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Criollo cacao (Theobroma cacao) was cultivated by the Mayas over 1500 years ago. It was originated in Central America and evolved independently from the cacao populations in the Amazon basin.

Novel 1:1 Yttria partially stabilized zirconia (PSZ) - aluminum borate (AB: Al11B4O33) ceramic composites were prepared and characterized by a simple direct sintering process of PSZ-mixtures. Sintering was performed below 1300°C to minimize the decomposition of borate. Phases were corroborated by XRD. SEM permitted to characterize the microstructure as interlocking needles of - rounded by PSZ grains. Porous microstructure configuration was achieved by the proposed processing route. Porosity was within 30% for samples thermally treated at 1200 and 1300°C. Mechanical behavior was evaluated by diametral compression. A fragile behavior was observed. Both strength and apparent Young modulus were evaluated being ≈30 MPa and ≈3 GPa respectively; values four times higher than the corresponding alumina-AB composite. This is more important when firing at higher temperature. The density of the obtained composites coupled with the mechanical behavior are the main characteristics of this novel composite with potential structural, insulating and filtering applications.

In the year 2016, seventeen cultivars of mango (Mangifera indica L.) were collected in local markets and farmers' field of Jipijapa Canton, Ecuador, with the aim of describing and analyzing mango fruits due to their morphological characteristics of sugars (°Brix) and total solids. Collections were carried out by stu-dents and teachers of the Research Methodologies course of the Agricultural Engineering Career, of the Southern State University of Manabí (UNESUM). The fruits were characterized by using 16 qualitative and quantitative variables for fruit and seed recommended by UPOV and IPGRI. The percentage of total solids and Brix grades of each harvested crop were also analyzed in the UNESUM bromatology laboratory. Results showed that in the Jipijapa Canton, Ecuador, there is a great biodiversity of native mangoes, which were not characterized. Fruit shapes, pulp color and variable fiber contents were observed. The length of fruit was 6.33 to 12.50 cm, and the width was 5.27 to 8.50 cm, with a length/width ratio between 0.77 and 1.83 cm. The fruit weight was 63.3 to 500 g. No significant differences were observed in the sugars content (°Brix). Finally, it was observed that the range of consumable pulp was 63 to 94% in native cultivars and 86% to 97% in the improved ones.

Reseña de: Ramón Mª del Valle-Inclán, El Ruedo Ibérico, edición de DiegoMartínez Torrón, Madrid, Cátedra, 2017. ISBN: 9788437635248.

This paper provides the results of the evaluation carried out at the end of the first year of implementation of an integrated municipal scholar-sports project, especially focusing on the satisfaction ratings provided by various stakeholders (students, parents, teachers and monitors). A questionnaire was designed «ad hoc» for each of the four people involved in the development of the program: students, families, teachers and monitors. It was applied in the last two weeks of the program. Data were analyzed with SPSS 15.0. The results show that, overall, the integrated program of scholar-sport has generated very high satisfaction rates in all participating groups. We analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the project on the following aspects: the Friday meetings, use of facilities, attitude and methodology used by the monitors, an approach that is given to exercise regularly (AFD) and information received about the project. Conclusion: The performance evaluation of the program shows a very high satisfaction rate in all the agents involved, although there are some weaknesses that should be improved in the following application

In some countries, summer over-heating is a big problem in a building’s energy balance. Ventilated façades are a useful tool when applied to building design, especially in bioclimatic building design. A ventilated facade is a complex, multi-layer structural solution that enables dry installation of the covering elements. The objective of this paper is to quantify the efficiency improvement in the building thermal when this sort of facade is installed. These improvements are due to convection produced in the air gap of the façade. This convection depends on the air movement inside the gap and the heat transmission in this motion. These quantities are mathematically modelled by Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) techniques using a commercial code: STAR CCM+. The proposed method allows an assessment of the energy potential of the ventilated façade and its capacity for cooling.En muchos países, el calentamiento en los edificios que se da en verano se convierte en una fuente de consumo energético importante. La fachada ventilada se convierte en una herramienta de diseño sostenible, especialmente en diseños preocupados por el bioclimatismo. La fachada ventilada es un sistema de envolvente del edificio basada en la combinación de los paneles cerámicos con la cámara de aire con objeto de favorecer un ahorro energético en condiciones adecuadas, especialmente frente a las necesidades de refrigeración. El objetivo de la presente contribución es cuantificar la contribución a la eficiencia energética en el comportamiento térmico de los edificios cuando se instala este tipo de fachada. Estas mejoras se deben a la convección producida por el movimiento del aire en la capa de la fachada. El movimiento convectivo del aire está ligado al intercambio de calor con los paneles de la fachada. Esta cuantificación se realiza por medio de la Fluido Dinámica Computacional utilizando un código comercial: STAR CCM+. La metodología propuesta permite una estimación del potencial ahorro de uso de fachada ventilada en unas ciertas condiciones, en relación con el enfriamiento del edificio.

