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Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is a rare condition following SARS-CoV-2 infection associated with intestinal manifestations. Genetic predisposition, including inborn errors of the OAS-RNAseL pathway, has been reported. We sequenced 154 MIS-C patients and utilized a novel statistical framework of gene burden analysis, burdenMC, which identified an enrichment for rare predicted-deleterious variants in BTNL8 (OR = 4.2, 95% CI: 3.5-5.3, P < 10-6). BTNL8 encodes an intestinal epithelial regulator of Vγ4+γδ T cells implicated in regulating gut homeostasis. Enrichment was exclusive to MIS-C, being absent in patients with COVID-19 or bacterial disease. Using an available functional test for BTNL8, rare variants from a larger cohort of MIS-C patients (n = 835) were tested which identified eight variants in 18 patients (2.2%) with impaired engagement of Vγ4+γδ T cells. Most of these variants were in the B30.2 domain of BTNL8 implicated in sensing epithelial cell status. These findings were associated with altered intestinal permeability, suggesting a possible link between disrupted gut homeostasis and MIS-C-associated enteropathy triggered by SARS-CoV-2.

Brain clocks, which quantify discrepancies between brain age and chronological age, hold promise for understanding brain health and disease. However, the impact of diversity (including geographical, socioeconomic, sociodemographic, sex and neurodegeneration) on the brain-age gap is unknown. We analyzed datasets from 5,306 participants across 15 countries (7 Latin American and Caribbean countries (LAC) and 8 non-LAC countries). Based on higher-order interactions, we developed a brain-age gap deep learning architecture for functional magnetic resonance imaging (2,953) and electroencephalography (2,353). The datasets comprised healthy controls and individuals with mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer disease and behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia. LAC models evidenced older brain ages (functional magnetic resonance imaging: mean directional error = 5.60, root mean square error (r.m.s.e.) = 11.91; electroencephalography: mean directional error = 5.34, r.m.s.e. = 9.82) associated with frontoposterior networks compared with non-LAC models. Structural socioeconomic inequality, pollution and health disparities were influential predictors of increased brain-age gaps, especially in LAC (R² = 0.37, F² = 0.59, r.m.s.e. = 6.9). An ascending brain-age gap from healthy controls to mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer disease was found. In LAC, we observed larger brain-age gaps in females in control and Alzheimer disease groups compared with the respective males. The results were not explained by variations in signal quality, demographics or acquisition methods. These findings provide a quantitative framework capturing the diversity of accelerated brain aging.

Despite showing the greatest primate diversity on the planet, genomic studies on Amazonian primates show very little representation in the literature. With 48 geolocalized high coverage whole genomes from wild uakari monkeys, we present the first population-level study on platyrrhines using whole genome data. In a very restricted range of the Amazon rainforest, eight uakari species (Cacajao genus) have been described and categorized into the bald and black uakari groups, based on phenotypic and ecological differences. Despite a slight habitat overlap, we show that posterior to their split 0.92 Mya, bald and black uakaris have remained independent, without gene flow. Nowadays, these two groups present distinct genetic diversity and group-specific variation linked to pathogens. We propose differing hydrology patterns and effectiveness of geographic barriers have modulated the intra-group connectivity and structure of bald and black uakari populations. With this work we have explored the effects of the Amazon rainforests dynamism on wild primates genetics and increased the representation of platyrrhine genomes, thus opening the door to future research on the complexity and diversity of primate genomics.

