Survey and Molecular Characterization of Sarcocystidae protozoa in Wild Cricetid Rodents from Central and Southern Chile

In Chile, studies of parasites from the family Sarcocystidae (Apicomplexa) have mostly been related to domestic animals. We aimed to assess the presence of Sarcocystidae taxa in cricetid rodents from Central and Southern Chile. We studied 207 rodents, encompassing six species, from 13 localities. We isolated DNA from tissue samples, amplified the Sarcocystidae 18S rRNA gene with polymerase chain reaction, and performed phylogenetic analyses using maximum likelihood and Bayesian inferences. In addition, we examined blood smears and performed histological studies in organs from Sarcocystidae DNA-positive animals. Three specimens were DNA-positive and three genotypes were retrieved and named: Sarcocystis sp. P61, related to Sarcocystis strixi, was detected in two Abrothrix olivacea. Toxoplasmatinae gen. sp. P99 was retrieved from those same two specimens, and was related to Toxoplasma and other genera, although it branched independently. Besnoitia sp. R34 was detected in one Abrothrix hirta, and was clustered with congeneric species associated with rodents. No protozoa were found during microscopic studies; thus, it was not possible to confirm parasitic interactions rather than accidental encounters. However, the close relatedness of the retrieved genotypes to parasites of rodents supports the hypothesis of host–parasite associations. All three genotypes are suggested as potential new taxa, including a putative new genus.This research was funded by the ANID Programa Becas Doctorado Nacional under grant numbers 2019–21190078, 2020–21200182, and 2022-21220118; and Fondo Nacional de Desarrollo Científico y Tecnológico (FONDECYT) under grant number 11170294.Peer reviewe

Promoción de la salud y entornos saludables

A forestar forestalAplicación de un programa educativo participativo en salud  bucal a una comunidad de adultos mayoresBiblioteca móvil y su implementación en el hospital Padre HurtadoConsumo de riesgo de alcohol en Chile: una propuesta innovadora de intervenciónDiseño de un programa interactivo de promoción de la salud vocal para NB1Encuentro formativo en promoción de salud y gestión de entornos saludables para TenoExperiencia docente: programa intersectorial de promoción/prevención en preescolares de comunas vulnerables, Región MetropolitanaFiltrado glomerular, método preventivo aparición de fibrosis sistémica nefrogénica por gadolinio en examen de RMImplementación de consejerías en vida sana en APS, Región de los RíosMedicina preventiva en feria libre de la población San Gregorio: Cecof San Gregorio, Contagiando SaludMetodología innovadora en la enseñanza de una ectoparasitosisPrevención de accidentes por monóxido de carbono en edificios, Providencia 2002-2009Programa de promoción y prevención en salud bucal para preescolaresPromoviendo hábitos saludables en los vecinos de Reñaca Alto, Viña del Mar, 2009Rol de la capacitación en la implementación de acciones para la prevención de la obesidadSatisfacción usuaria en el Cesfam Natales a un año de su funcionamientoTres estrategias publicitarias y de comunicación aplicadas al consumo de alcohol de bajo riesgoTropa de la salud: uso de los medios como forma de promover la salu

Documento de posición sobre las necesidades y niveles óptimos de vitamina D

IntroducciónEn los últimos años se ha producido un notable interés por la vitamina D, no sólo por su importancia crucial en el metabolismo mineral óseo, sino también por los efectos extraóseos, cada vez mejor conocidos. Asi mismo, se ha constatado la existencia de valores séricos bajos de vitamina D, por debajo de lo deseable, en diferentes poblaciones, tanto sanas como enfermas, y se discute cuáles serían los niveles óptimos de vitamina D en sangre. Por todo ello, la Sociedad Española de Investigación Ósea y Metabolismo Mineral (SEIOMM), conjuntamente con todas las Sociedades Científicas implicadas en el estudio del metabolismo óseo, han elaborado el presente documento de posición sobre las necesidades y niveles óptimos de vitamina D

Inter-Rater Variability in the Evaluation of Lung Ultrasound in Videos Acquired from COVID-19 Patients

12 páginas, 7 figuras, 1 tablaLung ultrasound (LUS) allows for the detection of a series of manifestations of COVID-19, such as B-lines and consolidations. The objective of this work was to study the inter-rater reliability (IRR) when detecting signs associated with COVID-19 in the LUS, as well as the performance of the test in a longitudinal or transverse orientation. Thirty-three physicians with advanced experience in LUS independently evaluated ultrasound videos previously acquired using the ULTRACOV system on 20 patients with confirmed COVID-19. For each patient, 24 videos of 3 s were acquired (using 12 positions with the probe in longitudinal and transverse orientations). The physicians had no information about the patients or other previous evaluations. The score assigned to each acquisition followed the convention applied in previous studies. A substantial IRR was found in the cases of normal LUS (κ = 0.74), with only a fair IRR for the presence of individual B-lines (κ = 0.36) and for confluent B-lines occupying 50% (κ = 0.50). No statistically significant differences between the longitudinal and transverse scans were found. The IRR for LUS of COVID-19 patients may benefit from more standardized clinical protocols.This research was partially funded by CDTI (Spanish acronym: Centre for Industrial Tech- nological Development), funding number COI-20201153. Partially supported by the Google Cloud Research Credits program with the funding number GCP19980904, by the project RTI2018-099118- A-I00 founded by MCIU/AEI/FEDER UE and by the European Commission–NextGenerationEU, through CSIC’s Global Health Platform (PTI Salud Global)

Chilean version of the INECO Frontal Screening (IFS-Ch) : psychometric properties and diagnostic accuracy

