Social Divisions in School Participation and Attainment in India: 1983-2004

This study documents the size and nature of “boy-girl” and “Hindu-Muslim” gaps in children’s school participation and attainments in India. Individual-level data from two successive rounds of the National Sample Survey suggest that considerable progress has been made in decreasing the Hindu-Muslim gap. Nonetheless, the gap remains sizable even after controlling for numerous socioeconomic and parental covariates, and the Muslim educational disadvantage in India today is greater than that experienced by girls and Scheduled Caste Hindu children. A gender gap still appears within as well as between communities, though it is smaller within Muslim communities. While differences in gender and other demographic and socio-economic covariates have recently become more important in explaining the Hindu-Muslim gap, those differences altogether explain only 25 percent to 45 percent of the observed schooling gap.gender inequality, India, religion, social disparity

Characterization of a bacteriocin produced by a clinical isolate of Shigella flexneri 2

This study was conducted to determine the emergence of antibiotic resistant/producer strains, focusing the efforts in the search for new antimicrobial compounds. A total of 15,131 fecal samples (CI) were analyzed from patients from acute diarrhea (2015-2017 period) and observed that 1,794 were positive for either E. coli, Shigella or Salmonella presence. The ability of 388 Shigella isolates to produce antimicrobial peptides was determined by deferred-antagonism assay. Here, we observed that 9.02% of the Shigella isolates produced an antimicrobial agent able to inhibit the E. coli AB133 strain growth. The CI172 strain was selected as producer for its antimicrobial characterization. This antagonist compound (ShpCI172) was produced during exponential growth phase and displayed a restricted action spectrum. It is also thermo-resistant and has about 3 kDa molecular mass. The ShpCI172 can be classified as a microcin, since CI172 did not display cross immunity with other well-known microcins. This is the first report where the production of a microcin by a Shigella flexneri 2 strains is described. The use of ShpCI172 microcin may contribute to preventing or controlling diarrheal diseases. This finding represents an important contribution in the biotechnology field for its application in the development of new antibiotics and/or food preservatives agents.Fil: Torrez Lamberti, Monica Florencia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto Superior de Investigaciones Biológicas. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Instituto Superior de Investigaciones Biológicas; ArgentinaFil: Lopez, Fabian Enrique. Universidad Nacional de Chilecito; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto Superior de Investigaciones Biológicas. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Instituto Superior de Investigaciones Biológicas; ArgentinaFil: Bianchi, A. M.. Hospital del Niño Jesús; ArgentinaFil: Pescaretti, María de Las Mercedes. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto Superior de Investigaciones Biológicas. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Instituto Superior de Investigaciones Biológicas; ArgentinaFil: Delgado, Monica Alejandra. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto Superior de Investigaciones Biológicas. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Instituto Superior de Investigaciones Biológicas; Argentin

Molecular diagnosis and typing of Trypanosoma cruzi populations and lineages in cerebral Chagas disease in a patient with AIDS

Trypanosoma cruzi DNA was amplified from an intracranial biopsy and peripheral blood of an HIV patient with encephalitis; this episode was indicative of AIDS and congenital Chagas disease. The analysis of a microsatellite locus revealed a multiclonal parasite population at the brain lesion with a more complex minicircle signature than that profiled in blood using restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP)-PCR and low stringency single primer (LSSP) PCR. Interestingly, different sublineages of T. cruzi II were detected in blood and brain by means of spliced-leader and 24s ribosomal-DNA amplifications. Quantitative-competitive PCR monitored the decrease of parasitic load during treatment and secondary prophylaxis with benznidazole. The synergy between parasiticidal plus antiretroviral treatments probably allowed the patient a longer survival than usually achieved in similar episodes. This is the first case report demonstrating a differential distribution of natural parasite populations and sublineages in Chagas disease reactivation, showing the proliferation of cerebral variants not detectable in peripheral blood.Fil: Burgos, Juan Miguel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular "Dr. Héctor N. Torres"; ArgentinaFil: Bergher, Sandra B.. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital "Ignacio Pirovano"; ArgentinaFil: Freitas, Jorge M.. Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais; BrasilFil: Bisio, Margarita María Catalina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular "Dr. Héctor N. Torres"; ArgentinaFil: Altcheh, Jaime Marcelo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital General de Niños "Ricardo Gutiérrez"; ArgentinaFil: Teijeiro, Ricardo. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital "Ignacio Pirovano"; ArgentinaFil: Begher, Sandra B.. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital "Ignacio Pirovano"; ArgentinaFil: Freilij, Hector León. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital General de Niños "Ricardo Gutiérrez"; ArgentinaFil: Deccarlini, Florencia. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital "Ignacio Pirovano"; ArgentinaFil: Levalle, Jorge. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital "Ignacio Pirovano"; ArgentinaFil: Lopez Alcoba, Horacio. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital "Ignacio Pirovano"; ArgentinaFil: Burgos, Juan Miguel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular "Dr. Héctor N. Torres"; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Celular; ArgentinaFil: Levin, Mariano Jorge. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular "Dr. Héctor N. Torres"; ArgentinaFil: Duffy, Tomás. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular "Dr. Héctor N. Torres"; ArgentinaFil: Macedo, Andrea M.. Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais; BrasilFil: Schijman, Alejandro Gabriel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular "Dr. Héctor N. Torres"; Argentin

