Search

Spinocerebellar ataxia 19 (SCA19) represents a rare autosomal dominant genetic disorder resulting in progressive ataxia and cerebellar atrophy. SCA19 is caused by variants in the KCND3 gene, which encodes a voltage-gated potassium channel subunit essential for cerebellar Purkinje cell function. We describe six cases from Chile and Mexico, representing the largest report on SCA19 in Latin America. These cases encompass a range of clinical presentations, highlighting the phenotypic variability within SCA19 from an early-onset, severe disease to a late-onset, slowly progressive condition with normal lifespan. While some patients present with pure ataxia, others also show cognitive impairment, dystonia, and other neurological symptoms. The correlations between specific KCND3 variants and phenotypic outcomes are complex and warrant further investigation. As the genomic landscape of spinocerebellar ataxias evolves, comprehensive genetic testing is becoming pivotal in improving diagnostic accuracy. This study contributes to a better understanding of the clinical spectrum of SCA19, laying the groundwork for further genotype-phenotype correlations and functional studies to elucidate the underlying pathophysiology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patronage is often considered a subtype of clientelism that arises through reciprocal arrangements between a politician and a citizen, where electoral support is rewarded with public employment. In Chile, there is evidence of clientelist practices at the municipal level. However, these studies have mainly had a qualitative focus. To complement these studies, this research aims to provide quantitative evidence using panel data and two-way fixed effects. Thus, we analyse the personnel hiring through the Mercado Público platform between 2009 and 2017 across the country’s 345 municipalities, finding evidence that support two hypotheses: (i) there is a political budget cycle, increasing spending by 14.9% during the election year and (ii) independent politicians spend less on hiring people than mayors who are militants of political parties, being this expenditure -9.8% less for independents than for the latter. These results seek to complement other research on clientelism and patronage in a context of the rise of independent politicians and citizen questioning of traditional political parties, as well as the relevance of public spending in local governments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To address the need for standardized, comprehensive chemotherapy/biotherapy education in Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries, the Association of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Nurses (APHON) Pediatric Chemotherapy/Biotherapy Provider and Instructor program courses were culturally adapted, translated to Spanish, and piloted. The process of course adaptation and implementation are described. A Context, Input, Process, Product model outcomes evaluation determined: (a) differences in pass rates by test version and pilot location, (b) predictors of pass rates, (c) course appropriateness for nurses' education and practice levels, and (d) strategies for course improvements. Methods: The Spanish APHON Pediatric Chemotherapy/Biotherapy Provider program was piloted four times and the Instructor program twice with nurses from Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, South America, and Spain. Statistical analysis identified factors associated with pass rates. Results: Of the 203 students in four Spanish APHON Provider program courses, data from 108 students (three pilots) were analyzed (one unplanned pilot excluded for missing data). Significant predictors of pass rates included: pediatric oncology frontline nurses (OR = 9.86; 95% CI [2.56, 65.23]; p =.004), nurses dedicated to an inpatient or outpatient unit (non-rotating) (OR = 6.79 [1.29, 51.98]; p =.033), and graduation from a 5-year nursing program (OR = 5.92; 95% CI [1.30, 33.15]; p =.028). Discussion: The Spanish APHON Pediatric Chemotherapy/Biotherapy program was determined appropriate for nurses' education and practice levels in LAC countries. Through the APHON Spanish language instructor network, pediatric oncology nurses in LAC countries have increased access to standardized, comprehensive chemotherapy/biotherapy education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pertussis remains as one of the oldest leading vaccine-preventable diseases of childhood, despite many decades of primary vaccine doses' and boosters' implementation. Although the epidemiology is well understood in infants and children, premature babies and low-birth weight infants remain a special group where the disease incidence is unknown, severity of the disease is considerable, and specific vaccination recommendations are scarce. A retrospective review of the available evidence of pertussis vaccination in premature and low birth weight infants was analyzed from January 2000 to December 2022 in six selected countries: Argentina, Mexico, Colombia, Panamá, Costa Rica, and Chile. Chile had reports of adverse effects associated with vaccination of premature infants with the pentavalent vaccine, and their rationale to switching to the hexavalent vaccine. Colombia had reports of the justification for the use of hexavalent vaccine in prematures in the Neonatal Units and Kangaroo Mother Programs throughout the country. Mexico had selected publications of the vaccination status in prematures and low-birth weight infants. Despite its importance, increased morbidity, and highest risk of complications in premature babies, there is a paucity of information of vaccine recommendations and coverage rates among selected Latin American infants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Biomédica: Revista del Instituto Nacional de Salud is the property of Instituto Nacional de Salud of Colombia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

