Monkeypox Virus in Animals: Current Knowledge of Viral Transmission and Pathogenesis in Wild Animal Reservoirs and Captive Animal Models.

Mpox, formerly called monkeypox, is now the most serious orthopoxvirus (OPXV) infection in humans. This zoonotic disease has been gradually re-emerging in humans with an increasing frequency of cases found in endemic areas, as well as an escalating frequency and size of epidemics outside of endemic areas in Africa. Currently, the largest known mpox epidemic is spreading throughout the world, with over 85,650 cases to date, mostly in Europe and North America. These increased endemic cases and epidemics are likely driven primarily by decreasing global immunity to OPXVs, along with other possible causes. The current unprecedented global outbreak of mpox has demonstrated higher numbers of human cases and greater human-to-human transmission than previously documented, necessitating an urgent need to better understand this disease in humans and animals. Monkeypox virus (MPXV) infections in animals, both naturally occurring and experimental, have provided critical information about the routes of transmission; the viral pathogenicity factors; the methods of control, such as vaccination and antivirals; the disease ecology in reservoir host species; and the conservation impacts on wildlife species. This review briefly described the epidemiology and transmission of MPXV between animals and humans and summarizes past studies on the ecology of MPXV in wild animals and experimental studies in captive animal models, with a focus on how animal infections have informed knowledge concerning various aspects of this pathogen. Knowledge gaps were highlighted in areas where future research, both in captive and free-ranging animals, could inform efforts to understand and control this disease in both humans and animals.

Comparative Analysis and Data Provenance for 1,113 Bacterial Genome Assemblies.

The availability of public genomics data has become essential for modern life sciences research, yet the quality, traceability, and curation of these data have significant impacts on a broad range of microbial genomics research. While microbial genome databases such as NCBI's RefSeq database leverage the scalability of crowd sourcing for growth, genomics data provenance and authenticity of the source materials used to produce data are not strict requirements. Here, we describe the de novo assembly of 1,113 bacterial genome references produced from authenticated materials sourced from the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC), each with full genomics data provenance relating to bioinformatics methods, quality control, and passage history. Comparative genomics analysis of ATCC standard reference genomes (ASRGs) revealed significant issues with regard to NCBI's RefSeq bacterial genome assemblies related to completeness, mutations, structure, strain metadata, and gaps in traceability to the original biological source materials. Nearly half of RefSeq assemblies lack details on sample source information, sequencing technology, or bioinformatics methods. Deep curation of these records is not within the scope of NCBI's core mission in supporting open science, which aims to collect sequence records that are submitted by the public. Nonetheless, we propose that gaps in metadata accuracy and data provenance represent an "elephant in the room" for microbial genomics research. Effectively addressing these issues will require raising the level of accountability for data depositors and acknowledging the need for higher expectations of quality among the researchers whose research depends on accurate and attributable reference genome data. IMPORTANCE The traceability of microbial genomics data to authenticated physical biological materials is not a requirement for depositing these data into public genome databases. This creates significant risks for the reliability and data provenance of these important genomics research resources, the impact of which is not well understood. We sought to investigate this by carrying out a comparative genomics study of 1,113 ATCC standard reference genomes (ASRGs) produced by ATCC from authenticated and traceable materials using the latest sequencing technologies. We found widespread discrepancies in genome assembly quality, genetic variability, and the quality and completeness of the associated metadata among hundreds of reference genomes for ATCC strains found in NCBI's RefSeq database. We present a comparative analysis of de novo-assembled ASRGs, their respective metadata, and variant analysis using RefSeq genomes as a reference. Although assembly quality in RefSeq has generally improved over time, we found that significant quality issues remain, especially as related to genomic data and metadata provenance. Our work highlights the importance of data authentication and provenance for the microbial genomics community, and underscores the risks of ignoring this issue in the future.

Inulin as a Fat-Reduction Ingredient in Pork and Chicken Meatballs: Its Effects on Physicochemical Characteristics and Consumer Perceptions.

