It has long been recognized that plant invasions may alter carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycles, but the direction and magnitude of such alterations have been rarely quantified. In this study, we ...quantified the effects caused by the invasion of a noxious exotic plant, Kalanchoe daigremontiana (Crassulaceae), on C and N mineralization and enzymatic and microbial activities in the soil of a semiarid locality in Venezuela. We compared soil parameters associated with these processes (C and N mineralization time and the cumulative values, fluorescein diacetate hydrolytic activity, and activities of dehydrogenase, β-glucosidase, glucosaminidase, and urease) between invaded and adjacent non-invaded sites. In addition, correlations among these parameters and the soil physical-chemical properties were also examined to determine if a positive feedback exists between nutrient availability and K. daigremontiana invasion. Overall, our results showed that C mineralization and transformation of organic compounds to NH4+ were favored at sites colonized by K. daigremontiana. With this species, we found the highest cumulative amounts of NH4+-N and C and the lowest mineralization time. These results could be explained by higher activities of urease and glucosaminidase in soils under the influence of K. daigremontiana. In addition, higher amounts of organic matter and moisture content in invaded soils might favor C and N mineralization. In conclusion, invasion of Neotropical semiarid zones by K. daigremontiana may influence the chemical and biological properties of the soils covered by this species, increasing nutrient bioavailability, which, in time, can facilitate the invasion process.
Antecedentes: Las embarazadas infectadas por el virus del papiloma humano presentan condiciones médicas que influyen en el curso de la enfermedad y pueden potenciar la posibilidad de transmisión ...vertical. Objetivo: Identificar los genotipos del virus del papiloma humano más frecuentes en mujeres embarazadas. Método: Estudio retrospectivo, observacional y descriptivo. Se emplearon muestras de raspado cervical. La extracción de material genético se hizo por la técnica de fenol- cloroformo y se amplificó empleando iniciadores universales MY09/MY11. Las muestras positivas se genotipificaron con un kit que detecta 37 genotipos diferentes. Resultados: Se identificaron 341 genotipos. Los más frecuentes fueron 16 (10.3%), 52 (8.8%) y 59 (8.6%). En el 75.9% la detección fue con un genotipo y en el 42.7% se detectaron infecciones múltiples. Conclusiones: Es sabido que la infección por virus del papiloma humano en mujeres embarazadas raramente evolucionará a lesiones invasivas. Se deberán considerar tanto las posibles complicaciones obstétricas a corto y largo plazo, así como las posibles repercusiones en la salud del recién nacido. La detección elevada del genotipo 16 sugiere un seguimiento estrecho para considerar un abordaje óptimo posterior a la gestación.
The raw data showed in this article comes from the published research article entitled “Protective effects of Chlorogenic acid in 3-Nitropropionic acid induced toxicity and genotoxicity” Food Chem ...Toxicol. 2017 May 3. pii: S0278-6915(17)30226-0. DOI:10.1016/j.fct.2017.04.048. 1. Data illustrates antitoxic and antigenotoxic effects of Chlorogenic acid (CGA) on toxicity and genotoxicity produced by the in vivo treatment with mitochondria toxin 3-Nitropropionic acid (3-NP) in mice. Toxicity and genotoxicity was evaluated in erythrocytes of peripheral blood through the micronuclei assay. Data was share at the Elsevier repository under the reference number FCT9033.
