First report of Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) in the North of Colombia.

Aedes albopictus is considered a potential vector of arboviruses in Colombia. Females and males naturally infected with dengue, Zika and chikungunya viruses have already been found in this country. We document the first record of Ae. albopictus in the Cordoba department, in North of Colombia. The finding was carried out during Ae. aegypti collection activities in the Ayapel, Montelibano, Planeta Rica, Pueblo Nuevo and Puerto Libertador municipalities. The entomological material was collected in water containers such as cement water tanks, tanks, bottles, tires, abandoned toilets, and plastic lids with natural water located in the intradomicile, peridomicile, and extra-domicile spaces of the homes. We collected 658 Ae. albopictus samples in the larva and pupa stages, and once these reached adulthood, we determined that 389 were female and 269 were male. This is the first record of the presence of Ae. albopictus in the Cordoba department.

First report of Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) in the North of Colombia

ABSTRACT Aedes albopictus is considered a potential vector of arboviruses in Colombia. Females and males naturally infected with dengue, Zika and chikungunya viruses have already been found in this country. We document the first record of Ae. albopictus in the Cordoba department, in North of Colombia. The finding was carried out during Ae. aegypti collection activities in the Ayapel, Montelibano, Planeta Rica, Pueblo Nuevo and Puerto Libertador municipalities. The entomological material was collected in water containers such as cement water tanks, tanks, bottles, tires, abandoned toilets, and plastic lids with natural water located in the intradomicile, peridomicile, and extra-domicile spaces of the homes. We collected 658 Ae. albopictus samples in the larva and pupa stages, and once these reached adulthood, we determined that 389 were female and 269 were male. This is the first record of the presence of Ae. albopictus in the Cordoba department.

Development and validation of an equation to predict total energy expenditure in a sample of Mexican adults

Our aim was to develop and validate an equation to predict total energy expenditure (TEE) based on anthropometric measurements and physical activity questionnaires that can be applied among non-institutionalized Mexican adults. To meet this aim, a validation study was conducted with a sample of Mexican adults (n=115, 37% men) that were randomly divided into two groups to develop and validate new equations to estimate TEE. TEE was measured by indirect calorimetry and heart rate monitoring for at least three days. These measurements were considered as the reference method. The predictors of TEE were age, sex, fat and fatfreemass, body weight and physical activity level (PAL), which was assessed with two questions. The accuracy of factorial methods (e.g. FAO/WHO or Ainsworth’s metabolic equivalents list) and empirical equations to estimate TEE was compared. Multiple linear regression and Intra-class correlation coefficients were estimate as agreement measurement. The equation developed is as follows: TEE (kcal / d) = 1331.712 - (686.344 x sex, men: 1, women: 2) + (18,051 x body weight, kg) - (16.020 x age, years) + (894.007 x PAL). The accuracy of the equation was modest in the development (R2 = 54.4, standard error = 511.3) and validation (R2 = 59.2, standard error = 372.8) samples. However, this equation had higher accuracy than factorial methods or empirical equations. The equation was developed to estimate the TEE of Mexican adults, which can be used as a general guide to provide nutritional counselling. (AU)

Orthotopic Bone Regeneration within 3D Printed Bioceramic Scaffolds with Region-Dependent Porosity Gradients in an Equine Model.

The clinical translation of three-dimensionally printed bioceramic scaffolds with tailored architectures holds great promise toward the regeneration of bone to heal critical-size defects. Herein, the long-term in vivo performance of printed hydrogel-ceramic composites made of methacrylated-oligocaprolactone-poloxamer and low-temperature self-setting calcium-phosphates is assessed in a large animal model. Scaffolds printed with different internal architectures, displaying either a designed porosity gradient or a constant pore distribution, are implanted in equine tuber coxae critical size defects. Bone ingrowth is challenged and facilitated only from one direction via encasing the bioceramic in a polycaprolactone shell. After 7 months, total new bone volume and scaffold degradation are significantly greater in structures with constant porosity. Interestingly, gradient scaffolds show lower extent of remodeling and regeneration even in areas having the same porosity as the constant scaffolds. Low regeneration in distal regions from the interface with native bone impairs ossification in proximal regions of the construct, suggesting that anisotropic architectures modulate the cross-talk between distant cells within critical-size defects. The study provides key information on how engineered architectural patterns impact osteoregeneration in vivo, and also indicates the equine tuber coxae as promising orthotopic model for studying materials stimulating bone formation.

Long-Term in Vivo Performance of Low-Temperature 3D-Printed Bioceramics in an Equine Model.