BACKGROUND: Features of the urban physical environment may be linked to the development of high blood pressure, a leading risk factor for global burden of disease. OBJECTIVES: We examined associations of urban physical environment features with hypertension and blood pressure measures in adults across 230 Latin American cities. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study we used health, social, and built environment data from the SALud URBana en América Latina (SALURBAL) project. The individual-level outcomes were hypertension and levels of systolic and diastolic blood pressure. The exposures were city and subcity built environment features, mass transit infrastructure, and green space. Odds ratios (ORs) and mean differences and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using multilevel logistic and linear regression models, with single- and multiple-exposure models adjusted for individual-level age, sex, education, and subcity educational attainment. RESULTS: A total of 109,176 participants from 230 cities and eight countries were included in the hypertension analyses and 50,228 participants from 194 cities and seven countries were included in the blood pressure measures analyses. Participants were 18–97 years of age. In multiple-exposure models, higher city fragmentation was associated with higher odds of having hypertension (OR per standard deviation (SD) increase = 1.11; 95% CI: 1.01, 1.21); presence (vs. no presence) of mass transit in the city was associated with higher odds of having hypertension (OR = 1.30; 95% CI: 1.09, 1.54); higher subcity population density was associated with lower odds of having hypertension (OR per SD increase = 0.90; 95% CI: 0.85, 0.94); and higher subcity intersection density was associated with higher odds of having hypertension [OR per SD increase = 1.09; 95% CI: 1.04, 1.15). The presence of mass transit was also associated with slightly higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure in multiple-exposure models adjusted for treatment. Except for the association between intersection density and hypertension, associations were attenuated after adjustment for country. An inverse association of greenness with continuous blood pressure emerged after country adjustment. DISCUSSION: Our results suggest that urban physical environment features—such as fragmentation, mass transit, population density, and intersection density—may be related to hypertension in Latin American cities. Reducing chronic disease risks in the growing urban areas of Latin America may require attention to integrated management of urban design and transport planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Brazilian Journal of Biology is the property of Instituto Internacional de Ecologia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Understanding features that fostered the persistence of Equisetum–Earth's oldest extant vascular plant genus–since Mesozoic times and through episodes of significant global environmental change, is of current interest in view of modern challenges to plant survival. In addition to known structural and physiological adaptations, we hypothesized that microscopy and shotgun metagenomic sequencing might reveal eukaryotic microorganisms such as fungi that may aid Equisetum survival. Here, we report evidence for several lineages of eukaryotic microbes associated with giant Equisetum xylochaetum, which dominates vegetation in saline streambeds of remote valleys in the hyper-arid Atacama Desert, Chile. Plant material was collected and field-preserved at two comparatively low-disturbance sites; DNA extracted in Chile using low-shear methods was later sequenced, 18S and 28S rDNA taxonomic marker sequences were selected for SILVAngs classification, allowing comparisons to eukaryotic microorganisms previously inferred for earlier-diverging plant lineages. SEM, fluorescence microscopy, and/or LM of toluidine blue-stained sections of roots indicated protists, epiphytic and endophytic fungi, and cortical nematodes. Eukaryotic genera inferred from 18S rDNA at >100X mean sequencing depth included the ciliate Engelmanniella, hyphal chytrid Monoblepharella, predatory ascomycete Cephaliophora, a salpingoecid choanoflagellate, and an annelid worm. 23S rDNA sequences indicated ascomycete Capnodiales fungi at one site and four types of Pezizomycotina fungi at the other. No evidence for vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi was found, but we hypothesized that Equisetum may benefit from other types of fungal associations, some possibly inherited from ancestral plant lineages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prokaryotic Nostoc, one of the world's most conspicuous and widespread algal genera (similar to eukaryotic algae, plants, and animals) is known to support a microbiome that influences host ecological roles. Past taxonomic characterizations of surface microbiota (epimicrobiota) of free‐living Nostoc sampled from freshwater systems employed 16S rRNA genes, typically amplicons. We compared taxa identified from 16S, 18S, 23S, and 28S rRNA gene sequences filtered from shotgun metagenomic sequence and used microscopy to illuminate epimicrobiota diversity for Nostoc sampled from a wetland in the northern Chilean Altiplano. Phylogenetic analysis and rRNA gene sequence abundance estimates indicated that the host was related to Nostoc punctiforme PCC 73102. Epimicrobiota were inferred to include 18 epicyanobacterial genera or