Composition and Spatial Variation of Germinable Seed Bank in Burned Nothofagus pumilio Forests in Patagonia Argentina

The availability of soil-stored seed determines initial plant functional types in post-fire landscapes. We evaluated the post-fire regeneration of Nothofagus pumilio forests, in Patagonia, Argentina, analyzing the soil seed bank (SSB) and the above-ground vegetation (AV). At three sites: La Colisión, Río Turbio and Monte Zeballos, burned in 2008, 1980 and 1941, respectively, we sampled the SSB and AV in two transects from the edge of the remaining forest, up to 90 m within the burned area, and recorded the emergence (198 soil samples) and presence of vascular species. To determine the effect of the distance to the remnant forest on the germinable seed bank, we performed simple linear regression analysis through the use of linear mixed-effect models, and we analyzed the similarity between the composition of SSB and AV with PERMANOVA. The emergence of plant growth forms had different patterns in relation to the distance from the forest in the three sites, which might be associated with the time of fire occurrence, and specific characteristics of each site. The emergence of N. pumilio was registered at more than one distance at the recent burning site. Herbs constituted the main source of cover with 69% of the composition, and native/endemic species represented 71%. This study contributes to the understanding of the relationship between the seed bank and standing vegetation and a better understanding of the resilience of post-fire N. pumilio forests. Our findings suggest that from 15–20 m from the edge, the SSB would be insufficient to ensure the spontaneous recovery of the forest, making active restoration necessary in order to tend to a recovery of the structure and functionality of the original community.EEA Santa CruzFil: Urretavizcaya, María F. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas de Argentina. Centro de Investigación y Extensión Forestal Andino Patagónica (CIEFAP); Argentina.Fil: Urretavizcaya María F. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET). Esquel, Chubut; Argentina.Fil: Albarracín, Viviana. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia San Juan Bosco. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Ciencias de la Salud. Departamento de Biología y Ambiente; Argentina.Fil: Orellana Ibáñez, Ivonne A. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia San Juan Bosco. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Ciencias de la Salud; Argentina.Fil: Rago, M. Melisa. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas de Argentina. Centro de Investigación y Extensión Forestal Andino Patagónica (CIEFAP); Argentina.Fil: Lopez Bernal, Pablo. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia San Juan Bosco. Facultad de Ingeniería. Departamento de Ingeniería Forestal; Argentina.Fil: Monelos, Lucas H. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia Austral; Argentina.Fil: Peri, Pablo Luis. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Santa Cruz; Argentina.Fil: Peri, Pablo Luis. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia Austral; Argentina.Fil: Peri, Pablo Luis. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina

Evaluación de PGPB halotolerantes/halófilas en grama rhodes (chloris gayana) bajo estrés salinoo