Bone has great self-healing capacity, but above a certain critical size, bone defects will not heal spontaneously, requiring intervention to achieve full healing. Among the synthetic calcium phosphate (CaP) bone replacement materials, brushite (CaHPO4·2H2O)-based materials are of particular interest because of their degree of solubility and the related high potential to promote bone regeneration after dissolution. They can be produced tailor-made using modern three-dimensional (3D) printing technology. Although this type of implant has been widely tested in vitro, there are only limited in vivo data and less so in a relevant large animal model. In this study, material properties of a 3D-printed brushite-based scaffold are characterized, after which the material is tested by in vivo orthotopic implantation in the equine tuber coxae for 6 months. The implantation procedure was easy to perform and was well tolerated by the animals, which showed no detectable signs of discomfort. In vitro tests showed that compressive strength along the vertical axis of densely printed material was around 13 MPa, which was reduced to approximately 8 MPa in the cylindrical porous implant. In vivo, approximately 40% of the visible volume of the implants was degraded after 6 months and replaced by bone, showing the capacity to stimulate new bone formation. Histologically, ample bone ingrowth was observed. In contrast, empty defects were filled with fibrous tissue only, confirming the material's osteoconductive capacity. It is concluded that this study provides proof that the 3D-printed brushite implants were able to promote new bone growth after 6 months' implantation in a large animal model and that the new equine tuber coxae bone model that was used is a promising tool for bone regeneration studies.

Fixation of Hydrogel Constructs for Cartilage Repair in the Equine Model: A Challenging Issue.

OBJECTIVE: To report on the experiences with the use of commercial and autologous fibrin glue (AFG) and of an alternative method based on a 3D-printed polycaprolactone (PCL) anchor for the fixation of hydrogel-based scaffolds in an equine model for cartilage repair. METHODS: In a first study, three different hydrogel-based materials were orthotopically implanted in nine horses for 1-4 weeks in 6 mm diameter full-thickness cartilage defects in the medial femoral trochlear ridge and fixated with commercially available fibrin glue (CFG). One defect was filled with CFG only as a control. In a second study, CFG and AFG were compared in an ectopic equine model. The third study compared the efficacy of AFG and a 3D-printed PCL-based osteal anchor for fixation of PCL-reinforced hydrogels in three horses for 2 weeks, with a 4-week follow-up to evaluate integration of bone with the PCL anchor. Short-term scaffold integration and cell infiltration were evaluated by microcomputed tomography and histology as outcome parameters. RESULTS: The first study showed signs of subchondral bone resorption in all defects, including the controls filled with CFG only, with significant infiltration of neutrophils. Ectopically, CFG induced clear inflammation with strong neutrophil accumulation; AFG was less reactive, showing fibroblast infiltration only. In the third study the fixation potential for PCL-reinforced hydrogels of AFG was inferior to the PCL anchor. PCL reinforcement had disappeared from two defects and showed signs of dislodging in the remaining four. All six constructs fixated with the PCL anchor were still in place after 2 weeks. At 4 weeks, the PCL anchor showed good integration and signs of new bone formation. CONCLUSIONS: The use of AFG should be preferred to xenogeneic products in the horse, but AFG is subject to individual variations and laborious to make. The PCL anchor provides the best fixation; however, this technique involves the whole osteochondral unit, which entails a different conceptual approach to cartilage repair.

Phlebotomine sandflies (Diptera: Psychodidae) in a sub-Andean forest from the Norte de Santander, Colombia.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: The recognition of communities of arthropods with medical importance in natural systems constitutes an important step in the prediction of possible epidemic events and/or emergence of infectious diseases in the human population. This is due to anthropogenic impact in natural areas and landscape modification, which changes the dynamics of pathogenic agents, reservoirs, and vector insects. In this study, an inventory was compiled of species of the genus Lutzomyia present in sub-Andean forest from the confluence of the Pamplonita River basin. METHODS: CDC-light and Shannon traps were used for collecting adult phlebotomine sandflies during the month of October 2013 in a sub-Andean forest from river basin Pamplonita. All specimens were identified using morphological keys. The epidemiological relevance of each species was reported using a literature review about natural infection or vector incrimination with Leishmania species or other pathogens microorganism. RESULTS: A total of 2755 specimens belonging to eight species of the genus Lutzomyia were collected. Out of the eight species, seven belonged to the group verrucarum (Lutzomyia sp--townsendi series, L. ovallesi, L. spinicrassa, L. serrana, L. townsendi, L. nuneztovari and L. pia), while one belonged to the subgenus Helcocyrtomyia (L. hartmanni). A new registry of L. townsendi was observed for the Norte de Santander department. INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSION: The appreciable diversity of the verrucarum group observed in this area suggest further investigation on the biogeography and evolution of this group, and epidemiological risk for human populations around this area, as there are reports of Leishmania natural infection and favourable conditions for domestication of phlebotomines in rural towns.

Cell recovery comparison between plasma depletion/reduction- and red cell reduction-processing of umbilical cord blood.