uncultured taxa, six epieukaryotic algal genera, and 66 anoxygenic bacterial genera, all having average genomic coverage ≥90X. The epicyanobacteria Geitlerinemia, Oscillatoria, Phormidium, and an uncultured taxon were detected only by 16S rRNA gene; Gloeobacter and Pseudanabaena were detected using 16S and 23S; and Phormididesmis, Neosynechococcus, Symphothece, Aphanizomenon, Nodularia, Spirulina, Nodosilinea, Synechococcus, Cyanobium, and Anabaena (the latter corroborated by microscopy), plus two uncultured cyanobacterial taxa (JSC12, O77) were detected only by 23S rRNA gene sequences. Three chlamydomonad and two heterotrophic stramenopiles genera were inferred from 18S; the streptophyte green alga Chaetosphaeridium globosum was detected by microscopy and 28S rRNA genes, but not 18S rRNA genes. Overall, >60% of epimicrobial taxa were detected by markers other than 16S rRNA genes. Some algal taxa observed microscopically were not detected from sequence data. Results indicate that multiple taxonomic markers derived from metagenomic sequence data and microscopy increase epimicrobiota detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Cuadernos.info is the property of Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Facultad de Comunicaciones and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Brazilian Journal of Biology is the property of Instituto Internacional de Ecologia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The worldwide scarcity of psychiatrists makes the identification of the factors associated with the intention to choose this specialty an important issue. This study aims to evaluate the association between religious affiliation and the intention to choose psychiatry as a specialty among medical students from 11 Latin American countries. We conducted a cross-sectional, multi-country study that included first- and fifth-year students of 63 medical schools in 11 Latin-American countries between 2011 and 2012. The main outcome and measures were the intention to pursue psychiatry as a specialty over other specialties (yes/no) and religious affiliation (without: atheist/agnostic; with: any religion). A total of 8308 participants were included; 53.6% were women, and the average age was 20.4 (SD = 2.9) years. About 36% were fifth-year students, and 11.8% were not affiliated with any religion. Only 2.6% had the intention to choose psychiatry; the highest proportion of students with the intention to choose psychiatry was among students in Chile (8.1%) and the lowest among students in Mexico (1.1%). After adjusting for demographic, family, academic as well as personal and professional projection variable, we found that those who had no religious affiliation were more likely to report the intention to become a psychiatrist [OR: 2.92 (95%CI: 2.14-4.00)]. There is a strong positive association between not having a religious affiliation and the intention to become a psychiatrist. The possible factors that influence this phenomenon must be evaluated in greater depth, ideally through longitudinal research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potato is considered a key crop for food security, mainly in developing countries. Increased temperature in future climate scenarios could be a significant constraint for potato productivity in tropical regions, while favorable for temperate regions. Global warming in the range of moderately high temperatures (15–32 °C) is projected for temperate areas of southern Chile, which is a high potential environment for potato. The present study assessed the impact of moderately high temperatures on yield and physiological traits, during tuber bulking (TB) of two native Chilean varieties and three commercial varieties. Experiments were carried out under field conditions during two growing seasons. Three thermal regimes were applied: (i) ambient temperature (T0), and increased temperature (2.3–5.3 °C) for 20 days (ii) from the beginning to middle of TB (T1) and (iii) from the middle of TB until the beginning of leaf yellowing (T2). Effect of temperature on yield and physiological performance of genotypes were dependent on the timing of heat treatments. T1 increased tuber yield by 11–59%, but T2 did not modify tuber yield. Yield sensitivity was highly dependent on genotype. Harvest index was the most sensitive trait to increase temperature at T1, decreasing in the range of temperatures evaluated without reduction for tuber yield. Increased tuber yield at T1 was associated with higher intercepted radiation between flowering and 50% of leaf brownship, explained in part by elongation of this period and stomatal conductance of leaves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Craspedacusta sowerbii (Lankester, 1880) is a cnidarian thought to originate from the Yangtze River valley in China. However, C. sowerbii is now an invasive species in freshwater systems worldwide. In Chile, C. sowerbii was first recorded in 1942 by Porter and Schmitt in the Marga-Marga Reservoir, in Valparaíso. Since then, there have been few further Chilean records of this species. Here, we report the presence of C. sowerbii medusae in Santa Elena Lake, Bulnes, Región del Bío-Bío, along with limnological parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Non-adherence to prescribed treatment is a principle cause of treatment failure in patients with chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and hypertension. Improved patient monitoring and education have been shown to improve adherence and clinical outcomes.Objective: This study evaluates the impact of a pharmacotherapy optimization plan centered on patient education that was implemented at a hospital in Arauco, Chile.Methods: A prospective study