Chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) concentration is a key parameter to describe water quality in marine and freshwater environments. Nowadays, several products with Chl-a have derived from satellite imagery, but ...they are not available or reliable sometimes for coastal and/or small water bodies. Thus, in the last decade several methods have been described to estimate Chl-a with high-resolution (30 m) satellite imagery, such as Landsat, but a standardized method to estimate Chl-a from Landsat imagery has not been accepted yet. Therefore, this study evaluated the predictive performance of regression models (Simple Linear Regression SLR, Multiple Linear Regression MLR and Generalized Additive Models GAMs) to estimate Chl-a based on Landsat imagery, using in situ Chl-a data collected (synchronized with the overpass of Landsat 8 satellite) and spectral reflectance in the visible light portion (bands 1-4) and near infrared (band 5). These bands were selected because of Chl-a absorbance/reflectance properties in these wavelengths. According to goodness of fit, GAM outperformed SLR and MLR. However, the model validation showed that MLR performed better in predicting log-transformed Chl-a. Thus, MLR, constructed by using four spectral bands (1, 2, 3, and 5), was considered the best method to predict Chl-a. The coefficients of this model suggested that log-transformed Chl-a concentration had a positive linear relationship with bands 1 (coastal/aerosol), 3 (green), and 5 (NIR). On the other hand, band 2 (blue) suggested a negative relationship, which implied high coherence with Chl-a absorbance/reflectance properties measured in the laboratory, indicating that Landsat 8 images could be applied effectively to estimate Chl-a concentrations in coastal environments.
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) can affect the ability to perform complex tasks such as driving. The Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) overlooks cognitive deficits crucial for driving. We investigated ...the relationship between the Multiple Sclerosis Functional Composite (MSFC), which includes cognitive assessment, and EDSS in relation to driving performance. Methods: This exploratory study involved 30 MS patients (mean EDSS 2.4 ± 2.0) and 15 healthy controls. We correlated the results of the EDSS, MSFC, and driving performance tests, namely the Two-Hand Coordination Test (2HAND) and the Speed Anticipation Reaction Test (SART).
Patients did not differ from the healthy controls regarding age, sex, and driving experience. However, they exhibited lower mean Z-scores in MSFC, particularly in motor domains, but not in cognitive function. The mean Z-score for the 25-foot Walk test was −0.42 in patients compared to −0.04 in controls. For the 9-hole Peg Test, it was 0.17 in patients versus 1.47 in controls. Patients had a mean total error time of 19.7 seconds for both hands in the 2HAND test, compared to 7.7 seconds in controls. In MS patients, the MSFC and EDSS significantly correlated with SART and 2HAND components. While upper limb function (9-HPT) did not correlate with 2HAND, cognitive function (PASAT) did correlate with the number of 2HAND errors, indicating that cognitive dysfunction impacts driving performance more than physical dysfunction.
The MSFC may provide valuable insights into the driving abilities of MS patients, potentially offering advantages over the EDSS in predicting driving performance. Further research with larger, more diverse populations across various driving environments is necessary to validate these findings.
•MSFC predicts driving ability better than EDSS in MS patients.•MS patients showed poorer motor driving performance despite similar cognitive scores.•PASAT and 25-foot Walk tests in MSFC correlated with driving performance.
Trichoderma is a genus of cosmopolitan fungi with more than 375 species described today. Despite its global significance in agriculture, ecosystems, and industry, few studies have focused on studying ...the diversity and distribution of this genus in Mexico. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we aimed to understand the diversity and distribution of Trichoderma species in Mexico, both in ecosystems and agroecosystems. For this systematic review, we used the PRISMA methodology. We reviewed forty-one scientific articles, two book chapters, and the GBIF database. We recorded a total of 1082 isolates, revealing the presence of 57 species of the genus Trichoderma in 29 states of Mexico. We found that species from the genus Trichoderma were reported in 20 agroecosystems and 6 ecosystems. T. harzianum was the predominant species in both agricultural and undisturbed soil. Tabasco and Veracruz were the states with the highest species diversity, with 20 and 14 species reported, respectively. Chiapas had the highest diversity indices (Menhinick had 3.20, Simpson had 0.89, and Margalef had 4.16). The coffee crop was the agroecosystem with the highest diversity, with 12 species reported. In the undisturbed ecosystems, tropical rainforests featured 12 different species. This study highlights the distribution of the genus Trichoderma as a cosmopolitan genus. We argue for the importance of the species that comprise the genus and its applications for social benefits.
