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The purpose of this research is to learn how the implementation of instructional subtitled videos contributed to improving students' range of vocabulary in real life contexts. This mixed method research paper was developed by using action research approach and the applied data collection technique was stratified into five steps: a pre-test, three classroom observations, a teacher/investigation diary, a semi-structured interview, and a post-test. The analysis of the data demonstrated that the employment of instructional subtitled videos helped students learn vocabulary. The students performed better in post-test compared to the pre-test, due to the three cycles of intervention. The target words were contextualized and presented through the simultaneous combination of sounds, images, and text. The data also showed that the participants considered the videos to be useful so as to remember new words and to be able to use them in communicative contexts. After discussing the findings of the study in light of the theory, the implications and limitations are presented, as well as some considerations for further research are suggested.

Malnutrition is a global problem that affects all countries in one or more of its forms, representing one of the greatest challenges worldwide. One of the key contributing factors is food insecurity, which must be evaluated in children with moderate and severe acute malnutrition, as they are at imminent risk of death. Objective: Our objective was to assess food insecurity among children under 5 years old with moderate, and severe malnutrition from Valle del Cauca, a state located in the southwestern region of Colombia. Methods: A descriptive observational study was conducted, including children whose weight-for-height (W/H) indicator was below 2 SD, as recorded on the World Health Organization (WHO) growth charts, or who exhibited severe malnutrition phenotypes such as marasmus or Kwashiorkor. Family and child food security were evaluated using the Latin American and Caribbean Food Security Scale (ELCSA). Results: 58.6% of households with acutely malnourished children experienced food insecurity. A statistically significant relationship was found between food insecurity and children of Afro-Colombian and Indigenous descent. According to caregivers' perceptions, 30.2% of child malnutrition cases were related to poor feeding and caregiving practices. Conclusions: Not all children with acute malnutrition suffer from food insecurity. Therefore, the findings of this research suggest that governmental efforts should focus not only on ensuring food availability, but also on educating caregivers about the importance of a balanced and nutritious diet tailored to the specific characteristics of each region and promoting appropriate caregiving practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Transportation policies can impact health outcomes while simultaneously promoting social equity and environmental sustainability. We developed an agent-based model (ABM) to simulate the impacts of fare subsidies and congestion taxes on commuter decision-making and travel patterns. We report effects on mode share, travel time and transport-related physical activity (PA), including the variability of effects by socioeconomic strata (SES), and the trade-offs that may need to be considered in the implementation of these policies in a context with high levels of necessity-based physical activity. Methods: The ABM design was informed by local stakeholder engagement. The demographic and spatial characteristics of the in-silico city, and its residents, were informed by local surveys and empirical studies. We used ridership and travel time data from the 2019 Bogotá Household Travel Survey to calibrate and validate the model by SES. We then explored the impacts of fare subsidy and congestion tax policy scenarios. Results: Our model reproduced commuting patterns observed in Bogotá, including substantial necessity-based walking for transportation. At the city-level, congestion taxes fractionally reduced car use, including among mid-to-high SES groups but not among low SES commuters. Neither travel times nor physical activity levels were impacted at the city level or by SES. Comparatively, fare subsidies promoted city-level public transportation (PT) ridership, particularly under a 'free-fare' scenario, largely through reductions in walking trips. 'Free fare' policies also led to a large reduction in very long walking times and an overall reduction in the commuting-based attainment of physical activity guidelines. Differential effects were observed by SES, with free fares promoting PT ridership primarily among low-and-middle SES groups. These shifts to PT reduced median walking times among all SES groups, particularly low-SES groups. Moreover, the proportion of low-to-mid SES commuters meeting weekly physical activity recommendations decreased under the 'freefare' policy, with no change observed among high-SES groups. Conclusions: Transport policies can differentially impact SES-level disparities in necessity-based walking and travel times. Understanding these impacts is critical in shaping transportation policies that balance the dual aims of reducing SES-level disparities in travel time (and time poverty) and the promotion of choice-based physical activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Invasive meningococcal disease (IMD), caused by Neisseria meningitidis, is associated with high morbidity and mortality. The aim of the current study was to describe the historical and recent epidemiology of IMD in Colombia. Methods: This retrospective surveillance database analysis examined all available data on IMD in Colombia. Data were extracted from publicly available disease event reports and laboratory surveillance reports or obtained directly from hospitals in Cartagena. Results: During 2015–2021, the overall incidence of IMD was 0.04–0.18 per 100,000 based on laboratory surveillance reports. IMD incidence was highest among infants aged < 1 year (0.52–1.47 per 100,000), as was IMD mortality (0.00–0.65 per 100,000). Serogroup B was the dominant serogroup responsible for IMD in Colombia during 1988–2014, but, since 2015, serogroup C has been dominant in all age groups, followed by serogroups B and Y. During 2010–2021 combined, the majority of IMD cases were reported in Bogotá (31.9%) and Antioquia (21.7%). Of 42 IMD cases in the city of Cartagena, 54.8% occurred in people who lived in the poorest neighborhoods, and these patients had the highest IMD lethality (52.2%) and the shortest median hospitalization duration (3 days). Conclusion: The overall incidence of IMD in Colombia was low but was highest among infants aged < 1 year. IMD cases tended to be concentrated in the more densely populated areas and in poorer neighborhoods. As the majority of IMD cases in Colombia since 2015 have been serogroup C, followed by B or Y, vaccination to protect against these serogroups could potentially be beneficial and help to achieve the World Health Organization's and Pan American Health Organization's roadmaps to defeat meningitis by 2030. