A new species of liolaemus (Iguania: Liolaemidae) of the alticolor group from La Paz, Bolivia

We describe a new species of Liolaemus, belonging to the alticolor group, that was previously confused with L. walkeri. The new species inhabits the inter-Andean dry valleys at two localities in the department of La Paz (Ananta and Jupapina), Bolivia. We compared the new species with 11 morphologically similar taxa classified as part of the alticolor group. Our comparisons were based on external morphology and included lepidosis, morphometry, meristic characters, and color patterns. Liolaemus sp. nov. differs from other species of the same group by unique dorsal coloration and lepidosis characteristics. © 2012 by The Herpetologists League, Inc.Fil: Ocampo Ballivian, Mauricio. Universidad Mayor de San Andrés; BoliviaFil: Aguilar Kirigin, Álvaro J.. Universidad Mayor de San Andrés; BoliviaFil: Quinteros, Andres Sebastian. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Salta. Instituto de Bio y Geociencias del NOA. Universidad Nacional de Salta. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales. Museo de Ciencias Naturales. Instituto de Bio y Geociencias del NOA; Argentin

Safety of COVID-19 vaccines, their components or their platforms for pregnant women: A rapid review.

BACKGROUND: Pregnant women with COVID-19 are at an increased risk of severe COVID-19 illness as well as adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes. Many countries are vaccinating or considering vaccinating pregnant women with limited available data about the safety of this strategy. Early identification of safety concerns of COVID-19 vaccines, including their components, or their technological platforms is therefore urgently needed. METHODS: We conducted a rapid systematic review, as the first phase of an ongoing full systematic review, to evaluate the safety of COVID-19 vaccines in pregnant women, including their components, and their technological platforms (whole virus, protein, viral vector or nucleic acid) used in other vaccines, following the Cochrane methods and the PRISMA statement for reporting (PROSPERO-CRD42021234185).We searched literature databases, COVID-19 and pregnancy registries from inception February 2021 without time or language restriction and explored the reference lists of relevant systematic reviews retrieved. We selected studies of any methodological design that included at least 50 pregnant women or pregnant animals exposed to the vaccines that were selected for review by the COVAX MIWG in August 2020 or their components or platforms included in the COVID-19 vaccines, and evaluated adverse events during pregnancy and the neonatal period.Pairs of reviewers independently selected studies through the COVIDENCE web software and performed the data extraction through a previously piloted online extraction form. Discrepancies were resolved by consensus. RESULTS: We identified 6768 records, 256 potentially eligible studies were assessed by full-text, and 37 clinical and non-clinical studies (38 reports, involving 2,397,715 pregnant women and 56 pregnant animals) and 12 pregnancy registries were included.Most studies (89%) were conducted in high-income countries. The most frequent study design was cohort studies (n=21), followed by surveillance studies, randomized controlled trials, and registry analyses. Most studies (76%) allowed comparisons between vaccinated and unvaccinated pregnant women (n=25) or animals (n=3) and reported exposures during the three trimesters of pregnancy.The most frequent exposure was to AS03 adjuvant in the context of A/H1N1 pandemic influenza vaccines (n=24), followed by aluminum-based adjuvants (n=11). Aluminum phosphate was used in Respiratory Syncytial Virus Fusion candidate vaccines (n=3) and Tdap vaccines (n=3). Different aluminum-based adjuvants were used in hepatitis vaccines. The replication-deficient simian adenovirus ChAdOx1 was used for a Rift Valley fever vaccine. Only one study reported exposure to messenger RNA (mRNA) COVID-19 vaccines that also used lipid nanoparticles. Except for one preliminary report about A/H1N1 influenza vaccination (adjuvant AS03) - corrected by the authors in a more thorough analysis, all studies concluded that there were no safety concerns. CONCLUSION: This rapid review found no evidence of pregnancy-associated safety concerns of COVID-19 vaccines that were selected for review by the COVAX MIWG or of their components or platforms when used in other vaccines. However, the need for further data on several vaccine platforms and components is warranted given their novelty. Our findings support current WHO guidelines recommending that pregnant women may consider receiving COVID-19 vaccines, particularly if they are at high risk of exposure or have comorbidities that enhance the risk of severe disease

Sphingomyelin Functions as a Novel Receptor for Helicobacter pylori VacA

The vacuolating cytotoxin (VacA) of the gastric pathogen Helicobacter pylori binds and enters epithelial cells, ultimately resulting in cellular vacuolation. Several host factors have been reported to be important for VacA function, but none of these have been demonstrated to be essential for toxin binding to the plasma membrane. Thus, the identity of cell surface receptors critical for both toxin binding and function has remained elusive. Here, we identify VacA as the first bacterial virulence factor that exploits the important plasma membrane sphingolipid, sphingomyelin (SM), as a cellular receptor. Depletion of plasma membrane SM with sphingomyelinase inhibited VacA-mediated vacuolation and significantly reduced the sensitivity of HeLa cells, as well as several other cell lines, to VacA. Further analysis revealed that SM is critical for VacA interactions with the plasma membrane. Restoring plasma membrane SM in cells previously depleted of SM was sufficient to rescue both toxin vacuolation activity and plasma membrane binding. VacA association with detergent-resistant membranes was inhibited in cells pretreated with SMase C, indicating the importance of SM for VacA association with lipid raft microdomains. Finally, VacA bound to SM in an in vitro ELISA assay in a manner competitively inhibited by lysenin, a known SM-binding protein. Our results suggest a model where VacA may exploit the capacity of SM to preferentially partition into lipid rafts in order to access the raft-associated cellular machinery previously shown to be required for toxin entry into host cells