Fat reduction in meat products represents a technological challenge, as it affects the physicochemical and sensory properties of foods. The objective of the present investigation was to develop reduced-fat pork and chicken meatballs. In the initial stage, a survey was performed on 387 individuals, in order to determine the consumer perception of the meaning of a healthy meatball and the likelihood that they would consume such a product. In the second stage, four pork and chicken meatball formulations were developed: control meatballs (AC), meatballs with inulin (AI), meatballs with fructo-oligosaccharides (AF), and meatballs with inulin and fructo-oligosaccharides (AM). In the third stage, physicochemical properties were evaluated (water activity, humidity, fat, protein, ash, weight loss, pH, color, and texture) and a sensorial profile was created with semi-trained panelists for the four meatball formulations. In the fourth stage, AI was selected as the meatball with sensorial and physicochemical characteristics most similar to AC. An analysis of nutritional characteristics and a home test (84 consumers) were performed. The present study established that the inclusion of inulin as a fat substitute in the preparation of pork and chicken meatballs, in the amount of 3.5 g of fiber/100 g of the mixture, imitates the technological properties characteristic of fat and showed acceptance by consumers.

Análisis de la evidencia sobre el juicio y la toma de decisiones morales entre el 2005 y 2020 / Analysis of the Evidence on Moral Judgment and Decision-Making Between 2005 and 2020 / Análise das evidências sobre julgamento moral e tomada de decisão entre 2005 e 2020

Esta investigación presenta una revisión sistemática de 80 estudios sobre juicio moral en la toma de decisiones morales desde las ciencias cognitivas, publicados entre 2005 y 2020, en inglés y español. Los artículos se evaluaron de acuerdo con los niveles de evidencia de la Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (sign),llevando a cabo un análisis metodológico e identificando las siguientes tendencias teóricas: neurociencias cognitivas; variables de influencia biológica, psicológica y sociocultural; debate razón vs. intuición; divergencia entre juicio y comportamiento moral; y comprensión del juicio moral como proceso de evaluación. Se concluye que los estudios revisados ofrecen representatividad de evidencia en niveles explicativos, preferencia por el tipo de investigación empírico analítica, manejo asiduo de variables independientes en diseños experimentales, uso de instrumentos de dilemas morales y registro electrofisiológico, los cuales ofrecen amplias posibilidades inferenciales. Sin embargo, es necesaria mayor consistencia teórica y metodológica para evitar contradicciones que dificulten el fortalecimiento de los modelos teóricos

A systematic review of 80 studies on moral judgment in moral decision-making from the cognitive scienc-es, published between 2005 and 2020, in English and Spanish, is presented. The articles were evaluated ac-cording to the levels of evidence of the Scottish Inter-collegiate Guidelines Network (sign), carrying out a methodological analysis and identifying the following theoretical trends: findings of the cognitive neurosci-ences, the variables of biological, psychological, and socio-cultural influence, the reason vs. intuition debate, the divergence between moral judgment and behavior, and the understanding of moral judgment as an evaluation process. It is concluded that the reviewed studies offer representativeness of evidence at explanatory levels; they also show a preference for analytical empirical research, assiduous independent-variable-handling in experimental designs, using moral dilemma instruments and electrophysiological recordings that offer wide in-erential possibilities. However, greater theoretical and methodological consistency is necessary to avoid contradictions that make it difficult to strengthen the theoretical models

É apresentada uma revisão sistemática de 80 estudos sobre julgamento moral na tomada de decisão moral das ciências cognitivas, publicados entre 2005 e 2020, em inglês e espanhol. Os artigos foram avaliados segun-do os níveis de evidência da Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (sign), realizando uma análise metodológica e identificando as seguintes tendências teóricas: neurociências cognitivas, variáveis de influên-cia biológica, psicológica e sociocultural, debate razão vs. intuição, divergência entre julgamento e comportamento moral e compreensão do julgamento moral como um processo de avaliação. Conclui-se que os estudos revi-sados oferecem representatividade das evidências em níveis explicativos, preferência pelo tipo de pesquisa empírica analítica, manuseio assíduo de variáveis inde-pendentes em desenhos experimentais e utilização de instrumentos de dilemas morais e registro eletrofisioló-gico que oferecem amplas possibilidades inferenciais, entretanto, é necessária maior consistência teórica e metodológica para evitar contradições que dificultam o fortalecimento de modelos teóricos

Systematic Review and Study of S Curves for Biomass Quantification in Solid-state Fermentation (SSF) and Digital Image Processing (DIP) Applied to Biomass Measurement in Food Processes.