ObjectivesDescribe the use and findings of cardiopulmonary imaging-chest X-ray (cX-ray), echocardiography (cEcho), chest CT (cCT), lung ultrasound (LUS), and/or cardiac magnetic resonance imaging ...(cMRI)-in COVID-19 hospitalizations in Latin America (LATAM). BackgroundThere is a lack of information on the images used and their findings during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in LATAM. MethodsMulticenter, prospective, observational study of COVID-19 inpatients, conducted from March to December 2020, from 12 high-complexity centers, in nine LATAM countries. Adults (>18 years) with at least one imaging modality performed, followed from admission until discharge and/or in-hospital death, were included. ResultsWe studied 1,435 hospitalized patients (64% males) with a median age of 58 years classified into three regions: Mexico (Mx), 262; Central America and Caribbean (CAC), 428; and South America (SAm), 745. More frequent comorbidities were overweight/obesity, hypertension, and diabetes. During hospitalization, 58% were admitted to the ICU. The in-hospital mortality was 28%, and it was highest in Mx (37%).The most frequent images performed were cCT (61%), mostly in Mx and SAm, and cX-ray (46%), significant in CAC. The cEcho was carried out in 18%, similarly among regions, and LUS was carried out in 7%, with a higher frequently in Mx. Abnormal findings on the cX-ray were peripheral or basal infiltrates, and in cCT abnormal findings were the ground glass infiltrates, more commonly in Mx. In LUS, interstitial syndrome was the most abnormal finding, predominantly in Mx and CAC.Renal failure was the most prevalent complication (20%), predominant in Mx and SAm. Heart failure developed in 13%, predominant in Mx and CAC. Lung thromboembolism was higher in Mx while myocardial infarction was in CAC.Logistic regression showed associations of abnormal imaging findings and their severity, with comorbidities, complications, and evolution. ConclusionsThe use and findings of cardiopulmonary imaging in LATAM varied between regions and had a great impact on diagnosis and prognosis.
The potential effects of climate change on plant reproductive phenology include asynchronies with pollinators and reductions in plant fitness, leading to extinction and loss of ecosystem function. In ...particular, plant phenology is sensitive to extreme weather events, which are occurring with increasing severity and frequency in recent decades and are linked to anthropogenic climate change and shifts in atmospheric circulation. For 15 plant species in a Venezuelan cloud forest, we documented dramatic changes in monthly flower and fruit community composition over a 35‐year time series, from 1983 to 2017, and these changes were linked directly to higher temperatures, lower precipitation, and decreased soil water availability. The patterns documented here do not mirror trends in temperate zones but corroborate results from the Asian tropics. More intense droughts are predicted to occur in the region, which will cause dramatic changes in flower and fruit availability.
Atrial Fibrillation (AF) is associated with an increased risk of stroke and systemic embolism. Several studies have suggested that female AF patients could have a greater risk for stroke. There is ...scarce information about clinical characteristics and use of antithrombotic therapies in Latin American patients with nonvalvular AF.
To describe the gender differences in clinical characteristics, thromboembolic risk, and antithrombotic therapy of patients with nonvalvular AF recruited in Mexico, an upper middle-income country, into the prospective national CARMEN-AF Registry.
A total of 1423 consecutive patients, with at least one thromboembolic risk factor were enrolled in CARMEN-AF Registry during a three-year period (2014–2017). They were categorized according to Gender.
Overall, 48.6% were women, mean age 70 ± 12 years. Diabetes, smoking, alcoholism, non-ischemic cardiomyopathy, coronary artery disease, and obstructive sleep apnea were higher in men. Most women were found with paroxysmal AF (40.6%), and most men with permanent AF (44.0%). No gender differences were found in the use of vitamin K antagonists (VKA) (30.5% in women vs. 28.0% in men). No gender differences were found in the use of direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC) (33.8% women vs 35.4% men).
CARMEN-AF Registry demonstrates that in Mexico, regardless of gender, a large proportion of patients remain undertreated. No gender differences were found in the use of VKA or DOAC.
Objective
The main goal of this study is to examine the variation in vasoactive agent prescription patterns across a large cohort of patients. In addition, we sought to determine the association ...between the number of vasoactive agents used during admissions and characteristics of admissions utilizing varying numbers of vasoactive agents.
Methods
This was a multi‐institutional, cross‐sectional study of the pediatric health information system database of patients who underwent congenital heart surgery and received vasoactive agents from 2004 to 2015. The international classification of disease‐9 (ICD‐9) codes were used to select admissions to those only pertaining to cardiac patients. The vasoactive agents investigated included epinephrine, norepinephrine, dopamine, dobutamine, milrinone, and vasopressin.
