Platform for Plasmodium vivax vaccine discovery and development

Plasmodium vivax is the most prevalent malaria parasite on the American continent. It generates a global burden of 80-100 million cases annually and represents a tremendous public health problem, particularly in the American and Asian continents. A malaria vaccine would be considered the most cost-effective measure against this vector-borne disease and it would contribute to a reduction in malaria cases and to eventual eradication. Although significant progress has been achieved in the search for Plasmodium falciparum antigens that could be used in a vaccine, limited progress has been made in the search for P. vivax components that might be eligible for vaccine development. This is primarily due to the lack of in vitro cultures to serve as an antigen source and to inadequate funding. While the most advanced P. falciparum vaccine candidate is currently being tested in Phase III trials in Africa, the most advanced P. vivax candidates have only advanced to Phase I trials. Herein, we describe the overall strategy and progress in P. vivax vaccine research, from antigen discovery to preclinical and clinical development and we discuss the regional potential of Latin America to develop a comprehensive platform for vaccine development

Malaria vector species in Colombia: a review

Here we present a comprehensive review of the literature on the vectorial importance of the major Anopheles malaria vectors in Colombia. We provide basic information on the geographical distribution, altitudinal range, immature habitats, adult behaviour, feeding preferences and anthropophily, endophily and infectivity rates. We additionally review information on the life cycle, longevity and population fluctuation of Colombian Anopheles species. Emphasis was placed on the primary vectors that have been epidemiologically incriminated in malaria transmission: Anopheles darlingi, Anopheles albimanus and Anopheles nuneztovari. The role of a selection of local, regional or secondary vectors (e.g., Anopheles pseudopunctipennis and Anopheles neivai) is also discussed. We highlight the importance of combining biological, morphological and molecular data for the correct taxonomical determination of a given species, particularly for members of the species complexes. We likewise emphasise the importance of studying the bionomics of primary and secondary vectors along with an examination of the local conditions affecting the transmission of malaria. The presence and spread of the major vectors and the emergence of secondary species capable of transmitting human Plasmodia are of great interest. When selecting control measures, the anopheline diversity in the region must be considered. Variation in macroclimate conditions over a species' geographical range must be well understood and targeted to plan effective control measures based on the population dynamics of the local Anopheles species

4to. Congreso Internacional de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación para la Sociedad. Memoria académica

Este volumen acoge la memoria académica de la Cuarta edición del Congreso Internacional de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación para la Sociedad, CITIS 2017, desarrollado entre el 29 de noviembre y el 1 de diciembre de 2017 y organizado por la Universidad Politécnica Salesiana (UPS) en su sede de Guayaquil. El Congreso ofreció un espacio para la presentación, difusión e intercambio de importantes investigaciones nacionales e internacionales ante la comunidad universitaria que se dio cita en el encuentro. El uso de herramientas tecnológicas para la gestión de los trabajos de investigación como la plataforma Open Conference Systems y la web de presentación del Congreso http://citis.blog.ups.edu.ec/, hicieron de CITIS 2017 un verdadero referente entre los congresos que se desarrollaron en el país. La preocupación de nuestra Universidad, de presentar espacios que ayuden a generar nuevos y mejores cambios en la dimensión humana y social de nuestro entorno, hace que se persiga en cada edición del evento la presentación de trabajos con calidad creciente en cuanto a su producción científica. Quienes estuvimos al frente de la organización, dejamos plasmado en estas memorias académicas el intenso y prolífico trabajo de los días de realización del Congreso Internacional de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación para la Sociedad al alcance de todos y todas

2014 19th Symposium on Image, Signal Processing and Artificial Vision, STSIVA 2014

701017

Experimental Assessment of the Elastic Properties of Exocarp-Mesocarp and Beans of Coffea arabica L. var. Castillo Using Indentation Tests

The development of selective coffee harvesting technologies requires detailed knowledge of the geometrical, physical, and mechanical properties of the subsystems of the coffee bush, including the elastic properties of the substructures of fruit and the coffee bean, which are directly related to the selectivity problem. The elastic properties of the mesocarp-exocarp and bean are not described in the literature due to the difficulty of characterizing these locally, since measuring each component of the coffee fruit structure (mesocarp-exocarp and bean) is not an easy task. However, determining the elastic properties (of the mesocarp-exocarp and bean) could help create realistic simulations as an initial estimation for selective coffee harvesting studies. The present work aims to bridge the gap in the mechanical characterization of the sub-structures of the coffee fruits by assessing the elastic properties of the mesocarp-exocarp and bean. Indentation tests were performed on eighty Coffee arabica L. var. Castillo fruits and beans, which were previously classified into four ripening stages using fruit color data in the CIELab color space. Young's modulus and indentation hardness of the mesocarp-exocarp structure and beans were calculated, applying the Oliver and Pharr indentation model and Hertz contact theory