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adolescent and young women face grave nutrition challenges, but limited evidence exists on solutions to improve their diets. Action‐research was done over 3 years (2020–2022) in secondary cities of Colombia (Medellin) and Vietnam (Thai Nguyen) to identify nutrient deficits in adolescent and young women diets; elaborate food‐based recommendations to improve their nutritional status using Optifood linear programming; and engage respondents in incorporating suggested recommendations to their diet using a Social Innovation Challenge approach. A total of 1001 respondents were interviewed in Vietnam, 793 in Colombia. The probability of nutrient inadequacy in both locations was highest for iron and calcium, followed by the risk of deficiency for several other vitamins and minerals. Social Innovation Challenge teams (11 in Vietnam, 9 in Colombia) were created and supported in developing solutions to improve diets and tackle those deficiencies. Awards and resources were transferred to the most promising solutions to enable their implementation. Pre/post measurements of the interventions' impact using the Global Diet Quality Score as outcome metric showed significant improvement in the diets of Challenge participants. After introducing a series of companion articles that offer detailed results on those various steps, this paper draws strategic lessons from an action‐research perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a balance about the chapter guidelines for teaching construction of the territory concept in schools today, which is part of the doctoral thesis "La construcción del territorio a través del ciberespacio: una mirada latinoamericana de la percepción de los jóvenes frente al espacio virtual. Presented at University of Valencia, Spain. This unit was focused on the construction of guidelines for learning the territory concept in geography, it is set from a comparative analysis between Spain, Colombia and England, in order to reflect the contributions of the Latin American, European and Anglo-Saxon countries, in line with the reconstitution of geographic knowledge at a global level to expand new approaches to the concept. This is in contrast to the policies in charge of regulating education in these countries. In this way, it is intended to make analytical and conceptual contributions of the territory from teachers' point of view in relation to the discussion of the territorial approach given by these institutional spaces to expand and develop a conceptual framework that contributes to generating significant transformations in the daily activity of educators. proposing a shift in the geography learning, which allows re-meaning the concept of territory in accordance with innovations in knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The eradication of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) using multiple therapies is used as a prevention strategy. However, its eficacy has been compromised by the emergence of single nucleotide polymorphisms in genes associated with H. pylori's resistance to multiple antibiotics. To estimate antibiotic resistance rates associated with mutations in H. pylori genes in the high-cancer-risk population in Colombia, we included 166 H. pylori whole genome sequences from a cohort of individuals with a high risk of gastric cancer. By using the reference strain ATCC 26695, we identifiedmutations in specific genes to evaluate resistance rates for different antibiotics: 23S rRNA for clarithromycin, 16S rRNA for tetracycline, pbp1A for amoxicillin, gyrA for levofloxacin, and rdxA for metronidazole. The phylogenomic analysis was conducted using the core genome consisting of 1,594 genes of H. pylori-ATCC 26695. Our findings revealed that the resistance rate of H. pylori to clarithromycin was 3.62%, primarily associated with mutations A2143G and A2142G in the 23S rRNA gene. For tetracycline, the resistance rate was 7.23%, with mutations A926G, A926T, and A928C observed in the 16S rRNA gene. Amoxicillin resistance was found in 25.9% of cases, with observedmutations in the pbp1A gene, including T556S, T593, R649K, R656P, and R656H. In the gyrA gene, mutations N87K, N87I, D91G, D91N, and D91Y were identified, resulting in a resistance rate of 12.04% to levofloxacin. Themost commonmutations in the rdxA gene associated with metronidazole resistance were a stop codon, and mutations at D59N and D59S, resulting in a resistance rate of 99.3%. The high resistance rate of H. pylori to metronidazole indicated that this drug should be excluded from the eradication therapy. However, the resistance rates for tetracycline and clarithromycin did not exceed the established resistance threshold in Colombia. The increased resistance rate of H. pylori to levofloxacin and amoxicillin may partially explain the observed therapeutic failures in Colombia. The phylogenomic tree showed that the H. pylori isolate belongs to its own lineage (hspColombia). These findings offer valuable insights to enhance the characterization of treatment protocols for the specific H. pylori lineage (hspColombia) at the local level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the universal vaccination program, there are still regions and territories with a high prevalence of Hepatitis B Virus infection (HBV), such as the Amazon basin, where several indigenous communities live. Additionally, Hepatitis Delta Virus (HDV) is a defective that requires the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) for the assembly and release of de novo viral particles. Therefore, hepatitis D could be the result of HBV/HDV coinfection or HDV superinfection in individuals with chronic hepatitis B. Among the high prevalence HDV populations are indigenous communities of America. This study aims to describe and characterize the frequency of HBV and HDV infection, viral genotypes and HBV immune escape mutants in indigenous populations from different regions of Colombia. The diagnosis of hepatitis B and hepatitis D was confirmed by serological markers. Moreover, the HBV and HDV genome were amplified by PCR and RT-PCR, respectively, and, subsequently, the phylogenetic analysis was performed. We characterized 47 cases of chronic hepatitis B, 1 case of reactivation and 2 cases of occult hepatitis B infection (OBI). Furthermore, a high prevalence of HDV infection was identified in the study population (29.33%, 22/75) and the circulation of several HBV genotypes and subgenotypes (F1b, F3, F4, and D). Interestingly, this is the first report of the HDV genotype I circulation in this country. These findings demonstrated that HBV and HDV infections are still public health problems in indigenous communities in Colombia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Health benefits packages in Colombia—what is covered, by whom, and at what cost—have evolved over the past thirty years. Coverage changed from two explicit health benefits packages (with benefits linked to ability to contribute) to an implicit approach that covers, in theory, everything for everyone, excluding a narrow negative list of services and health technologies. This article explores the evolution of priority setting in Colombia during two periods of major reform. Each period had its own advantages and disadvantages associated with different institutional arrangements, processes, and methodologies. Colombia's evolution provides several lessons for other low- and middle-income countries interested in institutionalizing evidence-based priority-setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Reumatología Clínica is the property of Elsevier B.V. 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 Universitas Scientiarum is the property of Pontificia Universidad Javeriana 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.)