BACKGROUND: There are several methods for the quantification of biomass in SSF, such as glucosamine measurement, ergosterol content, protein concentration, change in dry weight or evolution of CO2 production. However, all have drawbacks when obtaining accurate data on the progress of the SSF due to the dispersion in cell growth on the solid substrate, and the difficulty encountered in separating the biomass. Studying the disadvantages associated with the process of biomass quantification in SSF, the monitoring of the growth of biomass by a technique known as digital image processing (DIP), consists of obtaining information on the production of different compounds during fermentation, using colorimetric methods based on the pixels that are obtained from photographs. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to know about the state of the technology and the advantages of DIP. METHODS: The methodology employed four phases; the first describes the search equations for the SSF and the DIP. A search for patents related to SSF and DIP carried out in the Free Patents Online and Patent inspiration databases. Then there is the selection of the most relevant articles in each of the technologies. As a third step, modifications for obtaining the best adjustments were also carried out. Finally, the analysis of the results was done and the inflection years were determined by means of six mathematical models widely studied. RESULTS: For these models, the inflection years were 2018 and 2019 for both the SSF and the DIP. Additionally, the main methods for the measurement of biomass in SSF were found, and are also indicated in the review, as DIP measurement processes have already been carried out using the same technology. CONCLUSION: In addition, the DIP has shown satisfactory results and could be an interesting alternative for biomass measurement in SSF, due to its ease and versatility.

Autometa: automated extraction of microbial genomes from individual shotgun metagenomes.

Shotgun metagenomics is a powerful, high-resolution technique enabling the study of microbial communities in situ. However, species-level resolution is only achieved after a process of 'binning' where contigs predicted to originate from the same genome are clustered. Such culture-independent sequencing frequently unearths novel microbes, and so various methods have been devised for reference-free binning. As novel microbiomes of increasing complexity are explored, sometimes associated with non-model hosts, robust automated binning methods are required. Existing methods struggle with eukaryotic contamination and cannot handle highly complex single metagenomes. We therefore developed an automated binning pipeline, termed 'Autometa', to address these issues. This command-line application integrates sequence homology, nucleotide composition, coverage and the presence of single-copy marker genes to separate microbial genomes from non-model host genomes and other eukaryotic contaminants, before deconvoluting individual genomes from single metagenomes. The method is able to effectively separate over 1000 genomes from a metagenome, allowing the study of previously intractably complex environments at the level of single species. Autometa is freely available at https://bitbucket.org/jason_c_kwan/autometa and as a docker image at https://hub.docker.com/r/jasonkwan/autometa under the GNU Affero General Public License 3 (AGPL 3).

Síndrome del hombre en el barril: manifestación atípica de la arteritis de células gigantes / "Man-in-the-barrel" syndrome: atypical manifestation of giant cell arteritis

Conclusiones. Si bien las manifestaciones clínicas típicas de la arteritis de células gigantes son cefalea, claudicación mandibular, pérdida visual, síntomas constitucionales y polimialgia reumática, se debe sospechar su presencia en pacientes mayores de 50 años que manifiesten alteraciones del nervio periférico, entre ellas, diplejía braquial sin otra causa demostrable

Introduction. "Man-in-the-barrel" syndrome refers to diplegia of the upper extremities in which mobility of the head and lower limbs is preserved. Brachial plexitis that presents as "man-in-the-barrel" syndrome is an unusual manifestation of giant cell arteritis. We report a case of C5-C6 plexitis as part of the clinical features of a patient with giant cell arteritis. CASE. Report: A 70-year-old male with a two-month history of weight loss, headache, facial pain and jaw claudication, associated with a persistent elevation of acute phase reactants and bilateral brachial plexopathy, with no evidence of neck or brain injuries or occult neoplasm and with negative autoimmunity tests. Results of the biopsy study of the temporal artery were compatible with giant cell arteritis, and the positron emission tomography scan revealed extensive vascular involvement of the aorta and its branches. Cconclusions: Although the typical clinical manifestations of giant cell arteritis are headache, jaw claudication, loss of sight, constitutional symptoms and polymyalgia rheumatica, its presence must be suspected in patients over the age of 50 who manifest alterations affecting the peripheral nerve, including brachial diplegia with no other demonstrable cause

Increased Biosynthetic Gene Dosage in a Genome-Reduced Defensive Bacterial Symbiont.