Teba hill, located in the Guadalquivir depression (Córdoba, Spain), is one of the most interesting archaeological deposits from the Tartessian period. A number of pre-Roman (pre-colonial, Tartessian and Iberian) remains including some burial structures and a wealth of ceramic pieces have been found on the skirt of the Ategua hill. In this work, have been studied wheel-thrown ceramic pieces from Phases II and III (orientalizing). The mineralogical characteristics, chemical composition and texture of the pieces were used to identify the potential origin of the raw materials used in their production. Some minerals are as well as fossil remains in fact typical of specific environments, so their presence in a ceramic piece can help trace the origin of its components. Elucidating the origin of such materials is a common objective in these studies since accurate information obtained from ceramic pieces and their environment can help one determine whether they are autochthonous or allochthonous.El cerro de Teba situado en la Depresión del Guadalquivir, provincia de Córdoba (España), constituye uno de los yacimientos arqueológicos más interesantes de la época tartésica. En la falda de la colina de Ategua, se han encontrado restos prerromanos (precoloniales, tartesicos e ibéricos) con algunas estructuras de enterramiento y una gran riqueza de piezas cerámicas. Cerámicas de época tartésica hechas a torno (fases II y III “orientalizantes”) son las que se estudian en este trabajo. Se ha estudiado la mineralogía, composición química y la textura de estas piezas para obtener información sobre el posible origen de las materias primas utilizadas en la fabricación de las cerámicas. Algunos minerales así como los restos de fósiles son propios de ciertos ambientes, y su detección en las cerámicas permite abordar el origen de las materias primas con que se elaboraron las piezas. Determinar el origen es siempre uno de los objetivos que se plantea en este tipo de estudios, ya que los datos sobre las piezas y el entorno ayudan a abordar el problema de la autóctonía o aloctonía de las cerámicas.

En clavel es imprescindible el tratamiento poscosecha a base de tiosulfato de plata (STS), para garantizar una mayor longevidad floral; sin embargo, los tratamientos antietilénicos a base del ión plata implican contaminación ambiental. El objetivo de este estudio fue realizar la evaluación de diferentes compuestos en la poscosecha de clavel estándar variedades Nelson, Dream y Delphi, como posibles sustitutos del STS. Para este fin, se utilizaron tratamientos a base de STS, SR-AOA (ácido aminooxacético de liberación lenta) y quitosan. En seguida a la cosecha de los tallos florales se realizó una simulación de viaje con una duración aproximada de 21 días; posteriormente, las flores fueron sometidas a evaluaciones de longevidad, velocidad de apertura, color y consumo de agua. En la evolución de la vida en florero, se observó la misma tendencia para las tres variedades: un primer grupo de mayor longevidad floral, conformado por los tratamientos a base de SR-AOA y STS, con un promedio de durabilidad de 14 a 20 días; y el segundo grupo, de menor longevidad floral, conformado por los tratamientos a base de quitosan, quitosan más ácido cítrico, quitosan más AOA y testigo absoluto, con una duración promedio de 6 a 8 días.

Se aplica un estudio ecológico para analizar la incidencia de tuberculosis en el municipio Marianao de la provincia Ciudad de La Habana de la República de Cuba en el período 1995-2000. Se realiza una caracterización de tal incidencia, se identifican patrones de distribución espacial y se determina la relación existente entre los niveles de incidencia de tuberculosis y factores del medio ambiente socioeconómico. La unidad espacial considerada son los 29 barrios del municipio Marianao. Entre otros resultados se identifica un patrón de barrios con tasas altas en la región central del municipio. Las tasas de incidencia se hallan significativamente asociadas de forma directa con el porcentaje de familias con problemas disfuncionales y con el porcentaje de población con determinados niveles de hacinamiento, y de manera inversa con la densidad poblacional, y no se encuentran significativamente asociadas ni con los niveles de educación, ni con el estado de la vivienda predominantes en el barrio.

La obesidad constituye un problema de salud pública asociado a condiciones que afectan la morbimortalidad. El objetivo de este trabajo fue analizar la prevalencia del exceso de grasa corporal en la población adulta jujeña, localizada a diferentes niveles de altura geográfica, recurriendo a distintos parámetros e indicadores antropométricos de adiposidad. La muestra de 345 individuos de 20-40 años sanos fue seleccionada a través de un método aleatorio en 2 localidades: San Salvador de Jujuy (SSJ) (1259 msnm) y La Quiaca (LAQ) (3442 msnm) en un relevamiento realizado en el año 2010. En base a la Talla (T), Peso (P), Perímetro de la Cintura (PCI) y Perímetro de la Cadera (PCA) se determinaron los índices de Masa Corporal (IMC=P/T2), PCI/PCA y PCI/T y se establecieron prevalencias de exceso de adiposidad. Las variables continuas se compararon mediante ANOVA y las prevalencias con ?2 (SPSS y MEDCALC). Si bien los varones y mujeres de SSJ fueron más altos y pesados que los de LAQ, las diferencias sólo fueron estadísticamente significativas en mujeres. Se observaron diferencias poblacionales no significativas para PCI, PCA e IMC y significativas para PCI/PCA y PCI/T, presentando los varones de LAQ los valores más altos. No se observaron diferencias entre localidades para ninguno de los indicadores de obesidad. Independientemente del indicador utilizado se verificó que un elevado porcentaje de la población presentó un importante exceso de adiposidad. Se observó una alta correlación de todos los indicadores entre sí, especialmente del IMC, PCI, PCA y PCI/T. Las poblaciones jujeñas de altura presentan indicadores de adiposidad elevados, propios de poblaciones sobrealimentadas. Sin embargo, la interpretación de estos resultados debe ahondarse en las características metabólicas y de los hábitos alimentarios de estas poblaciones, aun insuficientemente explorados y comprendidos.