Many processes concerning below-ground plant performance are not fully understood, such as spatial and temporal dynamics and their relation to environmental factors. Accounting for these spatial patterns is very important as they may be used to adjust for the estimation of cassava fresh root yield masked by field heterogeneity. The yield of cassava is an important characteristic that every breeder seeks to maintain in their germplasm. Ground-Penetrating Radar (GPR) has proven to be an effective tool for studying the below-ground characteristics of developing plants, but it has not yet been explored with respect to its utility in normalizing spatial heterogeneity in agricultural field experiments. In this study, the use of GPR for this purpose was evaluated in a cassava field trial conducted in Momil, Colombia. Using the signal amplitude of the GPR radargram from each field plot, we constructed a spatial plot error structure using the variance of the signal amplitude and developed GPR-based autoregressive (AR) models for fresh root yield adjustment. The comparison of the models was based on the average standard error (SE) of the Best Linear Unbiased Estimator (BLUE) and through majority voting (MV) with respect to the SE of the genotype across the models. Our results show that the GPR-based AR model outperformed the other models, yielding an SE of 9.57 and an MV score of 88.33%, while the AR1 × AR1 and IID models had SEs of 10.15 and 10.56% and MV scores of 17.37 and 0.00%, respectively. Our results suggest that GPR can serve a dual purpose in non-destructive yield estimation and field spatial heterogeneity normalization in global root and tuber crop programs, presenting a great potential for adoption in many applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: A noninterventional prospective study was performed in Colombia and Peru. The aim was to describe the impact of access to treatment on Patient‐reported outcomes (PRO) in patients with Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) after failure to conventional disease‐modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) in real‐life conditions. Methods: The impact of access to treatment was measured by access barriers, time to supply (TtS) and interruption evaluating their effect in changes of PROs between baseline and 6‐month follow‐up between February 2017 and November 2019. The association of access to care with disease activity, functional status, health‐related quality of life was assessed using bivariate and multivariable analysis. Results are expressed in least mean difference; TtS in mean number of days for delivery of treatment at baseline. Variability measures were standard deviation and standard error. Results: One hundred seventy patients were recruited, 70 treated with tofacitinib and 100 with biological DMARDs. Thirty‐nine patients reported access barriers. The mean of TtS was 23 ± 38.83 days. The difference from baseline to 6‐month visit in PROs were affected by access barriers and interruptions. There was not statistically significant difference in the of PRO's score among visits in patients that reported delay of supply of more than 23 days compared to patients with less days of delay. Conclusion: This study suggested the access to treatment can affect the response to the treatment at 6 months of follow‐up. There seems to be no effect in the PROs for delay of TtS during the studied period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patients with cancer have a higher risk of severe bacterial infections. This study aims to determine the frequency, susceptibility profiles, and resistance genes of bacterial species involved in bacteremia, as well as risk factors associated with mortality in cancer patients in Colombia. In this prospective multicenter cohort study of adult patients with cancer and bacteremia, susceptibility testing was performed and selected resistance genes were identified. A multivariate regression analysis was carried out for the identification of risk factors for mortality. In 195 patients, 206 microorganisms were isolated. Gram-negative bacteria were more frequently found, in 142 cases (68.9%): 67 Escherichia coli (32.5%), 36 Klebsiella pneumoniae (17.4%), and 21 Pseudomonas aeruginosa (10.1%), and 18 other Gram-negative isolates (8.7%). Staphylococcus aureus represented 12.4% (n = 25). Among the isolates, resistance to at least one antibiotic was identified in 63% of them. Genes coding for extended-spectrum beta-lactamases and carbapenemases, blaCTX-M and blaKPC, respectively, were commonly found. Mortality rate was 25.6% and it was lower in those with adequate empirical antibiotic treatment (22.0% vs. 45.2%, OR: 0.26, 95% CI: 0.1–0.63, in the multivariate model). In Colombia, in patients with cancer and bacteremia, bacteria have a high resistance profile to beta-lactams, with a high incidence of extended-spectrum beta-lactamases and carbapenemases. Adequate empirical treatment diminishes mortality, and empirical selection of treatment in this environment of high resistance is of key importance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 vaccination is a global priority. Latin American countries have some of the highest COVID-19 death rates worldwide with vaccination hampered by a variety of reasons, including mis- and disinformation, vaccine hesitancy, and vaccine supply constraints. Addressing vaccine hesitancy through effective messages has been found to help increase vaccine uptake. Participatory processes could be used to co-design health messages for this purpose. This article describes the methodology used to co-design evidence-based audio messages to be deployed in a cohort of individuals through an interactive voice response (IVR) mobile phone survey intervention, aimed towards increasing vaccination uptake in an adult population in Colombia. Participants of the COVID-19 vaccination message co-design process included a sample of the general population of the country, representatives of the funder organisation, and research team members. The co-design process consisted of four phases: (1) formative quantitative and qualitative research, (2) message drafting based on the results of the formative research, (3) message content evaluation, and (4) evaluation of the voices to deliver the audio messages; and was informed by reflexive meetings. Three categories of evidence-based audio messages were co-designed, each corresponding to an arm of the mHealth intervention: (1) factual messages, (2) narrative messages, and (3) mixed messages. An additional fourth arm with no message was proposed for control. The iterative co-design process ended with a total of 14 audio messages recorded to be deployed via the intervention. Co-developing health messages in response to health emergencies is possible. Adopting more context-relevant, participatory, people-centred, and reflexive multidisciplinary approaches could help develop solutions that are more responsive to the needs of populations and public health priorities. Investing resources in message co-design is deemed to have a greater potential for influencing behaviours and improving health outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grassland pastures are crucial for the global food supply through their milk and meat production; hence, forage species monitoring is essential for cattle feed. Therefore, knowledge of pasture above-ground canopy features help understand the crop status. This paper finds how to construct machine learning models to predict above-ground canopy features in Brachiaria pasture from ground truth data (GTD) and remote sensing at larger (satellite data on the cloud) and smaller (unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV)) scales. First, we used above-ground biomass (AGB) data obtained from Brachiaria to evaluate the relationship between vegetation indices (VIs) with the dry matter (DM). Next, the performance of machine learning algorithms was used for predicting AGB based on VIs obtained from ground truth and satellite and UAV imagery. When comparing more than twenty-five machine learning models using an Auto Machine Learning Python API, the results