Results
A total of 43 441 postoperative pediatric cardiac admissions were identified and included in the final analyses. Of these, a majority used at least one vasoactive agent at some point during the admissions with the median being three vasoactives. Each vasoactive was utilized with decreasing frequency throughout the study period except for vasopressin which increased in frequency of use. After adjusting for multiple confounding factors, only milrinone was associated with decreased inpatient mortality in any postoperative subset, while the rest of the vasoactive were associated with increased inpatient mortality in some of the postoperative subsets.
Conclusion
Vasoactive agents have decreased in frequency of use in postoperative pediatric cardiac admissions, except for vasopressin. Only milrinone was found to be associated with decreased inpatient mortality in any subset of these patients, while all other vasoactive agents were found to be associated with increased inpatient mortality at least in one of the subsets.
To utilize publicly reported, state-level data to identify factors associated with the frequency of cases, tests, and mortality in the USA.
Retrospective study using publicly reported data collected ...included the number of COVID-19 cases, tests and mortality from March 14th through April 30th. Publicly available state-level data was collected which included: demographics comorbidities, state characteristics and environmental factors. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were performed to identify the significantly associated factors with percent mortality, case and testing frequency. All analyses were state-level analyses and not patient-level analyses.
A total of 1,090,500 COVID-19 cases were reported during the study period. The calculated case and testing frequency were 3332 and 19,193 per 1,000,000 patients. There were 63,642 deaths during this period which resulted in a mortality of 5.8%. Factors including to but not limited to population density (beta coefficient 7.5, p < .01), transportation volume (beta coefficient 0.1, p < .01), tourism index (beta coefficient −0.1, p = .02) and older age (beta coefficient 0.2, p = .01) are associated with case frequency and percent mortality.
There were wide variations in testing and case frequencies of COVID-19 among different states in the US. States with higher population density had a higher case and testing rate. States with larger population of elderly and higher tourism had a higher mortality.
Key messages
There were wide variations in testing and case frequencies of COVID-19 among different states in the USA.
States with higher population density had a higher case and testing rate.
States with larger population of elderly and higher tourism had a higher mortality.
The potential effects of climate change on plant reproductive phenology include asynchronies with pollinators and reductions in plant fitness, leading to extinction and loss of ecosystem function. In ...particular, plant phenology is sensitive to extreme weather events, which are occurring with increasing severity and frequency in recent decades and are linked to anthropogenic climate change and shifts in atmospheric circulation. For 15 plant species in a Venezuelan cloud forest, we documented dramatic changes in monthly flower and fruit community composition over a 35‐year time series, from 1983 to 2017, and these changes were linked directly to higher temperatures, lower precipitation, and decreased soil water availability. The patterns documented here do not mirror trends in temperate zones but corroborate results from the Asian tropics. More intense droughts are predicted to occur in the region, which will cause dramatic changes in flower and fruit availability.
Antarctic studies have indicated that during summer, ice-free areas experience greater temperatures than those along the glacial boundaries. This allows for the availability of liquid water and thus ...influences the biogeochemical processes of Antarctic terrestrial ecosystems. In this study we explore whether the patterns of soil phosphorus cycling differ between the glacial boundary and ice-free areas. To do so, we chose two sites on the Fildes Peninsula in Antarctica, one at the boundary of the Collins Glacier and another within an ice-free area close to Lake Uruguay. In each location, we determined soil phosphorus distribution, iron and aluminum fractions, soil mineralogy, alkaline phosphatase activity, and fluorescein diacetate hydrolysis. The results showed that soils of the ice-free area had a greater content of phosphorus sorbed on iron/aluminum oxyhydroxides and occluded forms. An opposite pattern was obtained for the calcium-bound phosphorus pool. Accordingly, soil samples from the ice-free area showed the greatest levels of iron/ aluminum oxyhydroxides and the presence of secondary minerals such as hematite and the intergrade chlorite-vermiculite-montmorillonite. Alkaline phosphatase activity and the fluorescein diacetate hydrolysis were also favored at the ice-free area. The overall results suggest that the less extreme microclimatic conditions and the presence of liquid water in the ice-free area promote the biogeochemical cycling of soil phosphorus. In a context of climate warming this study may contribute to the comprehension of how the expansion of the ice-free areas due to glacial retreat influences biogeochemical cycling of essential nutrients in the Antarctic Peninsula.
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