was conducted using 50 randomly selected patients diagnosed with both T2DM and hypertension. Each patient participated in three successive interview sessions over 6 months. At each session, the following variables were evaluated by a pharmacist: blood pressure, HbA1c, adherence to prescribed medication, and patient knowledge of disease.Results: Significant decreases were observed for HbA1c (<0.001), and SBP (<0.001), with stronger and more significant decreases observed for females. Patient adherence to prescribed medication also improved, but not significantly. The number of patients with full knowledge of their diseases increased significantly (p < 0.001) from 10 to 66%.Conclusion: This study suggests that the incorporation of a pharmacotherapeutic optimization plan for patients with chronic diseases can have a positive impact on the control of chronic diseases, such as T2DM and hypertension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a common methodology, the effects of unions on wage levels and wage dispersion are estimated for two neighboring countries, Bolivia and Chile, and for the United States. The analysis shows that unions have broadly similar effects on the wage distribution within these three economies. The findings suggest that the political economy of unions, coupled with market constraints on labor costs, produce commonality in union wage effects that transcend other economic and institutional differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Most children who are exposed to large quantities of alcohol in utero do not develop fetal alcohol syndrome ( FAS). Population-based prospective data on the risk of developing components of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders ( FASD), however, are limited. Methods This was a prospective cohort study of 9,628 women screened during their first prenatal appointment in Chile, which identified 101 who consumed at least 4 drinks/d (exposed) matched with 101 women with no reported alcohol consumption during pregnancy (unexposed). Detailed alcohol consumption data were collected during the pregnancy. Children were evaluated up to 8.5 years of age by clinicians masked to exposure status. Results One or more functional central nervous system abnormalities were present in 44.0% (22/50) of the exposed children compared to 13.6% (6/44) of the unexposed ( p = 0.002). Growth restriction was present in 27.2% (25/92) of the exposed and 12.5% (12/96) of the unexposed ( p = 0.02). Abnormal facial features were present in 17.3% (14/81) of the exposed children compared to 1.1% (1/89) of the unexposed children ( p = 0.0002) by direct examination. Of the 59 exposed children with data available to detect at least 1 abnormality, 12 (20.3%) had no abnormalities. Binge drinking from conception to recognition of pregnancy ( OR = 1.48 per day, 95% CI: 1.15 to 1.91, p = 0.002) and after recognition of pregnancy ( OR= 1.41 per day, 95% CI: 1.01 to 1.95, p = 0.04) and total number of drinks consumed per week from conception to recognition of pregnancy ( OR = 1.02 per drink, 95% CI: 1.01 to 1.04, p = 0.0009) were significantly associated with abnormal child outcome. Conclusions After exposure to heavy alcohol consumption during pregnancy, 80% of children had 1 or more abnormalities associated with alcohol exposure. Patterns of alcohol use that posed the greatest risk of adverse outcomes were binge drinking and high total weekly intake. Functional neurologic impairment occurred most frequently and may be the only sign to alert physicians to prenatal alcohol exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phylogeographical inferences, applied in a comparative framework across multiple species at a regional scale, provide the means for detecting regional and landscape-level patterns of biodiversity, which are important for understanding macroecology and evolution in a geographical mosaic against a backdrop broadly impacted by geological events. Although information on Patagonian phylogeographical patterns has accumulated for both aquatic and terrestrial organisms in recent years, no attempt has been made to compare patterns across major organismal groups. In this review, we compiled studies on the phylogeography of co-distributed plants and terrestrial vertebrates from Patagonia. From each study, we extracted information on levels of genetic diversity, and inferred demographic processes and phylogeographical breaks, as well as on putative refugia, to produce the first summary of emerging phylogeographical patterns for this region. This review reveals some congruent phylogeographical patterns within and among plants and terrestrial vertebrates, and suggests that Pre-Quaternary as well as Quaternary geological events would have been important driving forces in the evolutionary history of Patagonian lineages. Different processes and directional range shifts suggest a mosaic of phylogeographical patterns, far more complex than the several north-south common patterns traditionally proposed. © 2011 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2011, , 475-494. Las inferencias filogeográficas, dentro de un marco comparativo cuando incluyen varias especies a escala regional, permiten detectar patrones de biodiversidad regional y de paisaje (fisonómicos), importantes para entender tanto la macroecología como el impacto a gran escala de los eventos geológicos. En los últimos años, el conocimiento filogeográfico de Patagonia se ha acumulado para organismos acuáticos y terrestres, y aunque se han propuesto pocos patrones demográficos o espaciales cualitativamente concordantes, no se ha hecho ningún intento de revisar comparativamente algunos de esos patrones considerando grandes grupos