Introduction: The objective of this narrative review is to examine the health risks associated with informal mining in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), with a particular focus on HIV prevention. It aims to review existing interventions targeting this population and identify challenges and opportunities for improvement. Methods: A comprehensive literature review was conducted using databases such as Google Scholar, PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Cochrane Library. Studies and reports published between 2000 and 2023 that focused on occupational health risks and HIV prevention interventions in the informal mining sector of SSA were included in the analysis. Results: Informal mining in SSA presents significant health risks to workers, including exposure to hazardous substances, poor working conditions, and limited access to healthcare. These factors, combined with the high prevalence of HIV/AIDS in the region, make informal miners particularly vulnerable to infection. The review identified several key themes related to occupational health risks, such as poor environmental and sanitation conditions, increased vulnerability due to factors like poverty and lack of education, and limited access to healthcare services. A variety of interventions have been implemented to address HIV prevention among informal miners in SSA. These include behavioral strategies like peer education and social marketing campaigns, as well as biomedical interventions such as counseling, testing, and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). However, challenges persist in delivering effective HIV prevention services to this population. These challenges include restricted access to healthcare, the high mobility of miners, limited resources, and stigma associated with HIV. Conclusions: The findings of this review highlight the urgent need for integrated health services and tailored interventions that address the specific issues faced by informal miners in SSA. Community-based and culturally sensitive programs, developed in collaboration with mining communities, are essential for effective HIV prevention. Future research should evaluate the long-term impact of interventions and explore their scalability. To improve intervention effectiveness and sustainability, stakeholders should focus on community engagement, strengthening health systems, and addressing structural barriers. A multi-sectoral approach is necessary to tackle the broader determinants of health in mining communities.

De la corriente de diccionarios burlescos, satíricos, y del uso de la lengua para la confrontación ideológica, política, lingüística y social en el siglo xix, tampoco se libraron los estereotipos sobre hombres y mujeres, que oscilaron entre la crítica mordaz, la visión moralista o tal vez el simple humor basado en el cliché. Contrastamos las ideas vertidas al respecto en dos publicaciones vinculadas entre sí no solo porque la segunda es una réplica a la primera sino porque quizá, pensamos, procedan del mismo autor: El Diccionario filosófico del amor y las mujeres, de Teodoro Guerrero y Pallarés, y la no firmada Cuatro palabritas sueltas, o imitación del Diccionario filosófico del amor y las mujeres por una que ni es literata, ni puede ni quiere serlo. Analizaremos su poco depurada técnica lexicográfica y los procedimientos satírico-burlescos utilizados.

Book review

Objective: Pediatric spondylodiscitis (PSD) is an uncommon condition, for which there are no specific international clinical guidelines. Factors related to complications have not been stablished. Our aim was to describe clinical and epidemiological characteristics of PSD, to analyze factors associated with complications and to evaluate adherence to the recommendations of the Spanish National Consensus Document (NCD) for the diagnostic and therapeutic approach to acute osteoarticular infections. Material and methods: Ambispective, multicenter, national study of two PSD cohorts: historical (2008–2012) and prospective (2015–2020, after publication of NCD).Patients with diagnosis of PSD were included. Demographic, clinical, microbiological and radiological data were recorded. Factors related to the development of complications were analized by logistic regression. Comparisons between both cohorts were performed. Results: Ninety-eight PSD were included. In 84.7%, diagnosis was confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging. Microbiological isolation was obtained in 6.1%, with methicillin-sensitive S. aureus as the main etiologic agent. Complications occurred in 18.9%, the most frequent being soft tissue abscess. Of the 8.6% of patients with sequelae, persistent pain was the most common. Comparing cohorts, there was better adherence to NCD treatment recommendations in the prospective one (57.6% vs. 12.9%, p

Early-life stages play a key role in the dynamics of bipartite life cycle marine fish populations. Difficult to monitor, observations of these stages are often scattered in space and time. While Mediterranean coastlines have often been surveyed, no effort has been made to assemble historical observations. Here we build an exhaustive compilation of dispersal traits for coastal fish species, considering in situ observations and growth models (Di Stefano et al., 2023; https://doi.org/10.17882/91148). Our database contains over 110 000 entries collected from 1993 to 2021 in various subregions. All observations are harmonized to provide information on dates and geolocations of both spawning and settlement, along with pelagic larval durations. When applicable, missing data and associated confidence intervals are reconstructed from dynamic energy budget theory. Statistical analyses allow traits’ variability to be revisited and sampling biases to be revealed across taxa, space and time, hence providing recommendations for future studies and sampling. Comparison of observed and modelled entries provides suggestions to improve the feed of observations into models. Overall, this extensive database is a crucial step to investigate how marine fish populations respond to global changes across environmental gradients.