show that the best algorithms were the Huber with R2 = 0.60, Linear with R2 = 0.54, and Extra Trees with R2 = 0.45 to large scales using satellite. On the other hand, short-scale best regressions are K Neighbors with an R2 of 0.76, Extra Trees with an R2 of 0.75, and Bayesian Ridge with an R2 of 0.70, demonstrating a high potential to predict AGB and DM. This study is the first prediction model approach that assesses the rotational grazing system and pasture above-ground canopy features to predict the quality and quantity of cattle feed to support pasture management in Colombia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is an emerging viral pandemic disease. In the last 6 months, SARS-CoV-2 has caused millions of reported cases and hundreds of thousands of deaths. As other world regions, South America has not contained the pandemic's advance since it lacks the hospital and economic capacities. Public health implications of transmission, while the asymptomatic/presymptomatic infection is a critical concern at the current pandemic. Objective: Describe the socio-demographic, clinical, and viral features of a cohort of SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals from the Colombian Caribbean. Methods: Six hundred eighty-six clinical samples of suspected SARS-CoV-2 infection cases and contacts individuals from several hospital centers in the department of Córdoba, Colombia, were received at our laboratory between April 9th and May 16th, 2020. RNA was extracted using lysis buffers and spin columns. The samples were tested for SARS-CoV-2 by reverse transcription real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) using commercially available multiplex real-time PCR assay for simultaneous detection of 3 target genes of SARS-CoV-2 (Allplex™, 2019-nCoV assay, Korea). Viral copies quantification was done using a standard curve constructed from seriated dilutions of a SARS-CoV-2 positive control. Statics descriptive methods were used. Results: Thirty-five nasopharyngeal samples were positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection; the average age was 43 (range, 1–95 years). Seventeen of 35 (49%) of the patients showed symptoms. Most of them had a cough, fever, and odynophagia; three of the patients reported having arthralgia. Only two patients required hospitalization. None of the patients had known co-morbidities. RT-qPCR results show that two of the symptomatic patients had significantly higher RNA copies than the rest. Eighteen of 35 (51%) individuals were asymptomatic, and the average age was 30 (range, 6–61 years). Four asymptomatic individuals showed a higher copy than some symptomatic patients; nonetheless, the average of RNA copies 8.26 × 1010 was lower than the symptomatic. Conclusions: This study shows that asymptomatic patients may develop infections with a high number of RNA copies. Since a considerable percentage of infections may be asymptomatic/presymptomatic, enhanced testing approaches may be needed to detect these persons. Due the occurrence of a large proportion of infections being a result from transmission originated in asymptomatic/presymptomatic individuals, public health interventions in Colombia should be based on two steps: a massive molecular screening, and viral load quantification. Finally, a remarkable issue in our study is the average age of symptomatic and asymptomatic groups (43 and 30 respectively) which may be important because of the economic impact that has been caused by the coronavirus pandemic and may be probably the cause of the reduced lethality observed in the country and the department at the time of this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study is to describe the processes of identification and creation of knowledge in higher education institutions (HEI). The sample is composed of 7 universities in the city of Barranquila in Colombia, and is non-probabilistic. For this purpose, a survey was used to collect data from the directors and vice-rectors of research of the research departments. For its part, the research methodology is framed in the tools of cluster analysis and principal component analysis. The established approach made it possible to demonstrate that universities have two characteristics for identifying and creating knowledge in HEIs: community learning and individual learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evidence-based interventions recommended in the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control of the World Health Organization (WHO FCTC) are subject to implementation factors that might affect their actual effectiveness. The Colombian law enacting key commitments from WHO's FCTC was signed in 2009. This study aims at evaluating the potential impact of the enactment and implementation of these WHO FCTC on four outcomes for tobacco consumption (last-year cigarette smoking prevalence, prevalence of heavy smokers, prevalence of lower-intensity smokers and monthly smoking incidence). We used data from the National Psychoactive Substances Consumption Survey (NPSCS) in 2008 (n = 29 164) and 2013 (n = 32 605), and assessed changes in these four outcomes WHO FCTC using propensity score matching (PSM). Propensity scores were obtained using key socio-demographic variables and by matching through a 'Kernel' estimation. Matching quality tests were performed. The common support for both survey samples was 60 793. Sub-analyses were conducted using a governance index to assess the effect of heterogeneous governance levels, proxying implementation, over the country. We found that cigarette year-prevalence and cigarette month-incidence decreased after matching around 8 and 1.2 percentage points between 2008 and 2013, respectively. Consumption might have shifted, at least partially, from heavy smoking towards lower-intensity smoking. Departments with a higher governance index showed larger reductions of tobacco use, possibly associated to a stronger WHO FCTC implementation. This study highlights the impact that the WHO FCTC had on tobacco consumption in a middle-income country and shows the importance of governance strength as a mediating mechanism for WHO FCTC impact. These results advance current knowledge on the effectiveness of WHO FCTC and shed light on the relevance of governance as a key factor in the WHO FCTC implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Gestational anaemia (GA) is common in developing countries. This study assessed the relationship of late GA and negative perinatal outcomes in participants recruited in a reference maternity unit of the Caribbean region of Colombia.Design: Prospective analytical birth cohort study. Maternal Hb and serum ferritin (SF) levels were measured. GA was defined as Hb levels <6·82 mmol/l (<11 g/dl), SF depletion as SF levels <12 µg/l. Birth outcomes such as low birth weight (LBW), preterm birth (PB) and small for gestational age (SGA) were examined.Setting: Mothers in the first stage of labour, living in urban or rural areas of Bolívar, were enrolled in an obstetrical centre located in Cartagena, Colombia. Blood and stool samples were taken prior delivery. Maternal blood count, SF levels and infant anthropometric data were recorded for analysis.Participants: 1218 pregnant women aged 18-42 years and their newborns.Results: Prevalence of GA and SF depletion was 41·6 % and 41·1 %, respectively. GA was positively associated with poverty-related sociodemographic conditions. Prenatal care attendance lowered the risk of PB, LBW and SGA. Birth weight was inversely associated with Hb levels, observing a -36·8 g decrease in newborn weight per 0·62 mmol/l (or 1 g/dl) of maternal Hb. SF depletion, but not anaemia, was associated with PB. SGA outcome showed a significant association with anaemia, but not a significant relationship with SF depletion.Conclusions: Birth weight and other-related perinatal outcomes are negatively associated with Hb and SF depletion. Prenatal care attendance reduced the risk of negative birth outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The availability of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) controls the flow of carbon (C) among plants, soils, and