de organismos. En esta revisión compilamos el conocimiento publicado sobre la filogeografía de plantas vasculares y vertebrados terrestres de Patagonia con el propósito de comparar niveles de diversidad genética, procesos demográficos, quiebres filogeográficos y localización de posibles refugios, para producir el primer resumen de patrones filogeográficos emergentes para esta región. Esta revisión revela algunos patrones filogeográficos congruentes dentro y entre plantas vasculares y vertebrados terrestres, y sugiere que tanto los eventos geológicos Cuaternarios como los pre-Cuaternarios pudieron haber jugado un papel importante en la historia evolutiva de los linajes patagónicos. Diferentes procesos y cambios direccionales en los rangos de distribución, sugieren un mosaico de patrones filogeográficos mucho más complejo que los patrones norte-sur tradicionalmente propuestos. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The Liolaemus lineomaculatus section is a geographically widely distributed group of lizards from the Patagonian region of southern South America, and includes 18 described species representing the most southerly distributed Liolaemus taxa (the genus includes 228 species and extends from Tierra del Fuego north to south-central Peru). Despite high species diversity, the phylogenetic relationships of this section are unknown. In the present work we sampled all described species in the L. lineomaculatus section as well as currently undescribed candidate species to reconstruct the first complete phylogenetic hypothesis for the clade. Our data set included four anonymous nuclear loci, three nuclear protein-coding loci, and two mitochondrial genes. We compared results obtained with three different phylogenetic methods for the concatenated data set (Maximum Parsimony, Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian Inference) with a coalescent-based species tree approach (BEST), and recovered congruent, strongly-supported topological arrangements across all methods. We identified four main clades within the L. lineomaculatus section: the lineomaculatus, magellanicus, somuncurae, and kingii + archeforus groups, for which we estimated divergence times. We discuss the taxonomic implications of these results and how the future integration of phylogeographic, niche modeling and morphological approaches will allow testing biogeographical hypotheses in this clade. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Copyright of Boletín de la Sociedad Geológica Mexicana is the property of Sociedad Geologica Mexicana and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

We describe a new species of lizard of the genus Liolaemus from northwestern Chubut Province, Argentina. This new species belongs to the fitzingerii group and is easily distinguished from other members of the group by a combination of morphological and genetic characters. The new species is diagnosable in showing the following combination of characters: dorsal pattern with a conspicuous vertebral band, presence of pre- and postscapular spots, prominent neck folds, and analysis of DNA sequence data from 810 base pairs of the cytochrome b gene (~4% sequence divergence from its sister taxa Liolaemus fitzingerii). The fitzingerii complex now includes three described species, all restricted to Patagonia, and the new species described here is endemic to a small lowland area in central Patagonia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective There is limited information regarding the effects of IGF-I and/or IGFBP-3 on circulating ghrelin concentrations. To determine the effects of IGF-I on GH and ghrelin concentrations, we examined the GH and ghrelin nocturnal profiles before and after the administration of the IGF-I/–IGFBP-3 complex (Iplex™) to low birth weight children. Design The children were studied on two separate occasions, the first under basal conditions, and the second time after the sc administration of 1 mg/kg of Iplex™ at 2100 h. Blood samples for determination of GH and ghrelin were obtained every 20 min between 2300 h and 0700 h, while the children were sleeping. In each patient, we calculated the mean GH and ghrelin area under the curve (GH AUC and GHR AUC), both under basal conditions and after the administration of the IGF-I/IGFBP-3 complex. Setting The study was performed at a University Research Centre located at a General Hospital in Santiago, Chile. Patients Twenty prepubertal children (11 boys and 9 girls), born after a full-term pregnancy with a birth weight below 2·8 kg were studied at a mean ± SEM age of 7·3 ± 0·5 years (range 4–11 years). Their mean height was −1·8 ± 0·3 standard deviation score (SDS) and their mean BMI was 0·1 ± 0·2 SDS at the time of the study. Main outcome and results Mean nocturnal GH AUC exhibited a significant decrease (2903 ± 185 vs 1860 ± 122 ng/ml min, P < 0·01), whereas mean GHR AUC showed a significant increase after administration of the IGF-I/IGFBP-3 complex (68 ± 16 vs 288 ± 36 ng/ml min, P < 0·01). Conclusions These findings indicate that the IGF-I/IGFBP-3 complex appears to have opposite effects on circulating GH and ghrelin concentrations in low birth weight children, suggesting that, in addition to its known negative feed-back effect on GH, IGF-I and/or IGFBP-3 may have a positive feed-back effect on ghrelin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines the association of primary Pneumocytis carinii infection and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) based on autopsy lung specimens from pediatric patients in Santiago, Chile. Pathogenic role of P. carinii in some infants with SIDS; Evidence of primary infection by P. carinii in immunocompetent infants and children.