A symbiotic lifestyle frequently results in genome reduction in bacteria; the isolation of small populations promotes genetic drift and the fixation of deletions and deleterious mutations over time. Transitions in lifestyle, including host restriction or adaptation to an intracellular habitat, are thought to precipitate a wave of sequence degradation events and consequent proliferation of pseudogenes. We describe here a verrucomicrobial symbiont of the tunicate Lissoclinum sp. that appears to be undergoing such a transition, with low coding density and many identifiable pseudogenes. However, despite the overall drive toward genome reduction, this symbiont maintains seven copies of a large polyketide synthase (PKS) pathway for the mandelalides (mnd), cytotoxic compounds that likely constitute a chemical defense for the host. There is evidence of ongoing degradation in a small number of these repeats-including variable borders, internal deletions, and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). However, the gene dosage of most of the pathway is increased at least 5-fold. Correspondingly, this single pathway accounts for 19% of the genome by length and 25.8% of the coding capacity. This increased gene dosage in the face of generalized sequence degradation and genome reduction suggests that mnd genes are under strong purifying selection and are important to the symbiotic relationship. IMPORTANCE Secondary metabolites, which are small-molecule organic compounds produced by living organisms, provide or inspire drugs for many different diseases. These natural products have evolved over millions of years to provide a survival benefit to the producing organism and often display potent biological activity with important therapeutic applications. For instance, defensive compounds in the environment may be cytotoxic to eukaryotic cells, a property exploitable for cancer treatment. Here, we describe the genome of an uncultured symbiotic bacterium that makes such a cytotoxic metabolite. This symbiont is losing genes that do not endow a selective advantage in a hospitable host environment. Secondary metabolism genes, however, are repeated multiple times in the genome, directly demonstrating their selective advantage. This finding shows the strength of selective forces in symbiotic relationships and suggests that uncultured bacteria in such relationships should be targeted for drug discovery efforts.

Characterization of Monkeypox virus infection in African rope squirrels (Funisciurus sp.).

Monkeypox (MPX) is a zoonotic disease endemic in Central and West Africa and is caused by Monkeypox virus (MPXV), the most virulent Orthopoxvirus affecting humans since the eradication of Variola virus (VARV). Many aspects of the MPXV transmission cycle, including the natural host of the virus, remain unknown. African rope squirrels (Funisciurus spp.) are considered potential reservoirs of MPXV, as serosurveillance data in Central Africa has confirmed the circulation of the virus in these rodent species [1,2]. In order to understand the tissue tropism and clinical signs associated with infection with MPXV in these species, wild-caught rope squirrels were experimentally infected via intranasal and intradermal exposure with a recombinant MPXV strain from Central Africa engineered to express the luciferase gene. After infection, we monitored viral replication and shedding via in vivo bioluminescent imaging, viral culture and real time PCR. MPXV infection in African rope squirrels caused mortality and moderate to severe morbidity, with clinical signs including pox lesions in the skin, eyes, mouth and nose, dyspnea, and profuse nasal discharge. Both intranasal and intradermal exposures induced high levels of viremia, fast systemic spread, and long periods of viral shedding. Shedding and luminescence peaked at day 6 post infection and was still detectable after 15 days. Interestingly, one sentinel animal, housed in the same room but in a separate cage, also developed severe MPX disease and was euthanized. This study indicates that MPXV causes significant pathology in African rope squirrels and infected rope squirrels shed large quantities of virus, supporting their role as a potential source of MPXV transmission to humans and other animals in endemic MPX regions.

Implante de audífono de conducción ósea osteointegrado: experiencia del Hospital Universitario de la Samaritana, Bogotá, D. C. / Bone anchored hearing aid: the Hospital Universitario de la Samaritana's experience, Bogotá, D. C.

