least four advantages to using the calculator, such as (1) no installation required, (2) no on-line connection required during the calculation process, (3) the open-source attitude, and (4) the publicdomain attitude.Facultad de Ciencias Veterinaria

An epidemiologic calculator supporting spanish speaking veterinarians in a resource-limited computing environment

Statistical analysis is fundamental to the field of epidemiologic research. However, commercial statistical software packages are very expensive for personal use. Some free packages are available from the Internet, but researchers do not always have access to a computer for installing such software as they like. The authors developed an epidemiologic calculator, enabling sample size calculations as well as simple analyses, for Spanish speaking veterinarians in a resource-limited computing environment. There are at least four advantages to using the calculator, such as (1) no installation required, (2) no on-line connection required during the calculation process, (3) the open-source attitude, and (4) the publicdomain attitude.El análisis estadístico es fundamental en el campo de la investigación epidemiológica. De todas maneras, el software comercial para análisis estadístico es demasiado caro para un uso personal. Algunos programas gratuitos se consiguen en Internet, pero los investigadores no siempre tienen acceso a una computadora para instalar dicho software como quisieran. Los autores desarrollaron un Calculador Epidemiológico, permitiendo cálculos de tamaño muestral, así como análisis simples, para veterinarios hispano parlantes en un ambiente informático de recursos limitados. Tenemos entonces, al menos, cuatro ventajas por el uso del Calculador: (1) No se necesita instalación, (2) No se requiere conexión a la red durante el proceso de cálculo, (3) Una actitud de código abierto, además de, (4) Una actitud que proponga el dominio público

Histidine-rich glycoprotein and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

Histidine-rich glycoprotein (HRG) is an enigmatic glycoprotein able to interact with a variety of ligands such as IgG, complement components, heparan sulfate, thrombospondin, fibrinogen and plasminogen. HRG is present at high concentrations in plasma and there is evidence indicating that it is able to modulate the course of biological processes such as angiogenesis, fibroblast proliferation, complement activation, coagulation and fibrinolysis. Because these processes are involved in the pathogeneses of lung fibrosis we here analyzed a possible link between HRG and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). We found that plasma concentrations of HRG are significantly diminished in IPF patients compared to healthy subjects. Moreover, we found a positive correlation between HRG plasma levels and forced vital capacity (FVC) values, suggesting that plasma concentration of HRG would be a useful indicator of disease activity in IPF. HRG has been described as a negative acute phase reactant able to accumulate at sites of tissue injury. Hence, we also measured the concentrations of HRG in BAL samples from IPF patients. We found that the concentrations of HRG in samples from IPF patients were significantly higher compared to controls, suggesting that the reduced concentration of HRG in plasma from IPF patients could be due, at least in part, to an enhanced uptake of this protein in the lung.Fil: Ernst, G.. Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires. María Ferrer; Argentina. Hospital Británico de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Dantas, Ezequiel Carlos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida; ArgentinaFil: Sabatte, Juan Atilio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida; ArgentinaFil: Caro, F.. Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires. María Ferrer; ArgentinaFil: Salvado, A.. Hospital Británico de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Grynblat Pipman, Luciana. Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires. María Ferrer; ArgentinaFil: Geffner, Jorge Raúl. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida; Argentin

Usutu virus in migratory song thrushes, Spain

Letter to the Editor.This research was supported by European Union grants 278976 from the following programs of the EMIDA ERANET (Coordination of European Research on Emerging and Major Infectious Diseases of Livestock; www.emida-era. net): ANTIGONE (Anticipating the Global Onset of Novel Epidemics) and APHAEA (Harmonised Approaches in Monitoring Wildlife Population Health).Peer Reviewe

Usutu Virus in Migratory Song Thrushes, Spain

Our data imply that introduction of USUV (and potentially other flaviviruses such as West Nile virus lineage 2, which has not yet been detected in Spain) from Northern Europe, in addition to local endemicity and introduction from Africa, occurs, and that the zoonotic European USUV strain may be co-circulating with strains of African origin. At this time, it is not clear whether USUV strains of Spanish/African lineage differ in virulence for humans from strains from the European/African lineage. However, virus introduction by northern migrants, in combination with locally favorable conditions for vector populations, implies a risk for virus amplification and transmission and disease outbreaks in humans and horses outside the currently established mosquito-trapping period (May-October) of targeted flavivirus surveillance programs.Fil: Höfle, Ursula. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas; España;Fil: Gamino, Virginia. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas; España;Fil: Fernández de Mera, Isabel G.. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas; España;Fil: Mangold, Atilio Jose. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro Regional Santa Fe. Estación Experimental Agropecuaria, Rafaela; Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina;Fil: Ortíz, José Antonio. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas; España;Fil: de la Fuente, José. Oklahoma State University; Estados Unidos de América

Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiae in Questing Ticks, Central Spain