El objetivo general del estudio consistió en analizar la situación del alfabetismo en América Latina y el Caribe en una realidad de cifras y de políticas públicas implementadas, basándose en datos cuantitativos. La investigación adoptó un paradigma positivista y un diseño no experimental con un nivel descriptivo. La muestra utilizada consistió en estadísticas que reflejaban cifras y tendencias de alfabetismo y analfabetismo en diferentes contextos geográficos, lo que permitió describir y analizar la situación. Para lograrlo, se recopiló una variedad de información teórica y estadística. En un primer análisis, se exploraron los conceptos de alfabetismo, buscando comprender y contextualizar el tema. Además, se examinaron diversos indicadores y tendencias relacionados con el alfabetismo. Entre las principales conclusiones de este estudio se destacan: El alfabetismo es un derecho humano esencial que requiere políticas públicas efectivas para garantizar competencias básicas en lectura y escritura. En el extremo, al marcar un parámetro del 40% en la tasa de alfabetismo, existen países que en promedio tienen una tasa de alfabetismo del 33%, deduciéndose que, la tasa de analfabetismo es del 67%; es decir, de cada 100 personas, 67 son analfabetas. En el caso de América Latina y el Caribe, la tasa de alfabetización fue del 95 % (2022); siendo realidades que implican que los compromisos internacionales asumidos, deben ser revaluados y monitoreados.

Purpose: Highly sensitized patients (HSPs) with kidney failure have limited access to kidney transplantation and poorer post-transplant outcomes. Prioritizing HSPs in kidney allocation systems and expanding the pool of deceased donors available to them has helped to reduce their wait times for transplant and enhanced post-transplant outcomes. The Canadian HSP Program was established by Canadian Blood Services in collaboration with provincial organ donation and transplantation programs throughout the country to increase transplant opportunities for transplant candidates needing very specific matches from deceased kidney donors. Highly sensitized patients in the Canadian Program are defined by a calculated panel-reactive antibody (cPRA) ≥95%. In this report, we describe the evolution and trajectory of the Canadian HSP Program and evaluate the national impact on the first 1000 kidney transplant cases. Source of Information: To allocate deceased donor kidney organs nationally to HSPs and report on the Canadian HSP Program’s performance, Canadian Blood Services developed a national database registry known as the Canadian Transplant Registry (CTR) and an online reporting tool known as the Canadian HSP Program Data Dashboard. Methods: The CTR, which collects HSPs’ data for the purpose of matching potential donors to HSPs and as part of required national quality, safety, and efficiency performance measurements, was retrospectively reviewed. Due to the nature of using deidentified aggregate registry data, a patient consent form was not required. A Research Ethical Board (REB) application was also waived. Key Findings: In this article, we describe the historical development, initial deployment, and evolution of the Canadian HSP Program with a primary aim to increase the rate of deceased donor kidney transplantation. A secondary aim was to evaluate the national impact of the Canadian HSP Program on the first 1000 kidney transplant cases. Transplant candidates who have participated in the Canadian HSP Program and recipients who received transplants were predominantly females (average age 50 years, female 62%) with blood group O (47% of candidates, 42% of transplants). Seventy percent of all active transplant candidates enrolled in the HSP Program were in the hardest to match group (cPRA ≥99%), and only 22% of the transplant candidates with cPRA of 100% have received a transplant to date through the Program. The average times from first participation in the Canadian HSP Program to transplantation for cPRA ≥99% transplant recipients were significantly longer than for cPRA 95% to 98% recipients averaging 22 months versus 6 months, respectively. By the end of June 2024, the Canadian HSP Program had facilitated 1000 transplants, 613 of which were from interprovincial matches. The average (SD) cold ischemic time (CIT) was 14.5 (5.9) hours, with interprovincial transplants exhibiting significantly longer CITs compared with intraprovincial transplants, averaging an additional 4.7 hours. Limitations: Our study limitations include first that it is a retrospective registry data analysis with no available short- and long-term clinical outcomes data at this point (patient and graft survival). Second, given the nature of registry data, not all relevant data may have been captured and reporting may not be complete for all patients. Implications: Examination of CTR registry data showed the Canadian HSP Program had a meaningful impact in enabling 1000 HSPs to access transplantation opportunities that may otherwise be unavailable to them.