Objetivo: Describir y comparar los resultados audiológicos pre y postquirúrgicos de los pacientes que fueron sometidos a implante de conducción ósea osteointegrado en el Hospital Universitario de la Samaritana, Bogotá D.C. Diseño: Estudio tipo Cohorte descriptiva. Métodos: Se evaluaron los resultados audiológicos pre y postquirúrgicos de 36 pacientes sometidos a Implante de audífono de conducción ósea osteointegrado. Resultados: Se observó una disminución estadísticamente significativa entre el valor de PTA pre y postquirúrgico (Diferencia = 36.94 dB; IC95% 35.2 a 38.7; p<0.001) Mejoría en la brecha Ósea ­ Aérea con una diferencia entre el valor previo y posterior a la intervención de 35.93 dB (IC95% 33.23 a 38.63; p<0.001). La diferencia entre el porcentaje de discriminación verbal antes y después del procedimiento quirúrgico fue de 6.67% (IC95% 1.41 a 11.92; p=0.008), con una reducción en los niveles de intensidad de sonido en la discriminación que fue de 32.26 dB (IC95% 29.21 a 35.32; p<0.001). Conclusión: Los resultados audiológicos esperados en pacientes con hipoacusia conductiva, mixta o neurosensorial unilateral que fueron sometidos a implante de audífono de conducción ósea osteointegrado muestran que el sistema ofrece un alto porcentaje de éxito y bajas tasas de complicaciones.

Objective: To describe and compare pre and postoperative audiological results in patients who received a bone conduction hearing aid implant and the Hospital Universitario de la Samaritana, Bogotá D.C. Design: A descriptive cohort study. Methods: A descriptive cohort study was conducted. We evaluated audiological results before and after the bone conduction hearing aid implant procedure in 36 patients. Results: A statistically significant decrease in the PTA value was observed after the implant procedure (difference= 36.94 dB; 95CI% 35.2 - 38.7; p<0.001) The bone-air gap also presented improvement after the intervention with a decrease of 35.93 dB (95%CI 33.23 - 38.63; p<0.001). The difference in verbal discrimination percentage after the surgical procedure was 6.67% (95%CI 1.41 - 11.92; p=0.008), with a decrease in sound intensity discrimination levels of 32.26 db (95%CI 29.21 - 35.32; p<0.001). Conclusion: The audiological results in patients with conductive, mixed or unilateral sensorineural hearing loss that received a bone conduction hearing aid implant show that this intervention offers a high success rate and low postoperative complications.

Multilocus analysis indicates that Trypanosoma cruzi I genetic substructure associated with sylvatic and domestic cycles is not an attribute conserved throughout Colombia.

Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas disease, has been classified into six discrete typing units (DTUs) named TcI to TcVI. Furthermore, subcontinental scale studies based on analysis of the splice leader intergenic region (SL-IR) of the mini-exon gene have subdivided TcI in five genetic groups (Ia-Ie) related to the domestic and non-domestic cycles. However, a current review of this marker among all the sequences deposited in the GenBank demonstrates no correlation between the genetic structure and the eco-epidemiological features of parasite transmission. In this study, we performed a multilocus analysis of TcI isolates from a diverse array of hosts and vectors in a wide eco-geographical area of Colombia. Sequences from SL-IR and mitochondrial cyt b genes as well as PCR-RFLP profiles for four nuclear genes were analyzed. Multilocus analysis indicates that genetic structuration associated with sylvatic and domestic cycles in Colombia is not an attribute conserved across the entire eco-geography where TcI can be found.

Further Assessment of Monkeypox Virus Infection in Gambian Pouched Rats (Cricetomys gambianus) Using In Vivo Bioluminescent Imaging.