El tacto vaginal es un procedimiento que se utiliza con mucha frecuencia durante la asistencia a la mujer gestante tanto en el periodo del parto como durante el seguimiento del embarazo. La exploración vaginal, es una de las técnicas diagnósticas fundamentales en el comienzo y el progreso del parto. El objetivo de nuestro trabajo es desarrollar un protocolo, teniendo en cuenta las recomendaciones de la evidencia científica, y por otro lado reducir el riesgo de infección intraparto, materna y neonatal. Los beneficios que esperamos obtener con la elaboración de este protocolo son, por un lado, la mejora de la calidad de los cuidados enfermeros en la aplicación del tacto vaginal, y por otro lado la disminución de complicaciones durante la realización del mismo.

Experimental Economists have designed over the years a wide range of scientific experiments that can be usefully employed nowadays as teaching aids. The interactive and participatory nature of such experiments serves as a motivation to students, stimulates their own thinking, and enhances their insights into the forces that drive economic markets: the aggregate interactions of economic agents within a market institution. Economic classroom games have been recognised as useful teaching tools for decades, and they have often produced surprising results and better understanding of market dynamics and institutions. Nowadays the new information technologies can be brought into play to conduct and analyse experimental games in unprecedented ways: using Internet-based tools, the design, execution and analysis of classroom games can be made considerably easier than traditionally. In this paper we introduce LABEXNET, a program designed to conduct Internet-based economic classroom games. LABEXNET is freely available to the academic community.. La Economía Experimental ha desarrollado diferentes experimentos que pueden ser aprovechados como una actividad docente en la enseñanza de la Economía. Su naturaleza activa y participativa motiva a los alumnos y estimula la reflexión y la mejor comprensión de algunos fenómenos económicos como el funcionamiento de los mercados, donde los resultados individuales dependen del conjunto de las decisiones de los agentes y de sus interacciones. Los experimentos económicos tienen ya una larga tradición, y han proporcionado resultados espectaculares y conclusiones ampliamente admitidas sobre la dinámica de mercados y el efecto de las instituciones económicas. Las nuevas tecnologías facilitan la realización y el análisis de estos experimentos. En este artículo presentamos LABEXNET, un programa informático para la realización de experimentos económicos por Internet puesto a libre disposición de la comunidad académica..

El polifiletismo representa un factor importante en el estudio isonímico de las poblaciones latinoamericanas. Debido a que los apellidos no constituyen una variable estrictamente biológica pueden estar sometidos a influencias culturales y al igual que los genes tienen la probabilidad de cambiar o mutar, por ilegitimidad o adopción o por variaciones en la grafía o pronunciación. La identificación de linajes moleculares holándricos específicos del apellido Castilla en españoles ofrece la posibilidad única de examinar la distribución de estos linajes en individuos de poblaciones mestizas latinoamericana portadores de este apellido. Con el objetivo de analizar el origen del apellido Castilla en Argentina, en este trabajo se presenta la metodología seguida para la conformación de una muestra de 35 individuos con este apellido y se discuten los resultados preliminares del estudio de los Y-STRs (DYS19, DYS389I/II, DYS390, DYS391, DYS392, DYS393, DYS385) que se comparan con la variabilidad genética del cromosoma Y encontrada en individuos Castilla repartidos en la geografía española.

La identificación de variantes polimórficas en la parte no recombinante del cromosoma Y ha abierto campos de investigación muy importantes y con una orientación totalmente nueva en el estudio de la variabilidad humana. Este es el caso de los estudios genealógicos. En términos generales, puede suponerse que cuando hay una transmisión patrilineal de los apellidos existe una relación apellido-cromosoma Y. Resulta de gran interés, y en España es un aspecto hasta ahora no contemplado, el establecimiento del grado de concordancia entre la posesión de un determinado apellido en individuos varones y la identidad de haplotipos del cromosoma Y. En concreto, se está llevando a cabo un estudio del apellido Castilla, es decir, se están localizando varones cuyo primer apellido es Castilla y se está realizando a la vez el análisis de su cromosoma Y, para ver en qué grado la identidad de apellidos coincide con la identidad del cromosoma Y. Los resultados pondrán en evidencia la validez de los supuestos previos en que se basan los estudios genéticos a partir de los apellidos, al menos para el apellido elegido, y, también, intentarán establecer los orígenes de los diferentes grupos de “Castillas” repartidos por España, así como las posibles relaciones entre ellos.

Discusses basic aspects of high-speed cell sorting for clinical applications. Types of clinical applications; Instrumentation; Cell sample; Issues for operator and sorted product.