Poster y resumenLas bacterias promotoras de crecimiento vegetal (PGPB), en particular aquellas halotolerantes o halófilas, constituyen una alternativa prometedora para mitigar los efectos de la salinidad e incrementar la tolerancia al estrés de las plantas. Su aplicación en pasturas megatérmicas como Grama Rhodes resulta estratégica, dada su importancia en la ganadería Argentina, su baja eficiencia de implantación y su siembra en zonas áridas y degradadas.Fil: Yañez Yazlle, María Florencia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Unidad de Estudios Agropecuarios (UDEA); ArgentinaFil: Yañez Yazlle, María Florencia. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Fisiología y Recursos Genéticos Vegetales; ArgentinaFil: Ribotta, Andrea Noemi. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Fisiología y Recursos Genéticos Vegetales; ArgentinaFil: Ribotta, Andrea Noemi. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Unidad de Estudios Agropecuarios (UDEA); ArgentinaFil: Lopez Colomba, Eliana. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Fisiología y Recursos Genéticos Vegetales; ArgentinaFil: Lopez Colomba, Eliana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Unidad de Estudios Agropecuarios (UDEA); ArgentinaFil: Irazusta, V. Universidad Nacional de Salta. Instituto de Investigaciones para la Industria Química (INIQUI). Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET); ArgentinaFil: Gonzalez, M. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Químicas; ArgentinaFil: Grunberg, Karina. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Fisiología y Recursos Genéticos Vegetales; ArgentinaFil: Grunberg, Karina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Unidad de Estudios Agropecuarios (UDEA); Argentin

The discovery BPD (D-BPD) program: Study protocol of a prospective translational multicenter collaborative study to investigate determinants of chronic lung disease in very low birth weight infants

Background: Premature birth is a growing and serious public health problem affecting more than one of every ten infants worldwide. Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is the most common neonatal morbidity associated with prematurity and infants with BPD suffer from increased incidence of respiratory infections, asthma, other forms of chronic lung illness, and death (Day and Ryan, Pediatr Res 81: 210-213, 2017; Isayama et la., JAMA Pediatr 171:271-279, 2017). BPD is now understood as a longitudinal disease process influenced by the intrauterine environment during gestation and modulated by gene-environment interactions throughout the neonatal and early childhood periods. Despite of this concept, there remains a paucity of multidisciplinary team-based approaches dedicated to the comprehensive study of this complex disease. Methods: The Discovery BPD (D-BPD) Program involves a cohort of infants < 1,250 g at birth prospectively followed until 6 years of age. The program integrates analysis of detailed clinical data by machine learning, genetic susceptibility and molecular translation studies. Discussion: The current gap in understanding BPD as a complex multi-trait spectrum of different disease endotypes will be addressed by a bedside-to-bench and bench-to-bedside approach in the D-BPD program. The D-BPD will provide enhanced understanding of mechanisms, evolution and consequences of lung diseases in preterm infants. The D-BPD program represents a unique opportunity to combine the expertise of biologists, neonatologists, pulmonologists, geneticists and biostatisticians to examine the disease process from multiple perspectives with a singular goal of improving outcomes of premature infants. Trial registration: Does not apply for this study.Fil: Ofman, Gaston. University of Alabama at Birmingahm; Estados UnidosFil: Caballero, Mauricio Tomás. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Álvarez Paggi, Damián Jorge. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Marzec, Jacqui. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences; Estados UnidosFil: Nowogrodzki, Florencia. No especifíca;Fil: Cho, Hye Youn. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences; Estados UnidosFil: Sorgetti, Mariana. No especifíca;Fil: Colantonio, Guillermo. No especifíca;Fil: Bianchi, Alejandra. No especifíca;Fil: Prudent, Luis M.. Fundación para la Salud Materno Infantil; ArgentinaFil: Vain, Néstor Eduardo. Fundación para la Salud Materno Infantil; Argentina. Sanatorio de la Trinidad Palermo.; ArgentinaFil: Mariani, Gonzalo Luis. Hospital Italiano; ArgentinaFil: Digregorio, Jorge. Sanatorio de la Trinidad Palermo.; ArgentinaFil: Lopez Turconi, Elba. No especifíca;Fil: Osio, Cristina. Sanatorio "Otamendi y Miroli S. A."; ArgentinaFil: Galletti, Maria Fernanda. Hospital Italiano; ArgentinaFil: Quiros, Mariangeles. Clinica y Maternidad Suizo Argentina; ArgentinaFil: Brum, Andrea. Sanatorio de la Trinidad Palermo.; ArgentinaFil: Lopez Garcia, Santiago. No especifíca;Fil: Garcia, Silvia. Sanatorio "Otamendi y Miroli S. A."; ArgentinaFil: Bell, Douglas. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences; Estados UnidosFil: Jones, Marcus H.. Pontificia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul; BrasilFil: Tipple, Trent E.. University of Alabama at Birmingahm; Estados UnidosFil: Kleeberger, Steven R.. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences; Estados UnidosFil: Polack, Fernando Pedro. University of Alabama at Birmingahm; Estados Unido