The present work aims to advance the study of sustainability in the small-scale fishing sector by exploring the relationships between the four pillars (economic, social, environmental and institutional) of sustainable development, based on a set of proxy indicators for each one. Faced with a lack of calibrated indicators for the artisanal fishing sector in Chile, the first stage was to identify a set of sustainability indicators that could be used to this end. Subsequently, using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM), the relationships of causality between the pillars were explored, and finally, from the scores obtained for each pillar through structural equation modelling, a sustainability index was determined for each fishing community. This index will provide an indicator with which to measure and compare the relative sustainability of the fishing communities found within three different zones. The results obtained show important differences between the sustainability indices of the three zones, with fishing communities in the northern zone having a lower sustainability index, while those in the central and southern zones have a higher sustainability index. Several causal relationships between the pillars were detected. • Sustainable development of the small-scale artisanal fisheries in Chile. • Relationships of causality between pillars of the sustainable development. • Exploration using the partial least squares structural equation modellings (PLS-SEM). • Comparison of the performance of artisanal fishing communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fats and oils are the most common pollutants in wastewater, and are usually eliminated through physical processes in wastewater treatment plants, generating large amounts of fats and residual oils that are difficult to dispose of and handle. The degradation of fatty wastewater was studied in a real wastewater treatment plant and a laboratory scale treatment unit. The wastewater treatment plant, located in Chile, was designed for a population of 200,000 inhabitants. It includes an aerobic digester that receives fat and oils retained in a degreaser and treats the fats and oils together with biomass. The biodegradation of fats and oils was analyzed in both wastewater treatment systems. Key parameters were monitored such as the concentration of fats and oils in the influents and effluents, mass loading, and the efficiency of biodegradation. The mass loading range was similar in both wastewater treatment systems. In the experimental activated sludge plant, the biodegradation of fats and oils reached levels in the range of 64% to 75%. For the wastewater treatment plant with an aerobic digester, the levels of biodegradation of fats and oils ranged from 69% to 92%. Therefore, considering the efficiency of the elimination of fats and oils, the results indicated that physical treatment should be replaced with biological treatment so that the CO2 generated by the biodegradation will be incorporated into the carbon cycle and the mass of fats and oils in landfills will be reduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different factors affecting athletic performance are well established: intensity and type of training, anthropometric characteristics as well as an important psychological component. However, the contribution of the genetic background has been less investigated. The aim of the present study was to investigate the influence of polymorphisms within genes associated with stress and anxiety (5HTT, CRH2R, ACE, NK1R, 5HT1AR and CRF-BP) on the physical capability and sports performance in triathletes. One hundred and ninety two (192) unrelated Chilean triathletes who participated in the 2014 70.3 Pucón city triathlon were divided into opposite subgroups of sports performance according to their time results. We identified significant associations for five polymorphisms (5HTT 5-HTTLPR, ACE I/D, NK1R rs6715729, 5HT1AR -1019C>G and CRF-BP CRF-BPs1 1) with athletic performance. Our results indicate that these polymorphisms are associated with differential sports performance in Chilean triathletes, establishing an initial background for better understanding the relationship between physical performance, genetics and anxiety disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The lizard genus Liolaemus is endemic to temperate South America and includes more than 225 species. Liolaemus gracilis and L. bibronii are closely related species that have large and overlapping geographic distributions, and the objective of this work is to further investigate the L. bibronii–L. gracilis mtDNA paraphyletic pattern previously detected, using an integrative approach, based on mtDNA, nuclear DNA and morphological characters. We identified eight morphological L. bibronii introgressed with L. gracilis mtDNAs, and