Abstract Background Gestational age and birth weight are the principal determinants of newborn’s health status. Chile, a middle income country traditionally has public policies that promote maternal and child health. The availability of an exhaustive database of live births has allows us to monitor over time indicators of newborns health. Methods This descriptive epidemiological study included all live births in Chile, both singleton and multiple, from 1991 through 2008. Trends in gestational age affected the rate of prevalence (%) of preterm births ( Results Data from an exhaustive register of live births showed that the number of term and postterm births decreased and the number of multiple births increased significantly. Birth weights exceeding 4000 g did not vary. Total preterm births rose from 5.0% to 6.6%, with increases of 28% for the singletons and 31% for multiple births (p for trend The overall rate of low birth weight infants ( Conclusions The gestational age and birth weight of live born child have significantly changed over the past two decades in Chile. Monitoring only overall rates of preterm births and low-birth-weight could provide restricted information of this important problem to public health. Monitoring them by specific categories provides a solid basis for planning interventions to reduce adverse perinatal outcomes. This epidemiological information also showed the need to assess several factors that could contribute to explain these trends, as the demographics changes, medical interventions and the increasing probability of survival of extremely and very preterm child.

Abstract Background Ingestion of fermented foods containing high levels of biogenic amines (BA) can be deleterious to human health. Less obvious is the threat posed by BA producing organisms contained within the food which, in principle, could form BA after ingestion even if the food product itself does not initially contain high BA levels. In this work we have investigated the production of tyramine and putrescine by Lactobacillus brevis IOEB 9809, of wine origin, under simulated gastrointestinal tract (GIT) conditions. Results An in vitro model that simulates the normal physiological conditions in the human digestive tract, as well as Caco-2 epithelial human cell lines, was used to challenge L. brevis IOEB 9809, which produced both tyramine and putrescine under all conditions tested. In the presence of BA precursors and under mild gastric stress, a correlation between enhancement of bacterial survival and a synchronous transcriptional activation of the tyramine and putrescine biosynthetic pathways was detected. High levels of both BA were observed after exposure of the bacterium to Caco-2 cells. Conclusions L. brevis IOEB 9809 can produce tyramine and putrescine under simulated human digestive tract conditions. The results indicate that BA production may be a mechanism that increases bacterial survival under gastric stress.

Con este artículo se ha buscado presentar, de forma breve, los primeros resultados de las excavaciones realizadas en los niveles medievales del yacimiento del Cabezo Pardo (San Isidro-Granja de Rocamora, Alicante). En él, además de contextualizar el conjunto a través de su cultura material, se realiza un primer acercamiento a su particular problemática sobre la evolución de las primeras formas de poblamiento tras la entrada de población islamizada en el SE Peninsular a partir de mediados del s.VIII.

En las dos últimas décadas se ha asistido a un importante avance en el conocimiento de las comunidades neolíticas del territorio de Alicante. A las antiguas noticias proporcionadas por investigadores como José Mª Soler García y a los programas de investigación desarrollados en las comarcas de L’Alcoià y El Comtat en estos últimos años, se añaden ahora toda una serie de nuevos datos que permiten dar cuenta de la existencia de asentamientos en el llano en áreas más meridionales localizados en la comarcas de El Camp d’Alacant, Baix Vinalopó y Bajo Segura, con los que es posible componer un variado cuadro de diversidad locacional, estructural y cronológica comprendido entre el Neolítico y los momentos previos a la Edad del Bronce.

Debido a la buena acogida que tuvo mi libro Verbenaceae en Flora de Venezuela, concebí el proyecto de escribir las Verbenaceae de la Gran Colombia. Después de un trabajo de campo relativamente amplio en Colombia y Ecuador, me di cuenta de que lo proyectado era superior a mi edad y a mis ambiciones. De todo ello sólo quedaron un unas Verbenaceae inéditas, para una Flora Genérica Colombiana, una Lista de Verbenaceae de la Gran Colombia y esta, naturalmente provisional e incompleta, basada en registros hechos hace ya varios años, presentados ahora para corresponder una gentil invitación del Dr. PEDRO M. RUÍZ y destinada al número especial de Caldasia con motivo del 50ª aniversario de la fundación del Instituto de Ciencias Naturales.

ABSTRACT Objective: To establish the frequency of presentation of multiple vertebral fractures and evaluate the relationship between the postsurgical condition and the initial neurological lesion, as well as to report the associated injuries in this group of patients. Methods: We conducted a review of patients with spinal trauma and a diagnosis of multiple vertebral fractures who were admitted to the “Dr. Manuel Dufoo Olvera” Spine Clinic of the Secretary of Health of Mexico City from January 1,2014 to June 30, 2017. The multiple fractures were classified as either contiguous or non-contiguous, according to the number of vertebral bodies and levels affected. The statistical analysis was conducted using formulas of descriptive statistics and the information was then tabulated and graphed to assess the relationship between the anatomical classification and the degree of neurological injury. Results: We observed 530 patients, of whom 47 met the criteria. Thirty-one (65.95%) of the cases corresponded to contiguous fractures and 16 cases (34.05%) to non-contiguous fractures. Fourteen patients (29.78%) with neurological integrity were classified as ASIA D, 20 patients (42.58%) with complete lesion as ASIA A, 7 seven patients (14.89%) as ASIA B, and 6 patients (12.76%) with partial injury as ASIA C. Conclusions: The correlation between the classification of vertebral injuries and the presence of neurological lesion did not show significant differences between contiguous and non-contiguous fractures. Level of Evidence II; Retrospective.

