Título del artículo:

Association between bacterial community and cadmium distribution across Colombian cacao crops

Assessing the bacterial community composition across cacao crops is important to understand its potential role as a modulator of cadmium (Cd) translocation to plant tissues under fieldconditions; Cd mobility between soil and plants is a complex and multifactorial problem that cannot be captured only by experimentation. Although microbes have been shown to metabolize and drive the speciation of Cd under controlled conditions, regardless of the link between soil bacterial community (SBC) dynamics and Cd mobilization in the rhizosphere, only a few studies have addressed the relationship between soil bacterial community composition (SBCC) and Cd content in cacao seeds (Cdseed). Therefore, this study aimed to explore the association between SBCC and differentfactors influencingthe distribution of Cd across cacao crop systems. This study comprised 225 samples collected across fivefarms, where we used an amplicon sequencing approach to characterize the bacterial community composition. The soil Cd concentration alone (Cdsoil) was a poor predictor of Cdseed. Still, we found that this relationship was more apparent when the variation within farms was controlled, suggesting a role of heterogeneity within farms in modulating Cd translocation and, thus, seed Cd content. Our results provide evidence of the link between soil bacterial communities and the distribution of Cd across Colombian cacao crops, and highlight the importance of incorporating fine-spatial-scalestudies to advance the understanding of factors driving Cd uptake and accumulation in cacao plants.

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Microbiology Spectrum

Título del artículo:

Physical Activity and Obesity Risk in Adults in Colombia: The Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology (PURE) Study

O’DONOVAN, G., D. MARTÍNEZ, J. P. LÓPEZ-LÓPEZ, J. OTERO, M. URINA, T. VASQUEZ, M. NIÑO, C. NARVAEZ, M. C. CAMPO, M. PEREZ-MAYORGA, S. RODRÍGUEZ, E. ARCOS, G. SANCHEZ, H. GARCÍA, S. RANGARAJAN, S. YUSUF, and P. LÓPEZ-JARAMILLO. Physical Activity and Obesity Risk in Adults in Colombia: The Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology (PURE) Study. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc., Vol. 56, No. 7, pp. 1291- 1296, 2024. Purpose: This study aimed to investigate longitudinal associations between physical activity levels and obesity in adults in Colombia, where participation in large amounts of light-intensity physical activity is a necessity for many people. Methods: Participation in moderate- and vigorous-intensity physical activity was assessed from 2005 to 2009, and obesity was assessed from 2011 to 2019 in men and women from the Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology (PURE) study. Total physical activity level was categorized as low (<600 MET·min·wk−1), medium (600–3000 MET·min·wk−1), or high (>3000 MET·min·wk−1; 600 MET·min·wk−1 is equivalent to 150 min of moderate activity or 75 min of vigorous activity per week). Obesity was defined as body mass index ≥30 kg·m−2. Analyses were adjusted for age, sex, smoking, socioeconomic status, diet, alcohol, sedentary time, and sleep. Results: The main analysis included 3086 men and women aged 51 ± 9 yr at baseline (mean ± SD). Compared with the low physical activity group, the odds ratio (95% confidence interval) for obesity was 0.67 (0.53–0.85) in the medium physical activity group and 0.78 (0.62–0.98) in the high physical activity group after adjustment for potential confounders. Smoking is probably a major confounder, and it is noteworthy that similar associations were observed in participants who reported never smoking. Conclusions: The PURE study is the only prospective cohort study in Colombia. The present analysis is important because it suggests that even the busy people of Colombia could substantially reduce their risk of obesity by participating in moderate- and vigorous-intensity physical activity.

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Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise

Título del artículo:

Microclimate factors related to dengue virus burden clusters in two endemic towns of Mexico

In dengue-endemic areas, transmission control is limited by the difficulty of achieving sufficient coverage and sustainability of interventions. To maximize the effectiveness of interventions, areas with higher transmission could be identified and prioritized. The aim was to identify burden clusters of Dengue virus (DENV) infection and evaluate their association with microclimatic factors in two endemic towns from southern Mexico. Information from a prospective population cohort study (2·5 years of follow-up) was used, microclimatic variables were calculated from satellite information, and a cross-sectional design was conducted to evaluate the relationship between the outcome and microclimatic variables in the five surveys. Spatial clustering was observed in specific geographic areas at different periods. Both, land surface temperature (aPR 0·945; IC95% 0·895–0·996) and soil humidity (aPR 3·018; IC95% 1·013–8·994), were independently associated with DENV burden clusters. These findings can help health authorities design focused dengue surveillance and control activities in dengue endemic areas.