Leishmaniasis tegumentaria americana: encuesta epidemiológica en una comunidad indígena

Se realizó un estudio epidemiológico sobre Leishmaniasis tegumentarla americana (LTA) en 809 personas del Resguardo Indígena de San Andrés de Sotavento, Departamento de Córdoba, foco endémico tanto de Leishmaniasis cutánea como de Leishmaniasis visceral. La distribución por sexo de la población encuestada fue de 355 (43,9%) hombres y 454 (56, 1%) mujeres; sus índices alérgicos fueron de 36,9% y 40,5% respectivamente. La positividad de la Intradermorreacción de Montenegro ascendió en personas de ambos sexos, a medida que aumentó la edad. El índice parasitario fue de 0.37%. La especie de Lutzomyia más frecuente en el intra y peridomicilio fue la Lu. evansi que mostró comportamiento antropofílico. Se encontró una alta exposición de la población general al vector dada la facilidad de penetración de los flebotomineos alintradomicilio, por el tipo de construcción de las viviendas; además, al no existir servicios sanitarios, acueductos ni alcantarillados Intradomiciliarios, todo el núcleo familiar debe desplazarse al peridomicilio para la disposición de excretas y en busca del agua. Otros hallazgos fueron el gran desconocimiento sobre la etiología y tratamiento de la Leishmaniasis y las pésimas condiciones sociales y económicas de la región

Neuropsychological Assessment of Children: A test battery for children between 5 and 16 years of age. A Colombian normative study [Evaluación Neuropsicológica Infantil (ENI): Una batería para la evaluación de niños entre 5 y 16 años de edad. Estudio normativo colombiano]

Introduction. A neuropsychological test battery for 5 to 16-year-old children has recently been developed. This battery is called Neuropsychological Assessment of Children (Evaluacion Neuropsicológica Infantil, ENI) and it includes the following sections: attention, constructional skills, memory encoding, perceptual skills, memory recall, language, meta-linguistic skills, reading, writing, arithmetic, spatial skills, conceptual skills and executive functions. Aims. Our aim was to obtain norms for the ENI in a Colombian population between 5 and 16 years of age. Subjects and methods. We selected 252 children (92 boys and 160 girls) in the city of Manizales (Colombia), and they were administered the ENI. In order to obtain an external validity, 21 of the participants were also given the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R). Results. Statistically significant differences were found on most of the subtests across age groups. Differences between boys and girls appeared more specifically in tests of visuoperceptual, visual constructional, spatial and numerical skills. Some of the ENI subtests correlated with the WISC-R subtests. Conclusions. It is suggested that the ENI could satisfy the existing need in the Spanish-speaking world for neuropsychological tools with which to assess children and adolescents

Neuropsychological Assessment of Children: A test battery for children between 5 and 16 years of age. A Colombian normative study [Evaluación Neuropsicológica Infantil (ENI): Una batería para la evaluación de niños entre 5 y 16 años de edad. Estudio normativo colombiano]

Introduction. A neuropsychological test battery for 5 to 16-year-old children has recently been developed. This battery is called Neuropsychological Assessment of Children (Evaluacion Neuropsicológica Infantil, ENI) and it includes the following sections: attention, constructional skills, memory encoding, perceptual skills, memory recall, language, meta-linguistic skills, reading, writing, arithmetic, spatial skills, conceptual skills and executive functions. Aims. Our aim was to obtain norms for the ENI in a Colombian population between 5 and 16 years of age. Subjects and methods. We selected 252 children (92 boys and 160 girls) in the city of Manizales (Colombia), and they were administered the ENI. In order to obtain an external validity, 21 of the participants were also given the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R). Results. Statistically significant differences were found on most of the subtests across age groups. Differences between boys and girls appeared more specifically in tests of visuoperceptual, visual constructional, spatial and numerical skills. Some of the ENI subtests correlated with the WISC-R subtests. Conclusions. It is suggested that the ENI could satisfy the existing need in the Spanish-speaking world for neuropsychological tools with which to assess children and adolescents