Background: Immunosuppressive therapies as azathioprine (AZA), mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) and rituximab (RTX) are widely prescribed as first-line treatment to prevent relapses in NMOSD. However, the rate of response to these traditional therapies is unknown in Argentina. We aimed to describe and compare treatment failure rates in NMOSD patients included in the Argentinean MS and NMOSD registry (RelevarEM, NCT03375177)., Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted in NMOSD patients included in RelevarEM (a nationwide, longitudinal, observational, non-mandatory registry of MS and NMOSD in Argentina). NMOSD patients were defined based on validate diagnostic criteria. Only NMOSD patients who received AZA or MMF for at least 6 months or RTX for at least 1 month were included. Patients who were receiving AZA, MMF, or RTX and then switched to another 1 of these 3 therapies were included if the above-mentioned criteria for each drug were fulfilled. Data on patient demographics, clinical, neuroradiological findings, and treatments administered were collected. Treatment failure was defined as any new attack/relapse that occurred despite immunosuppressive treatment., Results: We included 139 NMOSD patients who were receiving AZA (n = 105), MMF (n = 5) or RTX (n = 29) with a mean follow-up time of 41.3 ± 11.4 months and median of EDSS at treatment initiation of 3. We observed a reduction in the annualized relapse rate from pre-treatment to post-treatment of 51.1 %, 48.4 %, and 79.1 % respectively with a Hazard Risk relative to RTX (95 % CI) of 1.67 (1.34-3.54, p = 0.01) for AZA and 2.01 (1.86-4.43, p = 0.008) for MMF. AZA, MMF and RTX failure was observed in 45/105 (42.8 %), 2/5 (40 %) and 3/29 (10.3 %) patients, respectively., Conclusions: Treatment failure rates were higher for AZA and MMF than RTX in Argentinean NMOSD patients in a real-world setting. High-efficacy treatment increases the opportunity to prevent attacks of NMOSD., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Tobacco smoking is an important, modifiable, environmental risk factor for multiple sclerosis (MS) with a relevant impact on health-related quality of life (HRQOL). We aimed to assess the use of tobacco in individuals with MS from Latin America (LATAM), and its impact on HRQOL., Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study based on a LATAM web-based survey. Demographics, social and clinical data, information on physical disability, and HRQOL scores were collected using the MS Impact Scale-29 (MSIS-29), the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-Anxiety (HADS-A). Individuals with MS were classified at the time of the survey as follows: never-smokers (ie, patients who reported they had never smoked), past smokers (those who had smoked tobacco but not during the past year), or current smokers. For the analysis, groups were compared., Results: 425 patients (74.6% female) from 17 LATAM countries were included, mean age 43.6 ± 11 years and median Expanded Disability Status Scale score 2. There were 122 (28.7%) current smokers, 178 (41.9%) past smokers, and 125 (30.4%) never-smokers. Current smokers had significantly higher MSIS-29 physical (physical worsening), FSS (fatigue), and HADS-A (anxiety) scores compared with past and never-smokers after being adjusted for covariables. No significant differences were observed in any of the other analyzed demographic, clinical, and therapeutic variables. Thirty percent of the current and past smokers groups had never had their neurologists discuss smoking cessation with them., Conclusions: Individuals with MS who were current smokers had higher fatigue and anxiety scores and worse HRQOL compared with past and never-smokers., (© 2024 Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers.)

We aimed to assess the treatment strategies utilized in patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) experiencing relapses, including their frequency, types, and response after 6 months based on the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score., Methods: We conducted a retrospective study involving NMOSD patients from the Argentinean MS and NMOSD registry (RelevarEM, NCT03375177). Treatment response at 6 months was categorized as "good" if the EDSS score decreased by ≥1 point after a nadir EDSS score ≤ 3, or by ≥2 points after a nadir EDSS score > 3, "poor" if the EDSS score decrease was slighter, and as "absent" if the EDSS score remained unchanged or worsened., Results: We included 120 NMOSD patients (seropositive N = 75), who experienced 250 NMOSD-related relapses and received 248 treatments. At 6 months, complete recovery was achieved in 70/98 (71.4%) and 15/19 (79%) patients, respectively. Predictors of a "good" response in our regression model were a younger age at disease onset (OR:3.54, CI95% 2.45-5.01, p < 0.0001) and a short delay from onset of relapse to treatment initiation (OR:1.56, CI95% 1.22-2.13, p = 0.004)., Conclusions: Approximately two-thirds of patients experienced complete recovery, and younger age and a short delay to start treatment were independent predictors of a "good" response., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declared no potential conflict of interest with respect to this research, authorship, and/or publication of this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Downstream-of-gene (DoG) transcripts are an emerging class of noncoding RNAs. However, it remains largely unknown how DoG RNA production is regulated and whether alterations in DoG RNA signatures exist in major cancers. Here, through transcriptomic analyses of matched tumors and nonneoplastic tissues and cancer cell lines, we reveal a comprehensive catalog of DoG RNA signatures. Through separate lines of evidence, we support the biological importance of DoG RNAs in carcinogenesis. First, we show tissue-specific and stage-specific differential expression of DoG RNAs in tumors versus paired normal tissues with their respective host genes involved in tumor-promoting versus tumor-suppressor pathways. Second, we identify that differential DoG RNA expression is associated with poor patient survival. Third, we identify that DoG RNA induction is a consequence of treating colon cancer cells with the topoisomerase I (TOP1) poison camptothecin and following TOP1 depletion. Our results underlie the significance of DoG RNAs and TOP1-dependent regulation of DoG RNAs in diversifying and modulating the cancer transcriptome.