Recognizing Early Childhood Education as a Human Right in International Law

There is incontrovertible evidence that early learning opportunities shape long-term development and health. Nevertheless, early childhood care and education (ECCE) is not expressly mentioned as part of the right to education in the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. This paper argues that the right to education can nevertheless be regarded as including ECCE. We examine the treaties, General Comments, and 264 Concluding Observations by relevant UN monitoring bodies, covering 152 countries from 2015 to 2020, to determine whether the right to ECCE is regarded as part of States' obligations and the content of the duty. These demonstrate consistently that States must provide affordable, accessible, quality, inclusive ECCE, with adequate resources. We argue that monitoring committees should draw these obligations together in one General Comment, thereby improving States' accountability and guiding the delivery of ECCE

Looking to the future of zebrafish as a model to understand the genetic basis of eye disease

In this brief commentary, we provide some of our thoughts and opinions on the current and future use of zebrafish to model human eye disease, dissect pathological progression and advance in our understanding of the genetic bases of microphthalmia, andophthalmia and coloboma (MAC) in humans. We provide some background on eye formation in fish and conservation and divergence across vertebrates in this process, discuss different approaches for manipulating gene function and speculate on future research areas where we think research using fish may prove to be particularly effective

Innate partnership of HLA-B and KIR3DL1 subtypes against HIV-1

Allotypes of the natural killer (NK) cell receptor KIR3DL1 vary in both NK cell expression patterns and inhibitory capacity upon binding to their ligands, HLA-B Bw4 molecules, present on target cells. Using a sample size of over 1,500 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)+ individuals, we show that various distinct allelic combinations of the KIR3DL1 and HLA-B loci significantly and strongly influence both AIDS progression and plasma HIV RNA abundance in a consistent manner. These genetic data correlate very well with previously defined functional differences that distinguish KIR3DL1 allotypes. The various epistatic effects observed here for common, distinct KIR3DL1 and HLA-B Bw4 combinations are unprecedented with regard to any pair of genetic loci in human disease, and indicate that NK cells may have a critical role in the natural history of HIV infection

Global respiratory syncytial virus-associated mortality in young children (RSV GOLD): a retrospective case series

Background Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection is an important cause of pneumonia mortality in young children. However, clinical data for fatal RSV infection are scarce. We aimed to identify clinical and socioeconomic characteristics of children aged younger than 5 years with RSV-related mortality using individual patient data. Methods In this retrospective case series, we developed an online questionnaire to obtain individual patient data for clinical and socioeconomic characteristics of children aged younger than 5 years who died with community-acquired RSV infection between Jan 1, 1995, and Oct 31, 2015, through leading research groups for child pneumonia identified through a comprehensive literature search and existing research networks. For the literature search, we searched PubMed for articles published up to Feb 3, 2015, using the key terms “RSV”, “respiratory syncytial virus”, or “respiratory syncytial viral” combined with “mortality”, “fatality”, “death”, “died”, “deaths”, or “CFR” for articles published in English. We invited researchers and clinicians identified to participate between Nov 1, 2014, and Oct 31, 2015. We calculated descriptive statistics for all variables. Findings We studied 358 children with RSV-related in-hospital death from 23 countries across the world, with data contributed from 31 research groups. 117 (33%) children were from low-income or lower middle-income countries, 77 (22%) were from upper middle-income countries, and 164 (46%) were from high-income countries. 190 (53%) were male. Data for comorbidities were missing for some children in low-income and middle-income countries. Available data showed that comorbidities were present in at least 33 (28%) children from low-income or lower middle-income countries, 36 (47%) from upper middle-income countries, and 114 (70%) from high-income countries. Median age for RSV-related deaths was 5·0 months (IQR 2·3–11·0) in low-income or lower middle-income countries, 4·0 years (2·0–10·0) in upper middle-income countries, and 7·0 years (3·6–16·8) in high-income countries. Interpretation This study is the first large case series of children who died with community-acquired RSV infection. A substantial proportion of children with RSV-related death had comorbidities. Our results show that perinatal immunisation strategies for children aged younger than 6 months could have a substantial impact on RSV-related child mortality in low-income and middle-income countries