the reciprocal for one L. gracilis, from six localities in the region of sympatry overlap. The morphological identity of these introgressed individuals was confirmed by diagnostic nuclear markers, and this represents the first well-documented case of interspecific hybridization in the lizard genus Liolaemus. Of the three most likely hypotheses for these observed patterns, we suggest that asymmetrical mtDNA introgression as a result of recent or ongoing hybridization between L. bibronii and L. gracilis is the most likely. This may be due to size selection by L. gracilis female preference for the larger L. bibroni males in sympatry, but this requires experimental confirmation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Since 2015 commercial farms of Agarophyton chilensis (pelillo), cultivated in southern Chile, have shown pest massification of a green filament seaweed (green tides). • Filaments of Rhizoclonium- like algae have been cultivated in laboratory and showed a wide range tolerance to temperature, salinity, photoperiod and nitrate concentration. • Performance of the strategy of propagation of this species is by asexual spores, high growth rates and fragmentation of the thallus. • -Asexual reproduction in laboratory was triggered by salinities >20 PSU and nitrate concentration higher than 0.14 mmol/L. Cultivation of Agarophyton chilensis , common name "pelillo", in Chile began 40 years ago. Technology adopted has been based on culture by vegetative propagation and culture from spores. Mass seaweed culture is associated with increased instances of pests and/or disease, as has been observed in the agricultural sector. The aim of this work is to study the pest alga Rhizoclonium sp , and its development under different controlled environmental conditions, given that this alga has affected "pelillo" production in southern Chile since 2015. Fresh thalli of the pest alga collected from culture centers located in Maullín river were described morphologically in order to confirm the identity of the species. Filaments were cultured under different temperature (10, 16 and 20 °C), photoperiod (8:16; 12:12 and 16:8 L:D), salinity (5; 10; 20; 27 and 30 psu) and nutrient (0.14 and 0.28 mmol/L nitrate) conditions to evaluate growth and reproduction. Nevertheless, given the taxonomic status situation of the polyphyletic genus Rhizoclonium , the pest is named Rhizoclonium- like. It formed lateral branches under culture conditions tested and showed a wide range of tolerance to temperature, salinity, photoperiod and nitrate concentration. Growth increases with temperature, reaching a daily growth rate of between 5.5 and 5.9%/day at 16 and 20 °C respectively. Rhizoclonium -like reproduction is described for the first time under culture conditions in Chile. Formation of reproductive structures occurs in the vegetative cells generating reproductive structures (zoosporangia) that mature under 16 °C, salinity >20 psu and nitrate concentration >0,14 mmol/L, observing release and germination of spores. After reproduction filaments do not decay and grow again. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Familial hyperaldosteronism type 1 is an autosomal dominant disorder attributed to a chimeric CYP11B1/CYP11B2 gene (CG). Its prevalence and manifestation in the pediatric population has not been established. We aimed to investigate the prevalence of familial hyperaldosteronism type 1 in Chilean hypertensive children and to describe their clinical and biochemical characteristics. We studied 130 untreated hypertensive children (4 to 16 years old). Blood samples for measuring plasma potassium, serum aldosterone, plasma renin activity, aldosterone/renin ratio, and DNA were collected. The detection of CG was performed using long-extension PCR. We found 4 (3.08%) of 130 children with CG who belonged to 4 unrelated families. The 4 patients with CG had very high aldosterone/renin ratio (49 to 242). In addition, we found 4 children and 5 adults who were affected among 21 first-degree relatives. Of the 8 affected children, 6 presented severe hypertension, 1 presented prehypertension, and 1 presented normotension. High serum aldosterone levels (>17.7 ng/dL) were detected in 6 of 8 subjects (range: 18.6 to 48.4 ng/dL) and suppressed plasma renin activity (≤0.5 ng/mL per hour) and high aldosterone/renin ratio (>10) in 8 of 8 children (range: 49 to 242). Hypokalemia was observed in only 1 of 8 children. We demonstrated that the prevalence of familial hyperaldosteronism type 1 in a pediatric hypertensive pediatric population was surprisingly high. We found a high variability in the clinical and biochemical characteristics of the affected patients, which suggests that familial hyperaldosteronism type 1 is a heterogeneous disease with a wide spectrum of presentations even within the same family group.