the atmosphere, thereby shaping terrestrial ecosystem responses to global change. Soil C, N, and P cycles are linked by drivers operating at multiple spatial and temporal scales: landscape‐level variation in macroclimate and soil geochemistry, stand‐scale heterogeneity in forest composition, and microbial community dynamics at the soil pore scale. Yet in many biomes, we do not know at which scales most of the biogeochemical variation emerges, nor which processes drive cross‐scale feedbacks. Here, we examined the drivers and spatial/temporal scales of variation in soil biogeochemistry across four tropical dry forests spanning steep environmental gradients. To do so, we quantified soil C, N, and P pools, extracellular enzyme activities, and microbial community structure across wet and dry seasons in 16 plots located in Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, and Puerto Rico. Soil biogeochemistry exhibited marked heterogeneity across the 16 plots, with total organic C, N, and P pools varying fourfold, and inorganic nutrient pools by an order of magnitude. Most soil characteristics changed more across space (i.e., among sites and plots) than over time (between dry and wet season samplings). We observed stoichiometric decoupling among C, N, and P cycles, which may reflect their divergent biogeochemical drivers. Organic C and N pool sizes were positively correlated with the relative abundance of ectomycorrhizal trees and legumes. By contrast, the distribution of soil P pools was driven by soil geochemistry, with larger inorganic P pools in soils with P‐rich parent material. Most earth system models assume that soils within a texture class operate similarly, and ignore subgrid cell variation in soil properties. Here we reveal that soil nutrient pools and fluxes exhibit as much variation among four Neotropical dry forests as is observed across terrestrial ecosystems at the global scale. Soil biogeochemical patterns are driven not only by regional differences in soil parent material and climate, but also by local‐scale variation in plant and microbial communities. Thus, the biogeochemical patterns we observed across the Neotropical dry forest biome challenge representation of soil processes in ecosystem models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Cuarzo (REC) is the property of Fundacion Universitaria Juan N. Corpas 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: Esophageal achalasia is a rare, chronic, and progressive neurodegenerative motility disorder that is characterized by a lack of relaxation of the lower esophageal sphincter. Laparoscopic Heller myotomy (LHM) is the ideal in our population. Multiple surgical and medical treatments have been raised. However, there has been a need to expand studies and generate a clear algorithm for an ideal therapeutic algorithm. Methods: Clinical record was retrospectively analyzed of patients who underwent LHM and Dor fundoplication evaluated with Eckardt score, at four Colombian medical centers between February 2008 and December 2018. Results: There were a total of 21 patients (12 males and 9 females, ages 8 months to 16 years). The time from onset of symptoms to surgery was between 5 months and 14 years. One patient had esophageal mucosa perforation, 2 patients were converted to open surgery, and 1 patient had a postoperative fistula. All patients were discharged 3 to 9 days postoperatively, at which time they tolerated normal oral feeding. During follow-up, all the patients had an improvement in nutritional status and a greater functional recovery; 4 had reflux and 1 had reflux-like symptoms. Conclusion: LHM with Dor-type fundoplication maintains the effectiveness of open surgery with low postoperative morbidity and mortality and good functional results according to Eckardt score evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This special issue of Optica Pura y Aplicada (OPA) on Optics in Colombia compiles peer-reviewed articles by optics and photonics researchers from Colombia. The call for papers was made in May 2021 through a call published on the page of the Sociedad Red Colombiana de Óptica and was open to contributions from professionals with affiliation in Colombia in all related areas. Additionally, authors from the 2021 National Optics Meeting and the Andean and Caribbean Conference on Optics and its Applications were invited to send their contributions to this special issue. The result is a good number of contributions published in this special issue of OPA with articles by authors from different institutions in Colombia demonstrating a consolidation of optics in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A serological survey was carried out in Monteria (500 000 population), a mid-size city in Colombia. An overall prevalence of 55.3% (95% confidence interval, 52.5%–57.8%) was found among a sample of 1.368 people randomly selected from the population. Test positivity was related to economic characteristics with the highest prevalence found in the most impoverished areas, representing 83.8% of the city's population. We found a prevalence that might be associated with some important level of population immunity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To assess the effect of a permanent gun-carrying restriction on gun-related mortality in Colombia between 2008 and 2014, and determine differences in the effect of the restriction by place of death and sex. Methods In 2012, Bogotá and Medellín introduced a permanent gun-carrying restriction. We compared gun-related mortality rates in these cities (intervention cities) with the rates in all other Colombian cities with more than 500 000 inhabitants (control cities). We used data from the Colombian National Department of Statistics to calculate monthly gun-related mortality rates between 2008 and 2014 for intervention and control cities. We used a differences-in-differences method with fixed effects to assess differences in gun-related mortality in intervention and control cities before and after the introduction of the gun-carrying restriction. We stratified effects by place of death (public area or residence) and sex. We made robustness checks to test the assumptions of the models. Findings Gun-related deaths in the control and intervention cities decreased between 2008 and 2014; however, the decrease was greater in the intervention cities (from 20.29 to 14.93 per 100 000 population; 26.4%) than in the control cities (from 37.88 to 34.56 per 100 000 population; 8.8%). The restriction led to a 22.3% reduction in the monthly gun-related mortality rate in Bogotá and Medellín. The reduction was greater in public areas and for males. Robustness checks supported the assumptions of the models. Conclusion The permanent restriction on carrying guns reduced gun-related deaths. This policy could be used to reduce gun-related injuries in urban centres of other countries with large numbers of gun-related deaths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a correction notice for an article titled "Clinical inertia in newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus among patients attending selected healthcare institutions in Colombia." The original article was published in the journal Diabetology & Metabolic Syndrome. The correction states that the copyright holder for the article was incorrectly given and should have been "© Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA and its affiliates and Nelson Alvis-Guzman, Martín Romero, Fernando Salcedo-Mejia, Maria Carrasquilla-Sotomayor, Lina Gómez, Adolfo Pinzón 2024." The original article has been revised. The publisher, Springer Nature, remains neutral regarding jurisdictional claims and institutional affiliations. [Extracted from the article]