The presence of the carrier and vector of Pectobacterium carotovorum (Jones) (Enterobacteriaceae) was found in Agave potatorum Zucc. (Asparagaceae) (larvae and adults of Scyphopphorus acupunctatus ...Gyllenhaal Coleoptera: Curculionidae, larvae of Drosophila melanogaster Macquart Diptera: Drosophilidae and Hermetia illucens L. Diptera: Stratiomyidae, and adults of Hololepta sp. Coleoptera: Histeridae) in Oaxaca, Mexico. Entomopathogenic fungi have been used as control methods to prevent the development of bacteria under laboratory conditions. After 5 d of inoculation, all the existing insects in the agave plants exhibited 98% of the countable growth of the bacterium, which led to the determination that the 4 species of insects are carriers and vectors of P. carotovorum. According to the final growth of the bacterium and the entomopathogenic fungi, the Beauveria bassiana (Bals.-Criv.) Vuill. (Cordycipitaceae) (E) strain at a concentration of 1.0 × 104 spores per mL showed a difference of 57.2 mm. For this reason, it was considered the best strain to disable the growth of P. carotovorum.
Despite the growing importance of the regulatory function of B cells in many infectious diseases, their immunosuppressive role remains elusive in chronic Chagas disease (CCD). Here, we studied the ...proportion of different B cell subsets and their capacity to secrete IL-10 ex vivo in peripheral blood from patients with or without CCD cardiomyopathy. First, we immunophenotyped peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients according to the expression of markers CD19, CD24, CD38 and CD27 and we showed an expansion of total B cell and transitional CD24
CD38
B cell subsets in CCD patients with cardiac involvement compared to non-infected donors. Although no differences were observed in the frequency of total IL-10 producing B cells (B10) among the groups, CCD patients with cardiac involvement showed an increased proportion of naïve B10 cells and a tendency to a higher frequency of transitional B10 cells compared to non-infected donors. Our research demonstrates that transitional B cells are greatly expanded in patients with the cardiac form of CCD and these cells retain the ability to secrete IL-10. These findings provide insight into the phenotypic distribution of regulatory B cells in CCD, an important step towards new strategies to prevent cardiomyopathy associated with T. cruzi infection.
Aims
EEC is a rare syndrome characterized by the triad of ectrodactyly, ectodermal dysplasia, and orofacial clefting, along with other clinical manifestations mainly in hair, skin, and teeth. The ...present paper aimed to perform a scoping review to collect the most relevant studies and focused on the diagnosis and oral management of EEC syndrome in the pediatric dental setting. This review also pretended to make recommendations and map the gaps in this clinical topic.
Methods
An exhaustive electronic and manual search was conducted in four databases (PubMed, EMBASE, Google Scholar, and Dentistry & Oral Sciences Source/EBSCO) according to previously established eligibility criteria, using different combinations of keywords, MeSH terms, and Boolean operators. Titles, s, and full‐text articles were screened and selected by precalibrated reviewers. A data charting was also accomplished for summarizing the overview of the evidence.
Results
A total of 37 references were identified, and 32 titles remained after removing duplicates; then, 25 potential full‐text articles were carefully reviewed. Finally, 15 relevant and most informative studies were included. Most studies were single clinical case reports. Only one descriptive retrospective study was detected. None randomized clinical trials or comparative observational studies were found. A medical/dental multidisciplinary approach is needed for the management of EEC syndrome.
Conclusions
Diverse dental specialists must be involved. Pediatric dentists must play a principal role in the prevention and treatment of oral diseases; particularly the preservation of the primary and mixed dentitions, trying to achieve normal orofacial growth.
Chagas disease is caused by the parasite
. In humans, it evolves into a chronic disease, eventually resulting in cardiac, digestive, and/or neurological disorders. In the present study, we ...characterized a novel
antigen named Tc323 (TcCLB.504087.20), recognized by a single-chain monoclonal antibody (scFv 6B6) isolated from the B cells of patients with cardiomyopathy related to chronic Chagas disease. Tc323, a ~323 kDa protein, is an uncharacterized protein showing putative quinoprotein alcohol dehydrogenase-like domains. A computational molecular docking study revealed that the scFv 6B6 binds to an internal domain of Tc323. Immunofluorescence microscopy and Western Blot showed that Tc323 is expressed in the main developmental forms of
, localized intracellularly and exhibiting a membrane-associated pattern. According to phylogenetic analysis, Tc323 is highly conserved throughout evolution in all the lineages of
so far identified, but it is absent in
spp. and
. Most interestingly, only plasma samples from patients infected with
and those with mixed infection with
spp. reacted against Tc323. Collectively, our findings demonstrate that Tc323 is a promising candidate for the differential serodiagnosis of chronic Chagas disease in areas where
and
spp. infections coexist.