These results demonstrate that SFG rickettsiae with public health relevance are found in ticks in central Spain as in other regions in Spain. In central Spain, the widespread distribution of tick vectors and possible wildlife hosts, the presence of persons in tick-infested recreational and hunting areas, and the transstadial and transovarial transmission of the pathogen in ticks may favor transmission to humans.Fil: Fernandez de Mera, Isabel G.. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas. Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos; España;Fil: Ruiz-Fons, Francisco. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas. Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos; España;Fil: de la Fuente, Gabriela. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas. Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos; España;Fil: Mangold, Atilio Jose. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro Regional Santa Fe. Estación Experimental Agropecuaria, Rafaela; Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina;Fil: Gortázar, Christian. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas. Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos; España;Fil: de la Fuente, José. Oklahoma State University; Estados Unidos de América

Spotted fever group rickettsiaein questing ticks, central Spain

Letter to the Editor.F. R.-F. and I.G.F.M. are supported by a Juan de la Cierva contract from the Spanish Ministry for Economy and Competitiveness. Research supported by POII09-0141-8176 and European Union FP7 ANTIGONE (Anticipating the Global Onset of Novel Epidemics) project number 278976.Peer Reviewe

Trypanocidal Activity of Smallanthus sonchifolius. Identification of Active Sesquiterpene Lactones by Bioassay-Guided Fractionation.

In order to find novel plant-derived biologically active compounds against Trypanosoma cruzi, we isolated, from the organic extract of Smallanthus sonchifolius, the sesquiterpene lactones enhydrin (1), uvedalin (2), and polymatin B (3) by bioassay-guided fractionation technique. These compounds showed a significant trypanocidal activity against the epimastigote forms of the parasite with IC50 values of 0.84 μM (1), 1.09 μM (2), and 4.90 μM (3). After a 24 h treatment with 10 μg/mL of enhydrin or uvedalin, parasites were not able to recover their replication rate. Compounds 1 and 2 showed IC50 values of 33.4 μM and 25.0 μM against T. cruzi trypomastigotes, while polymatin B was not active. When the three compounds were tested against the intracellular forms of T. cruzi, they were able to inhibit the amastigote replication with IC50 of 5.17 μM, 3.34 μM, and 9.02 μM for 1, 2, and 3, respectively. The cytotoxicity of the compounds was evaluated in Vero cells obtaining CC50 values of 46.5 μM (1), 46.8 μM (2), and 147.3 μM (3) and the selectivity index calculated. According to these results, enhydrin and uvedalin might have potentials as agents against Chagas disease and could serve as lead molecules to develop new drugs.Fil: Frank, Fernanda Maria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientiâ­ficas y Tecnicas. Oficina de Coordinacion Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Estudios de la Inmunidad Humoral "profesor R. A. Margni"; ArgentinaFil: Ulloa, Jerónimo Luis. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Química y Metabolismo del Fármaco (i); ArgentinaFil: Cazorla, Silvia Ines. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientiâ­ficas y Tecnicas. Oficina de Coordinacion Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Estudios de la Inmunidad Humoral "profesor R. A. Margni"; ArgentinaFil: Maravilla, G.. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Química y Metabolismo del Fármaco (i); ArgentinaFil: Malchiodi, Emilio Luis. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientiâ­ficas y Tecnicas. Oficina de Coordinacion Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Estudios de la Inmunidad Humoral "profesor R. A. Margni"; ArgentinaFil: Grau, A.. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo. Instituto de Ecología Regional; ArgentinaFil: Martino, Virginia Susana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Química y Metabolismo del Fármaco (i); ArgentinaFil: Catalan, Cesar Atilio Nazareno. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Tucumán. Instituto de Quimica del Noroeste; ArgentinaFil: Muschietti, Liliana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Química y Metabolismo del Fármaco (i); Argentin

Evaluating emergency physicians’ knowledge, attitudes, and experiences of FARC ex-combatants : a pilot study of Colombia’s emergency medicine teaching hospitals

Objectives: In the 2016 Peace Accord with the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC), Colombia promised to reincorporate 14,000 ex-combatants into the healthcare system. However, FARC ex-combatants have faced significant challenges in receiving healthcare, and little is known about physicians' abilities to address this population's healthcare needs. Methods: An electronic questionnaire sent to the Colombian Emergency Medicine professional society and teaching hospitals assessed physicians' knowledge, attitudes, and experiences with the FARC ex-combatant reincorporation process. Results: Among 53 participants, most were male (60.4%), and ∼25% were affected by the FARC conflict (22.6%). Overall knowledge of FARC reincorporation was low, with nearly two-thirds of participants (61.6%) scoring in the lowest category. Attitudes around ex-combatants showed low bias. Few physicians received training about reincorporation (7.5%), but 83% indicated they would like such training. Twenty-two participants (41.5%) had identified a patient as an ex-combatant in the healthcare setting. Higher knowledge scores were significantly correlated with training about reincorporation (r = 0.354, n = 53, P = 0.015), and experience identifying patients as ex-combatants (r = 0.356, n = 47, P = 0.014). Conclusion: Findings suggested high interest in training and low knowledge of the reincorporation process. Most physicians had low bias, frequent experiences with ex-combatants, and cared for these patients when they self-identify. The emergency department (ED) serves as an entrance into healthcare for this population and a potential setting for interventions to improve care delivery, especially those related to mental healthcare. Future studies could evaluate effects of care delivery following training on ex-combatant healthcare reintegration.Revista Internacional - Indexad