Monkeypox is a zoonosis clinically similar to smallpox in humans. Recent evidence has shown a potential risk of increased incidence in central Africa. Despite attempts to isolate the virus from wild rodents and other small mammals, no reservoir host has been identified. In 2003, Monkeypox virus (MPXV) was accidentally introduced into the U.S. via the pet trade and was associated with the Gambian pouched rat (Cricetomys gambianus). Therefore, we investigated the potential reservoir competence of the Gambian pouched rat for MPXV by utilizing a combination of in vivo and in vitro methods. We inoculated three animals by the intradermal route and three animals by the intranasal route, with one mock-infected control for each route. Bioluminescent imaging (BLI) was used to track replicating virus in infected animals and virological assays (e.g. real time PCR, cell culture) were used to determine viral load in blood, urine, ocular, nasal, oral, and rectal swabs. Intradermal inoculation resulted in clinical signs of monkeypox infection in two of three animals. One severely ill animal was euthanized and the other affected animal recovered. In contrast, intranasal inoculation resulted in subclinical infection in all three animals. All animals, regardless of apparent or inapparent infection, shed virus in oral and nasal secretions. Additionally, BLI identified viral replication in the skin without grossly visible lesions. These results suggest that Gambian pouched rats may play an important role in transmission of the virus to humans, as they are hunted for consumption and it is possible for MPXV-infected pouched rats to shed infectious virus without displaying overt clinical signs.

Attenuation of monkeypox virus by deletion of genomic regions.

Monkeypox virus (MPXV) is an emerging pathogen from Africa that causes disease similar to smallpox. Two clades with different geographic distributions and virulence have been described. Here, we utilized bioinformatic tools to identify genomic regions in MPXV containing multiple virulence genes and explored their roles in pathogenicity; two selected regions were then deleted singularly or in combination. In vitro and in vivo studies indicated that these regions play a significant role in MPXV replication, tissue spread, and mortality in mice. Interestingly, while deletion of either region led to decreased virulence in mice, one region had no effect on in vitro replication. Deletion of both regions simultaneously also reduced cell culture replication and significantly increased the attenuation in vivo over either single deletion. Attenuated MPXV with genomic deletions present a safe and efficacious tool in the study of MPX pathogenesis and in the identification of genetic factors associated with virulence.

Tratamiento quirúrgico del síndrome de apnea hipopnea obstructiva del sueño en la Clínica Rivas, Bogotá ­ Colombia / Surgical treatment of obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome in the Rivas Clinic, Bogota ­ Colombia

Introducción: El Síndrome de Apnea Hipopnea Obstructiva del Sueño es un trastorno respiratorio del sueño mayor ampliamente conocido, con importantes implicaciones para los pacientes y cuya incidencia ha venido en aumento durante los últimos años; comprende diversas manifestaciones clínicas que varían desde el ronquido hasta consecuencias cardiovasculares importantes. Objetivo: Describir la experiencia de los procedimientos quirúrgicos más utilizados para el tratamiento de pacientes con Trastornos Respiratorios del Sueño en la Clínica Rivas. Diseño: Estudio observacional descriptivo. Métodos: Revisión de 366 historias clínicas de pacientes con diagnóstico clínico y Polisomnográfico de SAHOS intervenidos quirúrgicamente debido al Trastorno Respiratorio del Sueño por rechazo de terapia de presión positiva en 3 años de observación. Resultados: Se evaluaron diferencias en medianas de los cambios del IAH, índice de Saturación de oxigeno basal y mínima, y el índice de microdespertares nocturnos tanto prequirúrgica como postquirúrgicamente. Como medida de evaluación secundaria se evaluaron las complicaciones quirúrgicas. Conclusión: En nuestra institución, como centro de referencia en apnea del sueño, la cirugía ha demostrado que disminuye de forma significativa gravedad del SAHOS y disminuye el riesgo de los pacientes con trastornos respiratorios del sueño que han rechazado el dispositivo de presión positiva.

Introduction: Obstructive Sleep Apnea Hypopnea Syndrome is a major sleep breathing disorder widely known, with important implications for patients whose incidence has been increasing in recent years; comprises various clinical manifestations ranging from snoring to major cardiovascular consequences. Objective: To describe the experience of surgical procedures commonly used for the treatment of patients with respiratory sleep disorders in Rivas Clinic. Design: Descriptive study. Methods: A review of medical records of 366 patients with clinical and polysomnographic diagnosis of OSAHS and underwent surgically due to Sleep Respiratory Disorder for rejection of positive pressure therapy in 3 years of observation was performed. Results: Differences in median changes in Apnea Hipopnea Index, baseline saturation index and minimum oxygen, and index of nocturnal arousals both preoperative and postoperatively were evaluated. As a secondary assessment of surgical complications were evaluated. Conclusion: At our institution, as a reference center on sleep apnea, surgery has been shown to decrease significantly OSAHS severity and decreases the risk of patients with respiratory sleep disorders that have rejected positive pressure device.