In a pilot study, we showed that the intermittent administration of benznidazole in chronic Chagas disease patients resulted in a low rate of treatment suspension and therapeutic failure, as assessed ...by quantitative PCR (qPCR) at the end of treatment. Here, a 3-year posttreatment follow-up study of the same cohort of patients is presented. The treatment scheme consisted of 12 doses of benznidazole at 5 mg/kg of body weight/day in two daily doses every 5 days. Parasite load,
-specific antibodies, and serum chemokine levels were measured prior to treatment and after a median follow-up of 36 months posttreatment by DNA minicircle kinetoplastid and nuclear DNA satellite sequence qPCR methods, conventional serological techniques, a Luminex-based assay with recombinant
proteins, and a cytometric bead array. At the end of follow-up, 14 of 17 (82%) patients had negative qPCR findings, whereas three of 17 (18%) had detectable nonquantifiable findings by at least one of the qPCR techniques. A decline in parasite-specific antibodies at 12 months posttreatment was confirmed by conventional serological tests and the Luminex assays. Monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 levels increased after treatment, whereas monokine induced by gamma interferon levels decreased. New posttreatment electrocardiographic abnormalities were observed in only one patient who had cardiomyopathy prior to treatment. Together, these data strengthen our previous findings by showing that the intermittent administration of benznidazole results in a low rate of treatment suspension, with treatment efficacy comparable to that of a daily dose of 5 mg/kg for 60 days.
There is a clinical need to test new schemes of benznidazole administration that are expected to be at least as effective as the current therapeutic scheme but safer. This study assessed a new scheme ...of benznidazole administration in chronic Chagas disease patients. A pilot study with intermittent doses of benznidazole at 5 mg/kg/day in two daily doses every 5 days for a total of 60 days was designed. The main criterion of response was the comparison of quantitative PCR (qPCR) findings prior to and 1 week after the end of treatment. The safety profile was assessed by the rate of suspensions and severity of adverse effects. Twenty patients were analyzed for safety, while qPCR was tested for 17 of them. The average age was 43 ± 7.9 years; 55% were female. Sixty-five percent of treated subjects showed detectable qPCR results prior to treatment of 1.45 (0.63 to 2.81) and 2.1 (1.18 to 2.78) parasitic equivalents per milliliter of blood (par.eq/ml) for kinetoplastic DNA (kDNA) qPCR and nuclear repetitive sequence satellite DNA (SatDNA) qPCR, respectively. One patient showed detectable PCR at the end of treatment (1/17), corresponding to 6% treatment failure, compared with 11/17 (65%) patients pretreatment (P = 0.01). Adverse effects were present in 10/20 (50%) patients, but in only one case was treatment suspended. Eight patients showed mild adverse effects, whereas moderate reactions with increased liver enzymes were observed in two patients. The main accomplishment of this pilot study is the promising low rate of treatment suspension. Intermittent administration of benznidazole emerges a new potential therapeutic scheme, the efficacy of which should be confirmed by long-term assessment posttreatment.
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant economic impact. Different economic agents have been forced to make temporary or permanent changes to their usual patterns of economic activity. ...In some business sectors, confinement brought activity to a standstill; in others, it led to the spread of teleworking and, in parallel, highlighted, among other aspects, the importance of digital sales channels. In this context, digitalization can be seen as an opportunity (even a necessity) to maintain the level of business activity and to develop new business initiatives. Firms that used digital tools in their pre-pandemic processes were better prepared to face the health and economic crises and could emerge from them earlier than those companies that were less digitized. Drawing on data from
The Future of Business Survey
, this paper analyzes the adoption of digital tools in the wake of the pandemic and examines the relationship between pre- and post-pandemic indicators of business digitization and business performance, as measured by sales and employeees. It also considers the diversity of existing digital platforms and the possible uses of these tools.
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