In this study, multidisciplinary teams were formed to develop educational content as digital videos to help in the learning process in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education. The usefulness of the web-learning tool was evaluated by surveys and tests taken by chemical engineering freshman students. The results showed that these students' scores were higher than the scores obtained by students of previous courses where the web-learning tool was not employed. On the other hand, the audience analysis indicated that the average age is 18-24 (91.2%) and the gender distribution was 54.9% male and 46.6% female from different countries (Mexico, Colombia, Spain, U.S., among others). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The majority of patients with breast cancer in Colombia are admitted into oncological centers at locally advanced stages of the disease (53.9%). The aim of this study was to describe the pathological response obtained with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) according to the molecular classification of breast cancer in patients with locally advanced tumors treated within the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Functional Breast Cancer Unit (FBCU) in Bogotá, Colombia. Materials and Methods: This was an observational, descriptive, historical cohort study of patients with locally advanced breast cancer treated within the NCI FBCU. Results: We included 414 patients who received NACT and surgical management. Most patients had luminal B HER2‐negative tumors (n = 134, 32.4%). The overall rate of pathological complete response (pCR) ypT0/ypN0 was 15.2% (n = 63). Tumors that presented the highest rate of pCR were pure HER2, at 40.5% (n = 15; odds ratio [OR], 6.7); however, with a follow‐up of 60 months, only the triple negative tumors presented a statistically significant difference for event‐free survival (EFS; median recurrence time, 18 months; range, 1–46) and overall survival (OS; median follow‐up, 31 months; range 10–57). The molecular subtype that most recurrences presented was luminal B HER2 negative, at 38.3% (n = 28). The majority of recurrences (93.2 %; n = 68; OR, 5.9) occurred in patients in whom no pathological response was obtained (Chevallier 3 and 4). Conclusion: Pathological response in locally advanced tumors is related to the molecular subtype of breast cancer, finding higher pCR rates in pure HER2 and triple‐negative tumors. A direct relationship was found between disease recurrences and the pathological response, evidencing greater tumor recurrence in patients who did not respond to NACT (Chevallier 3 and 4). EFS and OS were greater in patients with pCR, with statistical significance only in triple‐negative tumors. Implications for Practice: This research article is of scientific interest, because it describes the clinical and pathological features and analyzes the correlation between pathological response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy and the molecular classification of locally advanced breast cancer in patients treated in the National Cancer Institute in Bogotá, Colombia. It was found that pathological response is related to the molecular subtype of breast cancer. In addition, there is a direct relationship between disease recurrences and pathological response. The survival results were greater in patients with pathological complete response. This article describes pathological response with neoadjuvant chemotherapy according to molecular classification of breast cancer in patients with locally advanced tumors. Patients were treated at the National Cancer Institute Functional Breast Cancer Unit in Colombia, a country with a multicultural population, and so it is believed that the results reported can also be used to develop treatment guidelines for other countries in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Candida auris is an emerging multidrug-resistant fungus that causes hospital-associated outbreaks of invasive infections with high death rates. During 2015-2016, health authorities in Colombia detected an outbreak of C. auris. We conducted an investigation to characterize the epidemiology, transmission mechanisms, and reservoirs of this organism. We investigated 4 hospitals with confirmed cases of C. auris candidemia in 3 cities in Colombia. We abstracted medical records and collected swabs from contemporaneously hospitalized patients to assess for skin colonization. We identified 40 cases; median patient age was 23 years (IQR 4 months-56 years). Twelve (30%) patients were <1 year of age, and 24 (60%) were male. The 30-day mortality was 43%. Cases clustered in time and location; axilla and groin were the most commonly colonized sites. Temporal and spatial clustering of cases and skin colonization suggest person-to-person transmission of C. auris. These cases highlight the importance of adherence to infection control recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Coffee sensory properties can depend on several factors such as the species/varieties cultivated, the processing after the harvesting phase, geographical origin, and climatic factors. The impact of microclimates has been suggested to be critical to coffee sensory properties. Thirteen Arabica coffee samples from different farms in different sub areas of the same municipality (Pitalito region of Huila, Colombia), were evaluated using descriptive sensory analysis. The coffee samples differed in growing altitude, shading level, and fermentation practices. Overall, samples differed for attributes such as burnt, acrid, ashy, metallic, sour and sweet aromatics. However, differences generally were small, <1-point on a 0‐15 scale for most attributes. Differences could not be directly attributed to geographical area, different farming practice, or storage methods. This study suggests that the impact of specific microclimates within the same small region does not have a large impact on sensory properties of coffee. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • High quality 'specialty' coffee samples from the same region gave similar sensory properties. • Coffee sensory quality could not be related to specific microclimates or processing. • Interaction of microclimates and processing probably result in differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The peace agreement recently concluded between the Government of Colombia and the FARC-EP not only marked a milestone in the history of Colombia and peace making; it also introduced an unprecedented penal measure: negotiated criminal punishment. This example demonstrates that criminal punishment can be moulded to accommodate the needs of a society undergoing a political transition triggered by a peace negotiation. In the 1990s Garland already pointed out that penal measures are shaped by their social and historical context, and also affect their social environment. Based mainly on a sociological perspective on punishment, this article analyses the relationship between the punishment negotiated in the recent peace talks with the FARC-EP and the Colombian government's trying to come to terms with atrocities committed during the armed conflict. Based on the Colombian experience, this article also outlines contextual factors, which shape how punishment is negotiated in the context of peace agreements [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, in order to make decisions regarding the safety of pipelines, the risk values and risk targets are becoming relevant points for discussion. However, the challenge is the reliability of the models employed to get the risk data. Such models usually involve a large number of variables and deal with high amounts of uncertainty. Therefore, there is a strong need for a powerful tool to cope with that uncertainty, and one of the best tools dealing with uncertainty is the implementation of artificial intelligence methods using fuzzy logic. Hence, this study aims to present an artificial intelligence inference system that minimizes the uncertainty of traditional approaches of risk assessment in pipelines. Also, in order to show the applicability of the model developed, this study presents a case from the Colombian oil transportation network. Besides that, this study presents an uncertainty analysis for the risk values, comparing the results of the inference system with traditional approach. The results show that the inference system performs better since the magnitude of the average error and its standard deviation are less than the traditional approach. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Process Process Saf Prog 37:110–116, 2018 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Recently there has been a large outbreak of Zika virus infections in Colombia, South America. The epidemic began in September 2015 and continued to April 2017, for the total number of Zika cases reported of 107,870. For those confirmed Zika cases, there were nearly 20,000 (18.5%) suspected to be pregnant women, resulting in 157 confirmed cases of microcephaly in newborns reported by their health government agency. There is a clear under-estimation of the total number of cases and in addition no prior publications have been published to demonstrate the clinical aspects of the Zika infection in Colombia. We characterized one Zika presentation to be able to compare and contrast with other cases of Zika infection already reported in the literature.Case Presentation: In this case report, we demonstrate congenital microcephaly at week 19 of gestation in a 34-year-old mother who showed symptoms compatible with Zika virus infection from Sincelejo, State of Sucre, in the Colombian Caribbean. Zika virus RNA was detected in the placenta using real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). At week 25, the fetus weigh estimate was 770 g, had a cephalic perimeter of 20.2 cm (5th percentile), ventriculomegaly on the right side and dilatation of the fourth ventricle. At week 32, the microcephaly was confirmed with a cephalic perimeter of 22 cm, dilatation of the posterior atrium to 13 mm, an abnormally small cerebellum (29 mm), and an augmented cisterna magna. At birth (39 weeks by cesarean section), the head circumference was 27.5 cm, and computerized axial tomography (Siemens Corp, 32-slides) confirmed microcephaly with calcifications.Conclusion: We report a first case of maternal Zika virus infection associated with fetal microcephaly in Colombia and confirmed similar presentation to those observed previous in Brazil, 2015-2016. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis is one of the main responsible of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Colombia. Its mitochondrial genome consists of maxicircles and minicircles. The maxicircles of all kinetoplastid flagellates are functional analogs of the mitochondrial genome of other eukaryotes. They consist of two distinct parts, referred as the coding region and the divergent region. The divergent region is composed of highly repetitive sequences and are the least explored segment of the mitochondrial genome of trypanosomatids, which makes their sequencing and assembly difficult, and for this reason there is a low report of complete maxicircle sequences available, as has been the case for organisms of the genus Leishmania. Therefore, the aim of this work is to show the obtaining of maxicircles from 7 clinical isolates of L. braziliensis through sequences from Oxford Nanopore Technology and their comparison with other trypanosomatids. The seven clinical isolates were assembled de novo using NGSEP and NECAT software, to confirm the identity of the clinical isolates as Leishmania braziliensis, a BLASTn was performed using the 7 assemblies obtained and the kinetoplast of a L. braziliensis strain as a reference (Access number: MN904516.1). In total 10 maxicircles were obtained from the de novo assembly and were verified by BLAST and%GC using the ribosomal genes 12S rRNA and 9S rRNA of L. peruviana since they are phylogenetically closely related (Accession number: BK010881.1). As for the annotation of the assembled maxicircles, the L. panamensis maxicircle was used as reference genome (Accession number: MK570510.1). And for the evaluation of nucleotide identity the annotated maxicircle was used in conjunction with other trypanosomatids of medical importance through the MUMmer software. A total of 10 maxicircles were obtained in the 7 assembled isolates with a size range of 24,300 to 31,000 bp and an average size of 27,400 bp. The size of the coding region comprised a total of 14,909 bp and the 10 assemblies had an average variable region size of 12,119 bp. Using bioinformatics tools, a circular maxicircle genome with a size of 27,737 bp was obtained, for the semi-automated annotation process were annotated 17 genes in the conserved region corresponding to the mitochondrial electron transport chain and 2 genes corresponding to ribosomal rRNAs. And finally, the nucleotide identity analysis of this maxicircle showed the following identities in the next order: L. peruviana with 99.02%, L. guyanensis with 98.03%, L. panamensis with 97.65%, L. infantum with 84.65%, L. tarentolae with 84.38%, L. donovani with 84.30%, L. major with 83.33%, L. mexicana with 83.28%, T. cruzi with 78.11% and finally T. brucei with 77.30%. The results of this work revealed that mitochondrial genomes can be obtained by means of ONT long reads with high quality and low cost, which allow the study of genomic variability and parasite biology and adaptive processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Few studies assess infection fatality rate (IFR) in Latin America, none in Colombia. • IFR was ×20 lower than case fatality rate (CFR), children especially underestimated. • CFR overestimates COVID 19 impacts on mortality and should not be used. • Mortality rate a better indicator than CFR of COVID-19 impact in developing countries. • More serological studies from developing countries should be encouraged. This study describe the infection fatality rate (IFR) by COVID-19 by age groups in one department of Colombia. It used results from a serological survey to stablish a closer estimation of the true proportion of infected people. It found an overall IFR of 0.24% quite lower than the overall CFR (5.6%). We conclude that CFR severely overestimate the lethality of COVID-19 in developing areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In Colombia, dengue is an endemic disease and the four serotypes have been reported. Objective: To describe the frequency and severity of dengue in an area of the Colombian Caribbean (Department of Cordoba) Methods: A retrospective study was conducted. Two data sources were analyzed: The database from the Direction of Health in Cordoba, and clinical registers of patients diagnosed with hemorrhagic fevers and fevers of unknown origin in reference hospitals. Results: The mean incidence of dengue between 2003-2010 was 36.5 cases/105 inhabitants (CI95%: 34.3-37.5) and adjusted for subreporting, could be between 178.5 and 521.6. The mean incidence of severe dengue was 4.7 cases/105 inhabitants (CI95%: 4.3-5.0). Mean mortality rate due to dengue was 0.3 cases/105 inhabitants. The fatality rate was below 1%. The mean total leukocyte count in patients with dengue was 6,181 mm3 (CI95%: 5,973-6,389) and with severe Dengue was 4,729 mm3 (CI95%: 4,220-5,238). The average platelet count in patients with Dengue was 118,793/mm3 (CI95%: 107,255- 130,331) and in patients with Severe Dengue 77,655 (CI95%: 59,640- 95,670). Both differences were statistically significant (p <0.05). The frequency of laboratories test per patient in patients with Dengue and severe Dengue were different. Conclusion: The department of Cordoba is a highly endemic zone of Dengue and severe Dengue in the Colombian Caribbean. Moreover, the results show significant differences between dengue and severe dengue so much in tests as in frequency of use of healthcare services [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sensory profiles of 13 coffee samples from the Huila Region, Colombia were evaluated using two different sensory panels: a highly trained descriptive sensory panel and a group of Q-certified coffee cuppers. The trained panel consisted of six descriptive panelists who developed a lexicon to evaluate and then test the coffee samples. Four 'cuppers' scored the same samples based on the Specialty Coffee Association of America 'cupping protocol.' In addition, cuppers generated tasting notes to characterize the different coffee samples. Data indicated little overlap between the two methods and a low relationship between the two different sets of terms. Moreover, tasting notes by cuppers indicate lack of agreement on the