BACKGROUND AIMS: Limited cell dose has hampered the use of cord blood transplantation (CBT) in adults. One method of minimizing nucleated cell loss in cord blood (CB) processing is to deplete or reduce plasma but not red blood cells - plasma depletion/reduction (PDR). METHODS: The nucleated cell loss of PDR was studied, and determined to be less than 0.1% in the discarded supernatant plasma fraction in validation experiments. After testing and archival sampling, the median nucleated cell recovery for PDR processing was 90%, and median CD34(+) cell recovery 88%. In a CB bank inventory of 12 339 products with both pre- and post-processing total nucleated cells (TNC), PDR processing resulted in median post-processing TNC recoveries of 90.0% after testing and archival samples removal. Using the same 10 CB units divided into two halves, we compared directly the recovery of PDR against hydroxyethyl starch red cell reduction (RCR) for TNC, CD34(+) cells and colony-forming units (CFU-GM, CFU-E, CFU-GEMM and total CFU) after parallel processing. We also compared the loss of very small embryonic-like stem cells (VSEL). RESULTS: We demonstrated significantly higher recoveries using PDR for TNC (124%), CD34(+) cells (121%), CFU-GM (225%), CFU-GEMM (201%), total CFU (186%) and VSEL (187%). The proportion of high TNC products was compared between 10 912 PDR and 38 819 RCR CB products and found to be 200% higher for products that had TNC ≥150 × 10(7) (P = 0.0001) for the PDR inventory. CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicate that PDR processing of CB provides a significantly more efficient usage of this valuable and scarce resource.

Isoflavones versus hormone therapy for reduction of vertebral fracture risk: indirect comparison.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to conduct an indirect comparison of the results from meta-analyses that evaluated the incidence of osteoporotic vertebral fracture in postmenopausal women exposed to hormone therapy (HT) or isoflavones. METHODS: Systematic review and meta-analysis of HT and isoflavones related to the reduction of vertebral fracture risk in osteoporotic women versus the same control (placebo) were undertaken. Then, the combination of the overall results obtained from these two meta-analysis (indirect comparison) was adjusted to the common control (placebo). RESULTS: The indirect odds ratio (OR), obtained from the combination of both individual meta-analyses, was calculated by using the following equation: OR(indirect) = OR(HT)/OR(isoflav), with a total indirect variance equivalent to the following equation: var(total) = var(HT) + var(isoflav). These calculations yielded a point estimate of 1.56 (95% CI, 0.39-6.19) for the indirect OR. CONCLUSIONS: According to this indirect comparison, there is no statistically significant difference between HT or isoflavones in the reduction of vertebral fracture risk due to osteoporosis, and both interventions seem to be similar for this outcome.

Soy isoflavones versus placebo in the treatment of climacteric vasomotor symptoms: systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: The incidence of vasomotor crises during the climacterium varies in women across different populations, and phytoestrogen consumption seems to play an important role in this problem. The aim of this study was to determine whether intervention with soy (dietary, extract, or concentrate), as compared with placebo, reduces the incidence of hot flashes in climacteric women. METHODS: Only published, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials were selected, with a 12-week duration of intervention, having selected postmenopausal women affected with hot flashes attributed to the climacterium (without cancer background). The intervention to be evaluated was soy, as "soy dietary supplement," "soy extract," or "isoflavone concentrate" (genistein or daidzein). The results were expressed as the number of hot flashes, average score of vasomotor symptoms, or average percent reduction in hot flashes within a time unit (day, week, or month). RESULTS: Nineteen studies were analyzed. The minimum heterogeneity was observed in the "isoflavone concentrate" group. In the "extract" and "dietary supplement" groups, heterogeneity reached an intermediate level, I(2) = 42% and 59.73%, respectively. The overall result showed a standardized mean difference of -0.39 (95% CI, -0.53 to -0.25) in favor of soy as well as -0.45 (95% CI, -0.64 to -0.25), -0.51 (95% CI, -0.79 to -0.22), and -0.20 (95% CI, -0.46 to -0.06) for the "concentrate," "extract," and "dietary supplement" subgroups, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Although the overall combined results and the results by subgroups (according to the type of supplement used) showed a significant tendency in favor of soy, it is still difficult to establish conclusive results given the high heterogeneity found in the studies.

Trasplante de Hueso Heterólogo Criopreservado

El Banco de Huesos representa una gran ventaja para el paciente ortopédico en la práctica diaria. A partir de Octubre de 1985, se inició en el Hospital Universitario del Valle el desarrollo de un Banco de Tejidos del cual se han beneficiado pacientes de los Hospitales Universitarios del Valle y de Caldas. El presente es un trabajo de tipo multicéntrico, prospectivo y descriptivo, en el cual presentamos la experiencia obtenida con los primeros 22 pacientes, 9 hombres y 13 mujeres, con edad promedio de 29.5 años y seguimientos que oscilan entre los 7 y 10 meses(promedio de 8.5 meses). Durante el seguimiento no se ha detectado ninguna complicación relacionada con el trasplante de tejidos. El hueso de Banco ha permitido reducir en forma muy considerable el tiempo y la pérdida sanguínea en la cirugía de columna. Concluimos que la criopreservación de tejidos es una técnica útil que puede implementarse en nuestro país