Objective: The aim was to evaluate patient profiles, effectiveness and safety of cladribine (CLAD) in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis in Argentina., Methods: This was a substudy included in RelevarEM (MS and neuromyelitis optica registry in Argentina, NCT03375177). Patients with MS who received CLAD tablets and were followed up for at least 24 months were included. Clinical evaluations every 3 months collect information about: a) clinical relapses; b) progression of physical disability, evaluated through Expanded Disability Status Scale, and c) new lesions found in the magnetic resonance imaging. Lymphopenia was evaluated during the follow-up and defined as grade 1: absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) 800-999/μL; grade 2: ALC 500-799/μL; grade 3: ALC 200-499/μL and grade 4: ALC <200/μL., Results: A total of 240 patients were included from 19 centers from Argentina. The mean annualized relapse rate during the 12-month pre-CLAD initiation was 1.19 ± 0.56 versus 0.22 ± 0.18 at month 12 and 0.19 ± 0.15 at month 24 ( P < 0.001). A total of 142 (59.2%) fulfilled the criteria of disease activity during the 12 months before treatment initiation, whereas 27 (11.3%) fulfilled it at month 12 and 38 (15.8%) at month 24, P < 0.001. Regarding no evidence of disease activity (NEDA), 202 (84.2%) patients achieved NEDA status at month 12 and 185 (77%) at month 24. The most frequent incidence density of lymphopenia for course 2 observed was also for grade 1, 6.1 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 5.5-7.1). The overall incidence density of lymphopenia grade 4 was 0.1 (95% CI = 0.06-0.19)., Conclusion: This information will help when choosing the best treatment option for Argentinean patients., (Copyright © 2024 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Knowledge of the safety and efficacy of disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) in older patients with Multiple Sclerosis (pwMS) is limited due to their exclusion from clinical trials. Our purpose is to evaluate the choice of DMTs in pwMS older than 50 years old in a real-world setting., Methods: Cross-sectional study of pwMS from the Argentine MS and NMOSD Registry. We included patients under 35 and above 50 years old prescribed DMTs. Disease activity was categorized as highly active (HA) or not highly active (NHA), and DMTs were classified as low efficacy therapies (LET) or high efficacy therapies (HET)., Results: 1460 patients (65% females) were enrolled. The HA group comprised 241 patients, 198 young (82.2%) and 43 older (17.8%). The NHA group included 1219 patients, 893 young (73%) and 326 older (27%). In the NHA group, older patients received LET more frequently than younger patients (66% versus 44%; p < 0.01). In the HA group, older patients received LET in 61% of cases, whereas younger patients received HET in 71% (p = 0.01)., Conclusion: The study shows the preference of LET in older patients regardless of disease activity. However it does not demonstrate a difference in disability in older patients based on low vs high efficacy DMTs used, probably due to the design of the study. Further longitudinal studies are warranted to address this issue., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Completion of a COVID-19 vaccination series during pregnancy effectively reduces COVID-19 hospitalization among infants less than 6 months of age. The dynamics of transplacental transfer of maternal vaccine-induced antibodies, and their persistence in infants at 2, 6, 9, and 12 months, have implications for new vaccine development and optimal timing of vaccine administration in pregnancy. We evaluated anti-COVID antibody IgG subclass, Fc-receptor binding profile, and activity against wild-type Spike and RBD plus five variants of concern (VOCs) in 153 serum samples from 100 infants. Maternal IgG1 and IgG3 responses persisted in 2- and 6-month infants to a greater extent than the other IgG subclasses, with high persistence of antibodies binding placental neonatal Fc-receptor and FcγR3A. Lowest persistence was observed against the Omicron RBD-specific region. Maternal vaccine timing, placental Fc-receptor binding capabilities, antibody subclass, fetal sex, and VOC all impact the persistence of antibodies in infants through 12 months of age., Competing Interests: The opinions expressed in this paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp. K.J.G. has consulted for Illumina, BillionToOne, and Aetion outside the scope of the submitted work. A.G.E. and M.A.E. serve as medical advisors for Mirvie. M.A.E. has equity in Mirvie outside the submitted work. B.D.J. is a part time employee of Leyden Laboratories B.V., Netherlands. B.D.J.’s immediate family member, Galit Alter, is a co-founder of SeromYx Systems, Inc., and has a patent on Systems Serology Platform pending., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Background: We aimed to assess the frequency of new asymptomatic lesions on brain and spinal imaging (magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)) and their association with subsequent relapses in a large cohort of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) patients in Argentina., Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 675 MRI (225 performed during an attack and 450 during the relapse-free period (performed at least 3 months from the last attack)) of NMOSD patients who had at least 2 years of clinical and MRI follow-up since disease onset. Kaplan-Meier (KM) curves were used for depicting time from remission MRI to subsequent relapse., Results: We included 135 NMOSD patients (64.4% were aquaporin-4-immunoglobulin G (AQP4-IgG)-positive). We found that 26 (19.26%) and 66 (48.88%) of patients experienced at least one new asymptomatic MRI lesion during both the relapse-free period and attacks, respectively. The most frequent asymptomatic MRI lesions were optic nerves followed by short-segment myelitis during the relapse-free period and attacks. KM curves did not show differences in the time taken to develop a new relapse., Conclusion: Our findings showed that new asymptomatic lesions are relatively frequent. However, the presence of new asymptomatic MRI lesions during the relapse-free period and at relapses was not associated with a shorter time to developing subsequent relapses.