Background: Recently, the cut-off point for normal fasting glucose (FG) level, was decreased to 100 mg/dl., Aim: To determine the frequency of abnormal carbohydrate abnormalities in children with obesity and evaluate if the fasting glucose level is a useful tool for the screening of glucose intolerance (GI)., Patients and Methods: Children and adolescents, referred for evaluation of obesity were evaluated with an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and FG. The sensitivity of FG for detection of GI, using the 100 and 110 mg/dl cut-off point, was evaluated., Results: We studied 186 patients (125 females) aged 12.1 (range: 5.4-19.3) years with a body mass index (BMI) of 29.9 (18.3-44.6) kg/mt2 and a BMI Z score of 2.1 (1.7-3.2). Seven patients (3.8%) had abnormalities in the carbohydrate metabolism. The sensitivity of FG for the detection of GI using the 100 and 110 mg/dl cut-off values was 42.9 and 14.3%, respectively. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves showed that the optimal diagnostic level for FG corresponds to 80 mg/dl (sensitivity: 85.7% and specificity of 74.9%)., Conclusions: An abnormal carbohydrate metabolism was detected in 3.8% of the obese children and adolescents in this sample. FG of 100 mg/dl does not detect 57.1% of the patients with glucose intolerance. These data suggest that FG is not a useful screening tool for glucose intolerance in young patients.

Background: Recent studies in the United States have demonstrated that a significant proportion of girls show thelarche before the age of eight years. Nutritional status, geographic influences and racial factors are known to affect the timing of puberty., Aim: To evaluate the age of onset of puberty, development of secondary sexual characteristics and menarche in Chilean girls, and its relation to obesity and socioeconomic status., Material and Methods: Healthy girls attending elementary school, from first to ninth grade in Santiago, Chile, were studied. A pediatric endocrinologist evaluated pubertal development using Tanner classification. Breast development was assessed by inspection and breast palpation. Average age of onset of pubertal events was determined by probit analysis., Results: A total of 758 girls, aged 5.8 to 16.1 years, were recruited. Obesity, defined as a BMI greater than 90th percentile, was found in 24.4%. The age of menarche was 12.7 years, the onset of Tanner stage 2 breast development and pubic hair was at 8.9 and 10.4 years, respectively. Sixteen percent of girls aged 7 to 7.9 years, had thelarche. Upper class girls showed a later onset of breast Tanner stage 4 stage than low-middle class girls. Obesity was not found in logistic regression analysis to be a significant predictive factor in the onset of puberty., Conclusions: The age of menarche has not changed in the last thirty years, but an earlier onset of thelarche has occurred. The high frequency of thelarche between 7 and 8 years suggests that the normal age of breast development should be revised.

We hypothesized that some children with idiopathic short stature in Chile might bear heterozygous mutations of the GH receptor. We selected 26 patients (3 females, 23 males) from 112 patients who consulted for idiopathic short stature at the University of Chile. Their chronological age was 8.3 +/- 1.9, and bone age was 6.1 +/- 1.0 yr. Their height was -3.0 +/- 0.7 SDS; IGF-I, -1.2 +/- 1.1 SD; IGF binding protein 3, -0.7 +/- 2.0 SDS; and GH binding protein, 0.4 +/- 0.8 SDS. Patients were admitted, and blood samples were obtained every 20 min to determine GH concentrations overnight. Coding sequences and intron-exon boundaries of exons 2-10 of GH receptor gene were amplified by PCR and subsequently analyzed through single-strand conformational analysis. Mean serum GH concentration, over 12-h, was 0.20 +/- 0.08 nM; pulse amplitude, 0.40 +/- 0.15 nM; number of peaks, 5.8 +/-1.5 peaks/12 h; peak value of GH during the 12-h sampling, 1.03 +/- 0.53 nM; and area under the curve, 151.4 +/- 56.1 nM/12 h. There were positive correlations between mean GH vs. area under the curve (P < 0.001) and GH peak (P < 0.01). The single-strand conformational analysis of the GH receptor gene showed abnormal migration for exon 6 in 9 patients and for exon 10 in 9 patients, which (by sequence analysis) corresponded to 2 polymorphisms of the GH receptor gene: an A-to-G transition in third position of codon 168 in exon 6 and a C-to-A transversion in the first position of codon 526 in exon 10. We further sequenced all coding exons and intron-exon boundaries in the most affected patients (nos. 6, 9, 11, 14, 15, 16, and 23). This analysis revealed a C-to-T transition in codon 161 of exon 6 in patient 23, which results in an amino acid change (Arg to Cys) in an heterozygous form in the patient and his father. In conclusion, the results of our study suggest that, in Chilean patients with idiopathic short stature, GH receptor gene mutations are uncommon, although we cannot exclude mutations that were missed by single-strand conformational analysis or mutations within introns or in the promoter regions of the GH receptor gene.