terms used to describe samples, with only four terms used by more than two assessors to describe a single coffee product out of a total of 59 terms used by the cuppers. The results indicate that the cupping method and sensory descriptive methods provide different information that cannot be used as an alternative to each other when describing coffee products. Instead, the results suggest that the two types of data may be used synergistically to evaluate the quality and the sensory properties to better characterize coffee samples. Practical Applications This research shows that 'expert' coffee cupper data and trained sensory panel data cannot be used interchangeably. Thus, for research purposes sensory panel information is necessary for tracking changes in sensory properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objective: To assess the burden of dengue disease in Colombia and its associated costs. Methods: We estimated the burden of dengue and severe dengue in Colombia for the period 2011 to 2014 on the basis of a dynamic model calibrated against Colombian surveillance data. The model estimated the annual number of dengue and severe dengue cases for those receiving medical care and those who do not. We calculated the average cost of care per patient on the basis of a bottom-up costing of cases, and additional costs were estimated for activities of vector control and other community interventions. Economic information from a sample of local and departmental vector control programs was reviewed. Results: The dynamic model estimated that for 2011 and 2012 there would be 56,998 dengue cases requiring medical attention (22,799 ambulatory and 34,199 hospitalized), 1851 cases of severe dengue, and 205 deaths. The economic analysis, with 2011 data, showed that Colombia would spend between US $52.2 and US $61.0 million for dengue control activities and case management in an average year. Medical management costs would amount to US $16.9 million (CI 95% 15.2–18.5 million), while vector control activities and other community interventions would cost between US $37.08 and US $42.41 million. Conclusions: Dengue infection has an important impact on the health care system budget in Colombia. Most of the economic impact corresponds to community activities directed to prevent vector infestation (68.7%–71.0%), which are expensive and whose effectiveness is controversial. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

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The concept of governance increasingly dominates the discourse on environmental management. The traditional hierarchical mode of governance has, in many locations, been replaced by other modes of governance in which the market, network, or community are dominant (without substituting the role of the state). In this paper we examine the shifts in the relative prominence of governance modes for the management of two wetlands in the city of Bogota. In both cases the hierarchical mode of governance was prominent until the 1990s, when nonstate actors became involved in the manage- ment of the two wetlands. One wetland is characterized by a mix in which the community mode of governance is prominent, whilst in the other wetland the network mode of governance appears prominent. With the shift in predominant governance mode, the sources of legitimacy on which the predominant mode is based also change. In the case of community governance, legitimacy is linked to identity and shared values, whilst in the network mode aspects such as technical expertise and credentials form the basis for legitimacy. We suggest that the difference in the governance trajectories of the two wetlands can be linked to the different characteristics of the neighborhoods surrounding the wetland and the initial nature of their involvement in wetland management. The cases also highlight the importance of the relative power of the actors, which underlie the shift from one predominant mode of governance to another mode, as it impacts their ability to influence decision making. The cases illustrate the changing nature of this relative power in wetland management in Bogota. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A moderate amount of vertical-axis clockwise rotation of the Santa Marta massif (30°) explains as much as 115km of extension (stretching of 1.75) along its trailing edge (Plato-San Jorge basin) and up to 56km of simultaneous shortening with an angular shear of 0.57 along its leading edge (Perijá range). Extensional deformation is recorded in the 260km-wide, fan-shaped Plato-San Jorge basin by a 2–8km thick, shallowing-upward and almost entirely fine-grained, upper Eocene and younger sedimentary sequence. The simultaneous initiation of shortening in the Cesar-Ranchería basin is documented by Mesozoic strata placed on to lower Eocene syntectonic strata (Tabaco Formation and equivalents) along the northwest-verging, shallow dipping (9–12° to the southeast) and discrete Cerrejón thrust. First-order subsidence analysis in the Plato-San Jorge basin is consistent with crustal stretching values between 1.5 and 2, also predicted by the rigid-body rotation of the Santa Marta massif. The model predicts about 100km of right-lateral displacement along the Oca fault and 45km of left-lateral displacement along the Santa Marta–Bucaramanga fault. Clockwise rotation of a rigid Santa Marta massif, and simultaneous Paleogene opening of the Plato-San Jorge basin and emplacement of the Cerrejón thrust sheet would have resulted in the fragmentation of the Cordillera Central–Santa Marta massif province. New U/Pb ages (241±3Ma) on granitoid rocks from industry boreholes in the Plato-San Jorge basin confirm the presence of fragments of a now segmented, Late Permian to Early Triassic age, two-mica, granitic province that once spanned the Santa Marta massif to the northernmost Cordillera Central. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growth rates, maturation sizes and sexual dimorphism in shell morphology (size, globosity and thickness) of Littoraria zebra and L. variegata in a mangrove forest at Malaga Bay (Pacific Coast of Colombia) were studied. The sexes of L. zebra did not show differences in growth rate or maximum size. Minimum sizes at maturity were similar; however, the mean size of mature males was smaller than that of females. Littoraria zebra did not show sexual dimorphism in shell morphology. Females of L. variegata grew almost twice as fast as males, reached larger maximum size and attained sexual maturity at a larger size than males. Females had thinner and more globose shells than males. Littoraria zebra and L. variegata reach sexual maturity at a relatively later stage than other Littorininae species, but they continue growing after maturity. The intersexual pattern of growth, in which males are smaller than females and grow more slowly, is common in Littorininae; however, L. zebra does not seem to follow this pattern. Sexual dimorphism of L. variegata can be explained by the hypothesis of fecundity selection and results from the difference in growth rates. The differences between the two species regarding shell thickness and growth rates are discussed in terms of vertical zonation and predation in the mangrove environment. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

On 8 July 1801, Alexander von Humboldt and Aime Bonpland arrived in Bogota. They were welcomed by a large parade that escorted them from the edges of the city to the house of Jose Celestino Mutis, director of the Royal Botanical Expedition of the New Kingdom of Granada and the first promoter of natural philosophy in this kingdom. This essay explores two main ideas from the perspective of political symbolism. First, the author argues that this magnificent welcome was a sign of respect and admiration for the German scientist, while at the same time serving as an opportunity for New Granada's educated Creoles to publicly call attention to their importance and prestige. Second, the author explores Humboldt's thoughts about the Creoles' social attitudes and the colony's potential emancipation from Spain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]