Evaluation of monkeypox virus infection of black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) using in vivo bioluminescent imaging.

Monkeypox (MPX) is a re-emerging zoonotic disease that is endemic in Central and West Africa, where it can cause a smallpox-like disease in humans. Despite many epidemiologic and field investigations of MPX, no definitive reservoir species has been identified. Using recombinant viruses expressing the firefly luciferase (luc) gene, we previously demonstrated the suitability of in vivo bioluminescent imaging (BLI) to study the pathogenesis of MPX in animal models. Here, we evaluated BLI as a novel approach for tracking MPX virus infection in black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus). Prairie dogs were affected during a multistate outbreak of MPX in the US in 2003 and have since been used as an animal model of this disease. Our BLI results were compared with PCR and virus isolation from tissues collected postmortem. Virus was easily detected and quantified in skin and superficial tissues by BLI before and during clinical phases, as well as in subclinical secondary cases, but was not reliably detected in deep tissues such as the lung. Although there are limitations to viral detection in larger wild rodent species, BLI can enhance the use of prairie dogs as an animal model of MPX and can be used for the study of infection, disease progression, and transmission in potential wild rodent reservoirs.

Mixedema de la vía aérea superior como causa de Sahos transitorio: reporte de caso / Upper airway myxedema as a cause of transient osas. Case report

El Síndrome de Apnea-Hipopnea del Sueño (SAHOS) y el hipotiroidismo tienen varios signos y síntomas en común; esta similitud crea un solapamiento en sus presentaciones clínicas, que pudieran llevar a un sinnúmero de casos de hipotiroidismo sin diagnosticar durante el SAHOS. La incidencia de los estados de hipotiroidismo en pacientes con síndrome de apnea del sueño aún no se conoce, por lo que es razonable evaluar la función tiroidea en todos los pacientes. Estudios previos han demostrado una asociación entre el hipotiroidismo y la apnea obstructiva del sueño; sin embargo, los trastornos endocrinos asociados a la obstrucción de la vía aérea superior en el adulto continúan siendo una de las causas más raras de obstrucción, después del trauma, infección, reacciones alérgicas y malignidad. Se presenta el caso clínico de una paciente de 41 años de edad, con hipotiroidismo manifiesto y mixedema supraglótico, que desarrolló síndrome transitorio severo de apnea-hipopnea del sueño durante un mes, el cual mejoró después del tratamiento médico con reemplazo de hormona tiroidea...

The Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSAS) and hypothyroidism have several signs and symptoms in common, this similarity creates an overlap in their clinical presentations that could lead to a number of cases of hypothyroidism undiagnosed for OSAS. Incidence of hypothyroidism in patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome is not yet known, so it is reasonable to evaluate thyroid function in all patients. Previous studies have shown an association between hypothyroidism and obstructive sleep apnea, however, endocrine disorders associated with obstruction of the upper airway in adults remains one of the rarest causes of obstruction, after trauma, infection, allergic reactions and malignancy. Its presented a clinical case of a female 41 years old patient with overt hypothyroidism and supraglottic myxedema, who developed severe Transient Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome for a month, which improved after medical treatment with thyroid hormone replacement...