Objective: This study sought to analyze the psychometric properties and diagnostic accuracy of the Chilean version of the INECO Frontal Screening (IFS-Ch) in a sample of dementia patients and control. Methods: After adapting the instrument to the Chilean context and obtaining content validity evidence through expert consultation, the IFS-Ch was administered to 31 dementia patients and 30 control subjects together with other executive assessments (Frontal Assessment Battery [FAB], Modified version of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test [MCST], phonemic verbal fluencies [letters A and P] and semantic verbal fluency [animals]) and global cognitive efficiency tests (Mini mental State Examination [MMSE] and Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination-Revised [ACE-R]). Caregivers of dementia patients and proxies of control subjects were interviewed with instruments measuring dysexecutive symptoms (Dysexecutive Questionnaire [DEX]), dementia severity (Clinical Dementia Rating Scale [CDR]) and functional status in activities of daily living (Activities of Daily Living Scale [IADL] and Technology-Activities of Daily Living Questionnaire [T-ADLQ]). Convergent and discriminant validity, internal consistency reliability, cut-off points, sensitivity and specificity for the IFS-Ch were estimated. Results: Evidence of content validity was obtained. Evidence of convergent validity was also found showing significant correlations (p<0.05) between the IFS-Ch and the other instruments measuring: executive functions (FAB, r=0.935; categories achieved in the MCST, r=0.791; perseverative errors in the MCST, r= -0.617; animal verbal fluency, r=0.728; A verbal fluency, r=0.681; and P verbal fluency, r=0.783), dysexecutive symptoms in daily living (DEX, r= -0.494), dementia severity (CDR, r= -0.75) and functional status in activities of daily living (T-ADLQ, r= -0.745; IADL, r=0.717). Regarding reliability, a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.905 was obtained. For diagnostic accuracy, a cut-off point of 18 points (sensitivity=0.903; specificity=0.867) and an area under curve of 0.951 were estimated to distinguish between patients with dementia and control subjects. Discussion: The IFS-Ch showed acceptable psychometric properties, supported by evidence of validity and reliability for its use in the measurement of executive functions in patients with dementia. The diagnostic accuracy of the IFS-Ch for detecting dementia patients was also considered acceptable

International lower limb collaborative (INTELLECT) study: a multicentre, international retrospective audit of lower extremity open fractures

Trauma remains a major cause of mortality and disability across the world1, with a higher burden in developing nations2. Open lower extremity injuries are devastating events from a physical3, mental health4, and socioeconomic5 standpoint. The potential sequelae, including risk of chronic infection and amputation, can lead to delayed recovery and major disability6. This international study aimed to describe global disparities, timely intervention, guideline-directed care, and economic aspects of open lower limb injuries

Dietary α‐Linolenic Acid, Marine ω‐3 Fatty Acids, and Mortality in a Population With High Fish Consumption: Findings From the PREvención con DIeta MEDiterránea (PREDIMED) Study

Background: Epidemiological evidence suggests a cardioprotective role of α‐linolenic acid (ALA), a plant‐derived ω‐3 fatty acid. It is unclear whether ALA is beneficial in a background of high marine ω‐3 fatty acids (long‐chain n‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids) intake. In persons at high cardiovascular risk from Spain, a country in which fish consumption is customarily high, we investigated whether meeting the International Society for the Study of Fatty Acids and Lipids recommendation for dietary ALA (0.7% of total energy) at baseline was related to all‐cause and cardiovascular disease mortality. We also examined the effect of meeting the society's recommendation for long‐chain n‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (≥500 mg/day). Methods and Results: We longitudinally evaluated 7202 participants in the PREvención con DIeta MEDiterránea (PREDIMED) trial. Multivariable‐adjusted Cox regression models were fitted to estimate hazard ratios. ALA intake correlated to walnut consumption (r=0.94). During a 5.9‐y follow‐up, 431 deaths occurred (104 cardiovascular disease, 55 coronary heart disease, 32 sudden cardiac death, 25 stroke). The hazard ratios for meeting ALA recommendation (n=1615, 22.4%) were 0.72 (95% CI 0.56–0.92) for all‐cause mortality and 0.95 (95% CI 0.58–1.57) for fatal cardiovascular disease. The hazard ratios for meeting the recommendation for long‐chain n‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n=5452, 75.7%) were 0.84 (95% CI 0.67–1.05) for all‐cause mortality, 0.61 (95% CI 0.39–0.96) for fatal cardiovascular disease, 0.54 (95% CI 0.29–0.99) for fatal coronary heart disease, and 0.49 (95% CI 0.22–1.01) for sudden cardiac death. The highest reduction in all‐cause mortality occurred in participants meeting both recommendations (hazard ratio 0.63 [95% CI 0.45–0.87]). Conclusions: In participants without prior cardiovascular disease and high fish consumption, dietary ALA, supplied mainly by walnuts and olive oil, relates inversely to all‐cause mortality, whereas protection from cardiac mortality is limited to fish‐derived long‐chain n‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Clinical Trial Registration URL: http://www.Controlled-trials.com/. Unique identifier: ISRCTN35739639

Efecto contagio del mercado estadounidense a los mercados financieros latinoamericanos durante la pandemia por COVID-19.

Este artículo analiza el efecto contagio de los mercados latinoamericanos y Estados Unidos durante la pandemia por COVID-19, utilizando el modelo DCC-GARCH. El principal hallazgo es la existencia de un efecto contagio, estadísticamente sig­nificativo, durante el periodo de crisis entre EE.UU. y los mercados de Chile, Perú, Colombia, México y Brasil. Ello implica que estos mercados se encontra­ron expuestos a choques externos en la pandemia por COVID-19. Particularmente, México y Brasil presentan un mayor vínculo con el mercado estadounidense. Ade­más, la volatilidad del mercado de EE. UU. tiene un efecto significativo en las correlaciones condicionales de los mercados latinoamericanos