Background: Information on performance of multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnostic criteria is scarce for populations from Latin America, Asia, or the Caribbean., Objective: To assess performance of revised 2017 McDonald criteria as well as evaluate genetic ancestry in a group of MS patients from Argentina experiencing a debut demyelinating event., Methods: Demographic and clinical characteristics, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings and new T2 lesions were recorded at baseline and during relapses. Diagnostic accuracy in predicting conversion to clinically defined MS (CDMS) based on initial imaging applying revised 2017 criteria was evaluated and genetic ancestry-informative markers analyzed., Results: Of 201 patients experiencing their first demyelinating event (median follow-up 60 months), CDMS was confirmed in 67. We found 2017 diagnostic criteria were more sensitive (84% vs 67%) and less specific (14% vs 33%) than 2010 criteria, especially in a group of patients revised separately, presenting positive oligoclonal bands (88% vs 8%). Genetic testing performed in 128 cases showed 72% of patients were of European ancestry and 27% presented genetic admixture., Conclusion: 2017 McDonald criteria showed higher sensitivity and lower specificity compared with 2010 criteria, shortening both time-to-diagnosis and time-to-treatment implementation.

The objective was to evaluate time to reach an EDSS of 4, 6, and 7 in NMOSD and MOGAD patients included in the Argentinean MS and NMOSD registry (RelevarEM, NCT 03,375,177)., Methods: NMOSD patients diagnosed according to 2015 criteria and with MOGAD were identified. Patients with at least 3 years of follow-up and periodic clinical evaluations with EDSS outcomes were included. AQP4-antibody and MOG-antibody status was recorded, and patients were stratified as seropositive and seronegative for AQP4-antibody. EDSS of 4, 6, and 7 were defined as dependent variables. Log rank test was used to identify differences between groups., Results: Registry data was provided for a total of 137 patients. Of these, seventy-five presented AQP4-ab-positive NMOSD, 45 AQP4-ab-negative NMOSD, and 11 MOGAD. AQP4-ab status was determined by cell-based assay (CBA) in 72% of NMOSD patients. MOG-ab status was tested by CBA in all cases. Mean time to EDSS of 4 was 53.6 ± 24.5 vs. 63.1 ± 32.2 vs. 44.7 ± 32 months in seropositive, seronegative NMOSD, and MOGAD, respectively (p = 0.76). Mean time to EDSS of 6 was 79.2 ± 44.3 vs. 75.7 ± 48.6 vs. 54.7 ± 50 months in seropositive, seronegative NMOSD, and MOGAD (p = 0.23), while mean time to EDSS of 7 was 86.8 ± 54 vs. 80.4 ± 51 vs. 58.5 ± 47 months in seropositive, seronegative NMOSD, and MOGAD (p = 0.39)., Conclusion: No differences were observed between NMOSD (seropositive and seronegative) and MOGAD in survival curves., (© 2022. Fondazione Società Italiana di Neurologia.)