El objetivo de esta investigación fue describir de manera cualitativa notas informativas de diarios limeños acerca de la guerra en Ucrania durante el 2022. El método fue observacional, el nivel fue exploratorio. El enfoque fue cualitativo, la variable fue: información de diarios limeños acerca de la guerra en Ucrania durante el 2022. La población es la información de los diarios limeños, que son quince, durante el 2022 acerca de esta guerra; y la muestra es la información de la guerra de Ucrania de los diarios La República y Expreso, el diseño cualitativo fue estudio de caso, el muestreo fue por criterio. La técnica de recolección de datos fue documental y el instrumento fue un conjunto de fichas textuales. El análisis de datos fue de contenido cualitativo, exploratorio y categórico. Como resultados, el presidente ruso Putin ordenó atacar el este de Ucrania como las ciudades de Lugansk y Donestk y el sur de Ucrania como en Odessa y Mariúpol, con misiles, tanques, artillería, soldados y drones. Como consecuencias fueron: daños a infraestructuras ucranianas, más de dos millones de desplazados, miles de civiles y militares muertos, incluyendo niños. Además, potencias europeas y Estados Unidos ayudaron con declaraciones a Ucrania, han prestado y dado a Ucrania decenas de millones de dólares en varias ocasiones y mucho armamento, como resultado, Ucrania mató más de nueve mil soldados rusos y Rusia abandonó Jerson, además se han impuesto sanciones al vodka y el caviar ruso y se ha sancionado a aerolíneas rusas.

Estamos viviendo un verdadero cambio de época. Hemos franqueado el umbral de una nueva etapa de la posmodernidad. Bauman denomina a esta etapa posmodernidad líquida. Su modelo explicativo nos ayuda a comprender la profundidad del cambio que experimentamos y que lleva consigo un nuevo paradigma antropológico. Los hombres y las mujeres de este tiempo que pueden plantearse contraer matrimonio canónico, viven en esta cultura en la que no tiene ningún sentido establecer una relación interpersonal fiel y para siempre. ¿Qué respuesta podemos dar los pastores y los profesiones del derecho canónico a estos serios retos? Las reflexiones que se vierten en este trabajo quieren servir de ayuda para seguir avanzando en la comprensión y la aplicación del derecho canónico matrimonial. Entre otras una concepción de la discreción de juicio que tenga más en cuenta el elemento de la sensibilidad en el consentimiento o una concepción más inculturada del error determinante.

Context: Correcting spelling errors in written content, particularly in Spanish texts, remains a critical challenge in natural language processing (NLP) due to the complexity of word structures and the inefficiency of existing methods when applied to large datasets. Method: This paper introduces a novel neural model inspired by the brain’s cognitive mechanisms for recognizing and correcting misspelled words. Through a deep hierarchical framework with specialized recognition neurons and advanced activation functions, the model is designed to enhance the accuracy and scalability of spelling correction systems. Our approach not only improves error detection but also provides context-aware corrections. Results: The results show that the model achieves an F-measure of 83%, significantly surpassing the 73% accuracy of traditional spell-checkers, marking a substantial advancement in automated spelling correction for the Spanish language. Conclusions: The features of the neural model facilitate spelling correction by emulating the cognitive mechanisms of the human mind. Our model detects more orthographic error types and reports less false positives. As for its limitations, this proposal requires the supervised definition of the weights assigned to the variables used for recognition.

