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Agricultural systems are constantly under environmental pressure, and the continuous rise of the global population requires an increasingly intensification of agronomical productivity. To meet the current global food demand, particularly in depleted ecosystems under adverse climate conditions, the development of novel agronomical practices, which ensure crop productivity while safeguarding minimal impact to the environment, must be encouraged. Since aluminium (Al), cobalt (Co), selenium (Se), silicon (Si) and sodium (Na) are not essential to plant metabolism, their benefits are often neglected or underestimated in agriculture; however, several studies support their advantages in sustainable agriculture when properly employed. The agronomical uses of these elements have been studied in the last decades, delivering important cues for the improvement of food and feed production worldwide due to beneficial effects in plant growth and productivity, nutrient balance, pest and pathogen resistance, water stress management, heavy-metal toxicity alleviation, and postharvest performance. However, their application has not been addressed as part of a holistic conservation strategy that supports the sustainability of agroecosystems. Here, we discuss the potential use of these elements in sustainable agriculture, and the knowledge gaps that hinder their effective integration into agronomical practices, which result in equally profitable applications while supporting environmental sustainability.

Background In patients affected by neurocysticercosis (NCC), the extraparenchymal location of the parasites generates the most severe form of the disease. Due to the difficulty in its diagnosis and management, there are still many questions; in particular, the natural history of parasites at this location is not well known. Methods We included 21 patients with vesicular extraparenchymal NCC who had not received treatment for at least 18 months. We collected their demographic and clinical data, compared their imaging studies at the beginning and the end of the period without treatment and classified the patients, taking into account the evolution of their parasitic burden. Results A total of 10 men and 11 women were included. Patients had undergone a period of 63±48 months without treatment. During this period, 8 patients (38.1%) showed an increase, 7 (33.3%) a decrease and 6 (28.6%) showed no change in parasite burden. Conclusion The natural history of extraparenchymal cysticerci is heterogeneous. The results show the ability of parasites to survive for a long time in the extraparenchymal location and explain the chronicity of the disease in some patients. The links between these findings and the difficulties in the therapeutic management of extraparenchymal NCC patients should be studied.

Extraparenchymal neurocysticercosis is the most severe form of cysticercosis, and response to treatment is suboptimal. We sought to determine how demographic and clinical characteristics and albendazole sulfoxide concentrations were related to cysticidal treatment response. We conducted a longitudinal study of 31 participants with extraparenchymal vesicular parasites who received the same treatment, albendazole 30 mg/kg/day for 10 days with dexamethasone 0.4 mg/kg/day for 13 days, followed by a prednisone taper. Response to treatment was determined by parasite volumes before and 6 months after treatment. Eight participants (25.8%) had a complete treatment response, 16 (51.6%) had a treatment response > 50% but < 100%, and 7 (22.6%) had a treatment response < 50%. Complete treatment response was significantly associated with higher concentrations of albendazole sulfoxide (P = .032), younger age (P = .032), fewer cysts (P = .049) and lower pretreatment parasite volume (P = .037). Higher number of previous cysticidal treatment courses was associated with a noncomplete treatment response (P = .023). Although the large proportion of participants with less than a complete response emphasizes the need to develop more efficacious pharmacologic regimens, the association of albendazole sulfoxide concentrations with treatment response highlights the importance of optimizing existing therapeutic regimens. In addition, the association of treatment response with parasite volume emphasizes the importance of early diagnosis.

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The 48-kDa Babesia caballi merozoite rhoptry protein was expressed using a pGEX4T expression vector in Escherichia coli as glutathione S-transferase fusion protein (GST-BC48), and the expressed GST-BC48 was used in an ELISA to detect specific antibodies in serum samples. No cross-reaction was observed with sera from horses experimentally infected with Babesia equi. GST-BC48 ELISA was a highly sensitive and specific test when compared with the CFT. A total of 209 horse sera obtained from Central Mongolia were examined with the GST-BC48 ELISA and 46.4% (97/209) were found to be seropositive for B. caballi, suggesting that the GST-BC48 ELISA can be successfully used for both quarantine and epidemiological studies.

ResumenIntroducciónLa púrpura trombocitopénica idiopática (PTI) es una de las trombocitopenias más frecuentes en adultos. La esplenectomía corresponde a uno de sus tratamientos de segunda línea en pacientes refractarios a otras terapias médicas.ObjetivoPresentar nuestra primera experiencia en esplenectomía laparoscópica en el servicio de cirugía del Hospital Regional de Arica.Materiales y métodosSe realizó una revisión transversal retrospectiva de pacientes con PTI a quienes se les indicó esplenectomía por falla en el tratamiento médico. Se tabularon los exámenes preoperatorios, plaquetas 24h pre y posquirúrgicas, plaquetas al inicio del estudio (3 meses preoperatorios) y al mes del postoperatorio, complicaciones quirúrgicas y características histopatológicas.ResultadosSe realizaron 5 esplenectomías. El 100% de los pacientes presentaron mejoría a las 24h de postoperados. Al cabo de un mes, solo 3 de 5 pacientes tuvieron una mejoría de su trombocitopenia. No hubo complicaciones mayores como hemoperitoneo o fístulas pancreáticas. Un paciente presentó equimosis en un puerto.ConclusionesLa esplenectomía laparoscópica es una técnica factible de realizar en nuestro centro, con una tasa de complicaciones y resultados comparables con centros de mayor volumen.AbstractIntroductionIdiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is one of the most common acquired thrombocytopenia in adults. Splenectomy is as second line treatment in medical refractory patients.AimThe aim of this study is to present our first initial experience in laparoscopic splenectomy of the surgical department of Arica's local hospital.Materials and methodsThis is a transversal prospective review of patients with ITP which splenectomy was performed due medical treatment failure. Preoperative blood test: platelet count at the beginning of the study, 24h pre op, 24h post op and a month post surgery were tabulated. Postoperative complications and histopathology characteristics were reported.ResultsWe performed 5 splenectomies, 100% of the patients presented a recovery platelet count at 24h postop. In the first month only 3 patients had an improvement of their thrombocytopenia. There were no major complications, like hemoperitoneum or pancreatic leaks, only one patient presented port site ecchymosis.ConclusionsLaparoscopic splenectomy is a feasible technique in our center with a complication rate and outcomes comparable to high volume center.