Rivaroxaban frente a heparinas de bajo peso molecular para la prevención de la tromboembolia venosa posterior al reemplazo total de cadera o rodilla: revisión sistemática de la literatura y metaanálisisis / Rivaroxaban versus low weight heparins for venous thromboembolism prophylaxis after major hip and knee arthroplasty: systematic review and metaanalysis

Objetivo: evaluar la eficacia y seguridad de la tromboprofilaxis con rivaroxaban comparada con las heparinas de bajo peso molecular en cirugía mayor de cadera o rodilla. Métodos: revisión sistemática en Central Cochrane Database, MEDLINE, EMBASE, LILACS, CINAHL y artículos referenciados. Solo se consideraron ensayos clínicos controlados. La búsqueda se realizó hasta octubre 31 de 2011.Dos revisores evaluaron de forma independiente la calidad metodológica de los artículos y extrajeron los datos. Resultados: se estudiaron 15.638 pacientes (nueve estudios) programados para reemplazo total de cadera o rodilla. Comparada con la enoxaparina, la tromboprofilaxis con rivaroxaban se asoció a menor incidencia de trombosis venosa profunda, tromboembolia pulmonar y muerte por cualquier causa posterior a cirugía ortopédica mayor tanto de cadera (5.475, riesgo relativo [RR]: 0,37; intervalo de confianza del 95% [IC 95%]: 0,29-0,48]) como de rodilla (2.878, RR: 0,65; IC 95%: 0,50-0,84) sin diferencias en los eventos hemorrágicos (sangrado mayor en cirugía de cadera: 7.684, RR: 1,79; IC 95%: 0,78-4,11; y de rodilla: 5.700, RR: 1,59; IC 95%: 0,77-3,27). Conclusión: el rivaroxaban usado para tromboprofilaxis de pacientes sometidos a cirugía ortopédica mayor es más eficaz que la enoxaparina y al menos tan seguro como ella.

Objective: To assess the efficacy and safety of rivaroxaban thromboprophylaxis versus low weight heparins in major hip and knee arthroplasty. Methods: Systematic review in Central Cochrane Database, MEDLINE, EMBASE, LILACS, CINAHL, and referenced articles. Only randomized clinical trials were considered. The search was made until October 31, 2011. Two independent reviewers assessed the quality of articles and extracted the information. Results: 15.638 patients who underwent major orthopedic surgery were studied (nine trials). Compared with enoxaparin, thromboprophylaxis with rivaroxaban was associated with lower incidence of deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism and death from any cause after major hip surgery (5.351, relative risk [RR]: 0.37; confidence interval 95% [IC 95%]: 0.29-0.48) and knee surgery (2.878, RR: 0.65; IC 95%: 0.50-0.84) without differences in bleeding events (major bleeding events in hip surgery: 7.684, RR: 1.79; IC 95%: 0.78-4.11) and knee surgery: 5.700, RR: 1.59; IC 95%: 0.77-3.27). Conclusion: Rivaroxaban thromboprophylaxis in major hip and knee arthroplasty is more effective than enoxaparin and as safe as the latter.

Characterization of West Nile viruses isolated from captive American Flamingoes (Phoenicopterus ruber) in Medellin, Colombia.

Serum samples from a total of 71 healthy captive birds belonging to 18 species were collected in July of 2008 in Medellin (Colombia) and tested for flaviviruses. Eighteen of 29 samples from American Flamingoes (Phoenicopterus ruber) were positive for West Nile virus (WNV) by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Selected positive samples were serially passaged and WNV was confirmed by immunofluorescence. Two isolates (524/08, 9835/08) were characterized in vitro and in vivo. Sequence analysis revealed WNV with 16 nucleotide substitutions resulting in six amino acid changes when compared with the NY99 strain. Colombian (COL) viruses were more closely related to Louisiana isolates from 2001. When compared with attenuated strains isolated from Texas, COL isolates differed in their plaque size and temperature sensitivity phenotype. The COL viruses were pathogenic in embryonated chicken eggs and Balb/c mice.

Genetic make up and structure of Colombian populations by means of uniparental and biparental DNA markers.

Colombia is a country with great geographic heterogeneity and marked regional differences in pre-Columbian native population density and in the extent of past African and European immigration. As a result, Colombia has one of the most diverse populations in Latin America. Here we evaluated ancestry in over 1,700 individuals from 24 Colombian populations using biparental (autosomal and X-Chromosome), maternal (mtDNA), and paternal (Y-chromosome) markers. Autosomal ancestry varies markedly both within and between regions, confirming the great genetic diversity of the Colombian population. The X-chromosome, mtDNA, and Y-chromosome data indicate that there is a pattern across regions indicative of admixture involving predominantly Native American women and European and African men.