Introducción: la demencia asociada con la enfermedad de Alzheimer (EA) se caracteriza por un deterioro cognitivo y funcional progresivo, conduciendo eventualmente a la muerte. En Colombia, aproximadamente 260?000 personas mayores de 60 años padecen EA. Las opciones terapéuticas incluyen inhibidores de la acetilcolinesterasa (AChE), como donepezilo, galantamina y rivastigmina, que se usan para tratar EA, de leve a moderada. La rivastigmina en parche transdérmico permite una liberación controlada del fármaco durante 24 horas, mejorando la tolerabilidad a dosis más altas. El objetivo de esta investigación fue describir la experiencia y percepción del uso de parches transdérmicos de rivastigmina Exelon® y genéricos en Colombia. Materiales y métodos: estudio de experiencia y percepción del uso de parches transdérmicos de rivastigmina marca Exelon® versus genérico para el manejo de la enfermedad de Alzheimer, divido en dos fases: cuantitativa y cualitativa; como herramienta se utilizó una encuesta con preguntas dicotómicas y escalas tipo Likert respecto a la satisfacción, la preferencia y las propiedades específicas de los parches de rivastigmina en 55 cuidadores y con preguntas de percepción a 5 médicos especialistas y 5 cuidadores. Resultados: la percepción de agrado con los parches transdérmicos de rivastigmina mostró que el 67 % de los cuidadores calificó el parche Exelon® con un alto nivel de satisfacción, en comparación con el 45 % para el parche genérico. Aunque no hubo diferencias estadísticamente significativas en la comodidad y otros atributos, los cuidadores reportaron una mayor satisfacción general y una menor insatisfacción con Exelon® en comparación con el genérico. Además, el 60?% de los cuidadores prefirió Exelon® versus el 38 % sobre el parche genérico, siendo esta diferencia significativa. El análisis cualitativo reveló que Exelon® es percibido como de mayor calidad y eficacia, mientras que los problemas de adhesividad del genérico hacen que el especialista dude de la efectividad del parche. Discusión: a pesar de que Exelon® fue generalmente preferido, ambos tipos de parches mostraron ventajas específicas, lo que sugiere que la selección debe adaptarse a las necesidades individuales de los pacientes. El inicio de otros medicamentos en algunos casos reflejó desafíos en el manejo de síntomas, pero todos los pacientes reportaron mejoras generales tras el cambio al parche Exelon®. Conclusiones: los encuestados presentaron una mayor preferencia por los parches transdérmicos de rivastigmina Exelon® frente a los parches genéricos. La variabilidad en la percepción de comodidad y facilidad de uso indica la necesidad de una selección personalizada del parche.

Thermophilic microorganisms possess several adaptations to thrive in high temperature, which is reflected as biosynthesis of proteins and thermostable molecules, isolation and culture represent a great methodological challenge, therefore High throughput sequencing enables screening of the whole bacterial genome for functional potential, providing rapid and cost-effective information to guide targeted cultures for the identification and characterization of novel natural products. In this study, we isolated two thermophilic bacterial strains corresponding to Bacillus LB7 and Streptomyces LB8, from the microbial mats in the Atacama Desert. By combining genome mining, targeted cultures and biochemical characterization, we aimed to identify their capacity to synthesize bioactive compounds with antimicrobial properties. Additionally, we determined the capability to produce bioactive compounds under controlled in vitro assays and detected by determining their masses by Thin-Layer Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (TLC/MS). Overall, both isolates can produce antimicrobial (e.g., Myxalamide C by-product) and antioxidants (e.g. Dihydroxymandelic Acid, Amide biotine and Flavone by-products) compounds. Bacillus LB7 strain possesses a more diverse repertoire with 51.95% of total metabolites unmatched, while Streptomyces LB8 favors mainly antioxidants, but has over 70% of unclassified compounds, highlighting the necessity to study and elucidate the structure of novel compounds. Based on these results, we postulate that the uncultured or rare cultured thermophiles inhabiting high-altitude hydrothermal ecosystems in the Atacama Desert offer a promising opportunity to the study of novel microbial bioactive compounds.

Computer science is a dynamic field of study that requires constant review and updating of the curricular designs in academic programs--in general, measuring the impact of plan changes has been little explored in the literature. In most cases, it focuses only on structuring its curricula, leaving aside several factors associated with important events or facts such as student dropout, retention, and inclusion. However, these features provide academic institutions with many opportunities to understand student performance and propose more effective preventive/corrective actions to avoid dropouts. This work focuses on the curricular changes' influence on student gender imbalance, socioeconomic provenance, and dropout. Specifically, we employ three different approaches for our analysis: (i) a longitudinal study of four curricula from informatics engineering to computer science transition at San Pablo Catholic University, (ii) an exploratory analysis for identifying essential features that determines the events mentioned above, and (iii) a survival analysis to estimate the probability that a student will stay (not dropout) before graduate, and calculate the average permanence time per curricula. Our analysis shows that the female student rates decreased, student rates from lower socioeconomic provenance increased, and the dropout rates were reduced with updates towards an internationally standardized curriculum. This is even strongly evidenced when the program changes its name. Finally, the set of techniques employed in this work composes a statistical mechanism that can be replicated/adapted to any other program in computer science aiming to extract valuable insights to support the decision-making process in educational institutions.