The COVID-19 pandemic has demanded governments and diverse organizations to work on strategies to prepare and help communities. Increasing recognition of the importance of identifying vulnerable populations has raised a demand for better tools. One of these tools is the Social Vulnerability Index (SVI). The SVI was created in 2011 to identify and plan assistance for socially vulnerable populations during hazardous events, by providing disaster management personnel information to target specific areas. We aimed to evaluate and determine the social vulnerability in different provinces and districts of Peru in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic using an adapted version of the SVI index. Ecological, observational, and cross-sectional study was conducted. We adapted the SVI and collected indicators related to COVID-19. We organized and analyzed the population data of the 196 provinces of Peru, using data from government institutions. We found a distribution of high and very high SVI in the mountainous areas of Peru. High and very high social vulnerability indexes, due to the presence of some or all the variables were predominantly distributed in the provinces located in the southern and highlands of the country. The association between mortality rate and social SVI-COVID19 was inverse, the higher the vulnerability, the lower the mortality. Our results identify that the provinces with high and very high vulnerability indexes are mostly located in rural areas nearby the Andes Mountains, not having a direct correlation with COVID-19 mortality., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2022 Zegarra Zamalloa et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Objectives: The objective of this study was to determine by a conjoint analysis the preferences for a range of disease-modifying treatment attributes in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and treating neurologists., Methods: This was a cross-sectional study throughout Argentina between August 2020 and February 2021. Participating patients were adults with relapsing-remitting MS, who had received a long-term specific disease-modifying treatment for at least the past 3 months and their treating neurologist. Patients and neurologist were sampled from the Argentinean MS patient registry (RelevarEM). We applied the methodology of conjoint analysis. Patient preferences for hypothetical treatment were collected from the overall sample and from stratified subgroups according to the expanded disability status scale (EDSS) score. An ordinary least squares regression model was used to estimate parameters., Results: A total of 275 patients from 25 centers (31 principal investigators) were included, mean age was 43.2 ± 10.9 years, 59.6% were female, and mean EDSS was 3.1 ± 2. For the entire sample, we observed that patients had higher preferences for treatments with lower side effect risks (28.7 relative preference [RP]), lower frequency of administration (21.4 RP), and higher impact on relapses (19.6 RP). Patients with a higher EDSS give significantly greater importance to a less frequent administration regime and the oral route than patients with a lower EDSS (23.5 RP vs 20.1 [P =.02] and 17.1 vs 15.3 [P =.03], respectively). For neurologists, the most important attribute was to prevent disease progression (RP 29.3)., Conclusion: Our study contributes to the understanding of treatment selection preferences from the perspectives of both patient and neurologists., (Copyright © 2022 International Society for Health Economics and Outcomes Research. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Escalation (ES) and early high-efficacy (EHE) therapies have been the main treatment strategies adopted in multiple sclerosis (MS) in recent years. The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness and safety of EHE versus ES strategies in MS patients from Argentina., Methods: This is a retrospective multicenter cohort study in Argentina. Eligible patients were categorized into 2 groups as follows: EHE if received natalizumab, ocrelizumab, rituximab, alemtuzumab, mitoxantrone, or cladribine; and ES if received interferon β, glatiramer acetate, teriflunomide, dimethyl fumarate, or fingolimod as initial therapy. The primary outcome was confirmed disability progression (Expanded Disability Status Scale [EDSS] increase). Additional outcomes included the proportion of patients and time to: EDSS 6; new relapses; new T2-magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) lesions; no evidence of disease activity; and specific adverse events. Propensity score-based nearest-neighbor matching (without replacement) was applied to homogenize the sample, and Cox regression model stratified by matched pairs was used for the analysis., Results: After propensity score matching, 193 and 112 patients were retained in the ES and EHE groups, respectively. The EHE significantly decreased the risk of EDSS progression (hazard ratio [HR], 0.62; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 0.40-0.98; P = 0.04), relapses (HR, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.49-0.89; P = 0.006), and new MRI activity during follow-up (HR, 0.55; 95% CI, 0.40-0.75; P < 0.001). No significant differences were observed in specific adverse events between groups., Conclusions: Our study shows that EHE therapies prevent disease progression, relapses, and new MRI lesions and demonstrated no increased risk of specific adverse events when compared with ES therapy. These data should be considered when selecting a specific treatment for MS patients., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest and Source of Funding: E.C. has received fees for consultations as a scientific advisory board member and for travel to meetings, conferences, and clinical trials of the following companies: Avanir, Bayer, Biogen, Merck, Novartis, Roche, and Teva. J.I.R. has received honoraria from Novartis as a scientific advisor. He has received travel grants and attended courses and conferences on behalf of Merck Serono Argentina and Novartis Argentina. L.P. has received honoraria for scientific and research grants from Teva Tuteur, Merck Serono, Biogen Idec, and Bayer Schering. N.D. has received honoraria from Bayer, Genzyme, and Merck as a scientific advisor. She has received honoraria from Bayer, Merck, and Genzyme for scientific lectures and has participated as a principal investigator in studies from Bayer, Teva-Tuteur, Novartis, Genzyme, Biogen, Sanofi, Teva, Roche, and Merck. E.C.C., P.A.L. J.P.P., and A.C. have received personal compensation for consulting, serving on a scientific advisory board, speaking, and other activities with Biogen Idec, Genzyme, Merck Serono, Novartis, Teva, Roche, and Bayer. R.A. and O.G. have received personal compensation for consulting, serving on a scientific advisory board, speaking, and other activities from Biogen, Merck Serono, Novartis, Sanofi-Genzyme, and Roche., (Copyright © 2022 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: The "1/3″ brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) criteria including 1) a lesion adjacent to the lateral ventricle and in the inferior temporal lobe, or 2) a juxtacortical lesion, or 3) a Dawson finger-type lesion were shown to distinguish multiple sclerosis (MS) from antibody-mediated conditions. In this large multicentre study, we aimed to assess how the criteria perform 1) in different onset phenotypes, 2) distinct ethnic groups, 3) when the absence of myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody (MOG-Ab)-associated disease (MOGAD)-typical fluffy infratentorial (FIT) lesions and longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis (LETM) lesions are added as features ("2/4″ and 3/5″ criteria, respectively)., Methods: 577 patients with MS (n = 332), aquaporin-4 antibody (AQP4-Ab) neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) (n = 196) and MOGAD (n = 49) were recruited from 6 international centres (Buenos Aires, Sao Paolo, Maracaibo, Goyang, Oxford and Milan). Imaging scans were obtained at disease onset or relapse., Results: Adding the absence of FIT lesions increased the specificity of the "1/3″ criteria vs. AQP4-Ab NMOSD from 84.7% to 87.2% and vs. MOGAD from 85.7% to 93.9% without compromising their sensitivity (86%). In particular, for those presenting with brain/brainstem attacks "2/4″ had significantly higher specificity than "1/3″ (85% vs. 80% against AQP4-Ab NMOSD, 88.9% vs. 72.2% against MOGAD). Positive predictive values of the "1/3″ criteria for MS were lowest for Asian patients (84.8 vs. 99.1% for White) but were significantly increased by adding further criteria (94.1% for "3/5″)., Conclusion: The "1/3″ criteria perform well in discriminating MS from NMOSD and MOGAD regardless of ethnic background and clinical scenario. Adding the absence of FIT lesions increases the specificity in those presenting with brain/brainstem symptoms., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)