<i>Liolaemus chaltin</i>: Lobo & Espinoza 2004 (Iguania: Liolaemidae)

Dos ejemplares fueron colectados en la República de Bolivia, y depositados en la Colección Boliviana de Fauna (CBF), La Paz, Bolivia. Ambos registros se realizaron en el Departamento de Tarija, Provincia Avilez, Sección Segunda, Municipio de Yunchara, por Gustavo Scrocchi. Localidad San Antonio (Reserva Biológica Cordillera de Sama), 21º15'32.3"S, 65º09'59.0"O; 4000 msnm. Fecha de colecta: 07-08/VIII/1995. (CBF 1794). Unejemplar macho (55,20 mm LHC). Localidad Palanca (Reserva Biológica Cordillera de Sama), 21º45'29.8"S, 65º03'54.2"O; 3750 msnm. Fecha de colecta:09-10/VIII/1995. (CBF 1796). Un ejemplar macho (52,45 mm LHC).Asociación Herpetológica Argentina (AHA

<i>Liolaemus chaltin</i>: Lobo & Espinoza 2004 (Iguania: Liolaemidae)

Dos ejemplares fueron colectados en la República de Bolivia, y depositados en la Colección Boliviana de Fauna (CBF), La Paz, Bolivia. Ambos registros se realizaron en el Departamento de Tarija, Provincia Avilez, Sección Segunda, Municipio de Yunchara, por Gustavo Scrocchi. Localidad San Antonio (Reserva Biológica Cordillera de Sama), 21º15'32.3"S, 65º09'59.0"O; 4000 msnm. Fecha de colecta: 07-08/VIII/1995. (CBF 1794). Unejemplar macho (55,20 mm LHC). Localidad Palanca (Reserva Biológica Cordillera de Sama), 21º45'29.8"S, 65º03'54.2"O; 3750 msnm. Fecha de colecta:09-10/VIII/1995. (CBF 1796). Un ejemplar macho (52,45 mm LHC).Asociación Herpetológica Argentina (AHA

Mental health, coping, and social support among people living with HIV in the Americas: A comparative study between Argentina and the USA during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic pose significant risk to mental health and may disproportionately affect people living with HIV (PLWH). This study examined the interaction of social support and resilient coping in predicting depressive symptoms among PLWH. : PLWH residing in Buenos Aires, Argentina and in Miami, Florida (US) were asked to complete an anonymous survey on the impact of COVID-19. Statistical analysis included ordinary least squares regression. A total of 1,554 participants were included. Mean age was 47.30 years; 63.7 % were men. A test of three-way interaction of social support resilient coping study site indicated differences by site (b = -0.63.862, p = .043010, 95% CI [-1.24, -0.02.205, 1.52]). In Argentina, at higher social support and resilient coping, depressive symptoms were lowest. At lower social support and resilient coping, depressive symptoms were highest. The impact of COVID-19 on mental health illustrates the need to develop innovative strategies to support resilience and to enhance coping with stress and adversity among PLWH

Mental Health, Coping, and Social Support Among People Living with HIV in the Americas: A Comparative Study Between Argentina and the USA During the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic poses a risk to mental health and may disproportionately affect people living with HIV (PLWH). This study examined the interaction of social support and resilient coping in predicting depressive symptoms among PLWH. PLWH residing in Buenos Aires, Argentina and in Miami, Florida (US) were asked to complete an anonymous survey on the impact of COVID-19. Statistical analysis included ordinary least squares regression. A total of 1,554 participants were included. Mean age was 47.30 years; 63.70% were men. A test of three-way interaction of social support × resilient coping × study site indicated differences by site (b = −0.63, p  = 0.04, 95%CI [−1.24, −0.02]). In Argentina, higher levels of social support and resilient coping were associated with lower depressive symptoms. Lower levels of social support and resilient coping were associated with higher depressive symptoms. The impact of COVID-19 on mental health illustrates the need for developing innovative strategies to support resilience and to enhance coping with stress and adversity among PLWH

combining ion mobility mass spectrometry and infrared multiphoton dissociation spectroscopy to robe the structure of gas-phase vancomycin-Ac(2)(L)K(D)A(D)A non-covalent complex

International audienc

Population genetic structure of Cichla pleiozona (Perciformes: Cichlidae) in the Upper Madera basin (Bolivian Amazon) : sex-biased dispersal ?

This study investigates the population structure of the Tucunare (Cichla pleiozona) in the Bolivian Amazon (Upper Madera) by using nuclear (EPIC-PCR, 67 individuals) and mitochondria] (Control Region, 41 published and 76 new sequences) DNA analyses, in relation with ecological (water quality: muddy, clear and mix) and geographic factors. Our analyses of both markers showed the highest diversity in clear waters (Yata, Middle and Upper Itenez), and the existence of two populations in muddy waters (Secure and Ichilo) and one in mix waters (Manuripi). On the other hand, mitochondrial analyses identified three populations in clear waters where nuclear analyses identified a panmictic population. The highest diversity observed in the Yata-Itenez system suggests that an aquatic refuge occurred during the past in this area. The possible explanations for the observed discrepancy between nuclear and mitochondrial markers are discussed, and a sex-biased dispersal seems to be the most plausible hypothesis in the light of the available information and field observations