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To determine the prevalence rates and serovar distribution of Chlamydia trachomatis cervical infections in Cuban women, two different groups were selected. Group I consisted of 60 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) seropositive women from different regions of Cuba and group II of 60 randomly selected women HIV seronegative and apparently healthy. C. trachomatis was detected in cervical scrapes by mean of nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) specific for major out membrane protein. The overall prevalence rate of C. trachomatis in cervical scrapes determined by nested PCR was 10% in group I and the estimated prevalence was 6.6% for group II; 83.3% of HIV seropositive women with C. trachomatis infection reported history of pelvic inflammatory disease followed by cervicitis (50%). The control group C. trachomatis-infected women referred a history of cervicitis in 75% of cases. Other reports in the latter group included infertility and pelvic inflamatory disease in 50%. The present study is the first report of C. trachomatis prevalence in Cuba. It showed that there was not significantly difference in the prevalence rate of C. trachomatis between both groups.

The 'sacred leaf' or "Hoja Santa" (Piper auritum Kunth) has a great value for Mexican culture and has gained popularity worldwide for its excellent properties from culinary to remedies. To contribute to its heritage, in this project we proposed the green synthesis of silver oxide nanoparticles (Ag2O NPs) using an extract of "Hoja Santa" (Piper auritum) as a reducing and stabilizing agent. The synthesized Ag2O NPs were characterized by UV–Visible spectroscopy (plasmon located at 405 nm), X-ray diffraction (XRD) (particle size diameter of 10 nm), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) (particle size diameter of 13.62 ± 4.61 nm), and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) (functional groups from "Hoja Santa" attached to nanoparticles). Antioxidant capacity was evaluated using DPPH, ABTS and FRAP methods. Furthermore, the antimicrobial activity of NPs against a panel of clinically relevant bacterial strains, including both Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram-negative bacteria (Salmonella Enteritidis and Escherichia coli O157:H7), was over 90% at concentrations of 200 µg/mL. Additionally, we assessed the antibiofilm activity of the NPs against Pseudomonas aeruginosa (reaching 98% of biofilm destruction at 800 µg/mL), as biofilm formation plays a crucial role in bacterial resistance and chronic infections. Moreover, we investigated the impact of Ag2O NPs on immune cell viability, respiratory burst, and phagocytic activity to understand their effects on the immune system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To examine effects of a 10-week after-school physical activity (PA) program on academic performance of 6- to 12-year-old African American children with behavior problems. Methods: Participants were randomized to PA (n = 19) or sedentary attention control (n = 16) programs. Academic records, curriculum-based measures, and classroom observations were obtained at baseline, postintervention, and/or follow-up. Mixed models tested group × time interactions on academic records and curriculum-based measures. One-way analysis of variance or Kruskal–Wallis tested for differences in postintervention classroom observations. Results: Intent-to-treat analyses demonstrated a moderate effect within groups from baseline to postintervention on disciplinary referrals (PA: d = −0.47; attention control: d = −0.36) and a null moderate effect on academic assessments (PA: d = 0.11 to 0.36; attention control: d = 0.05 to 0.40). No significant group × time interactions emerged on direct academic assessments (all Ps ≥.05, d = −0.23 to 0.26) or academic records (all Ps ≥.05, d = −0.28 to 0.16). Classroom observations revealed that intervention participants were off-task due to moving at twice the rate of comparative classmates (F = 15.74, P <.001) and were off-task due to talking 33% more often (F = 1.39, P =.257). Conclusion: Academic outcome improvements were small within and between groups and did not sustain at follow-up. Academic benefits of after-school PA programs for children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and/or disruptive behavior disorders were smaller than neurobiological, behavioral, and cognitive outcomes as previously reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The wild relatives of rice hold unexplored genetic diversity that can be employed to feed an estimated population of 10 billion by 2050. The Oryza Map Alignment Project (O MAP) initiated in 2003 has provided comprehensive genomic resources for comparative, evolutionary, and functional characterization of the wild relatives of rice, facilitating the cloning of >600 rice genes, including those for grain width (GW5) and submergence tolerance (SUB1A). Following in the footsteps of the original project, the goal of 'I O MAP: the Americas' is to investigate the present and historic genetic diversity of wild Oryza species endemic to the Americas through the sequencing of herbaria and in situ specimens. The generation of a large diversity panel describing past and current genetic status and potential erosion of genetic variation in the populations will provide useful knowledge for the conservation of the biodiversity in these species. The wild relatives of rice in the Americas present a wide range of resistance traits useful for crop improvement and neodomestication approaches. In the race against time for a sustainable food future, the neodomestication of the first cereal species recently accomplished in O. alta opens the door to the potential neodomestication of the other wild Oryza species in Americas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]