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PLoS ONE

Título del artículo:

Cost effectiveness analysis of a fixed dose combination pill for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease from an individual participant data meta-analysis

Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) continues to impart a large burden on the global population, especially in lower income countries where affordability limits the use of cardiovascular medicines. A fixed dose combination strategy of at least 2 blood pressure lowering medications and a statin with aspirin in a single pill has been shown to reduce the risk of incident CVD by 38% in primary prevention in a recent meta-analysis. We report the in-trial (median follow-up: 5 years) cost-effectiveness of a fixed dose combination (FDC) pill in different income groups based on data from that meta-analysis. Methods: Countries were categorized using World Bank economic groups: Lower Middle Income Countries (LMIC), Upper Middle Income Countries (UMIC) and High Income Countries (HIC). Country specific costs were obtained for hospitalized events, procedures, and non-study medications (2020 USD). FDC price was based on the cheapest equivalent substitute (CES) for each component. Findings: For the CES-FDC pill versus control the difference in cost was $346 (95% CI: $294–$398) per participant in Lower Middle Income Countries, $838 (95% CI: $781–$895) in Upper Middle Income Countries and $42 (95% CI: −$155 to $239) (cost-neutral) in High Income Countries. During the study period the CES-FDC pill was associated with incremental gain in quality-adjusted life years of 0.06 (95% CI: 0.04–0.08) resulting in an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of $5767 (95% CI: 5735–$5799), $13,937 (95% CI: $13,893–$14,041) and $700 (95% CI: $662–$738) respectively. In subgroups analyses, the highest 10 years CVD risk subgroup had ICERs of $2033, $7322 and −$6000/QALY. Interpretation: A FDC pill produced at CES costs is cost-neutral in HIC. Governments of LMI and UMI countries should assess these results based on the ICER threshold accepted in their own country and own specific health care priorities but should consider prioritizing this strategy for patients with high 10 years CVD risk as a first step. Funding: Population Health Research Institute.

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eClinicalMedicine

Título del artículo:

CD8⁺T-cell response to mutated HLA-B*35-restricted Gag HY9 and HA9 epitopes from HIV-1 variants from Medellin, Colombia

The HLA-B*35 alleles have been associated with a slow or rapid progression of HIV-1 infection. However, the mechanisms related to HIV-1 progression have yet to be entirely understood. Several reports indicate that the binding affinity between the HLA-I molecule and peptides could be associated with an increased CD8+ T-cell response. Novel HLA-B*35-restricted mutated variants have been described from HSNQVSQNY (HY9) and HPVHAGPIA (HA9) epitopes. Bioinformatic analysis has indicated that these mutated epitopes show low and high binding affinity towards HLA-B*35, respectively. However, the polyfunctionality of CD8+ T-cells stimulated with these mutated and wild-type epitopes has yet to be reported. The results suggest that the low-binding affinity H124 N/S125 N/N126S mutated peptide in the HY9 epitope induced a lower percentage of CD107a+CD8+ T-cells than the wild-type epitope. Instead, the high-binding affinity peptides I223V and I223A in the HA9 epitope induced a significantly higher frequency of polyfunctional CD8+ T-cells. Also, a higher proportion of CD8+ T-cells with two functions, with Granzyme B+ Perforin+ being the predominant profile, was observed after stimulation with mutated peptides associated with high binding affinity in the HA9 epitope. These results suggest that the high-affinity mutated peptides induced a more polyfunctional CD8+ T-cell response, which could be related to the control of viral replication.

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Heliyon

Título del artículo:

Pooled lagged effect of runoff on leptospirosis cases in Colombia

Leptospirosis is a global zoonotic disease caused by spirochete bacteria of the genus Leptospira. The disease exhibits a notable incidence in tropical and developing countries, and in Colombia, environmental, economic, social, and cultural conditions favor disease transmission, directly impacting both mortality and morbidity rates. Our objective was to establish the pooled lagged effect of runoff on leptospirosis cases in Colombia. For our study, we included the top 20 Colombian municipalities with the highest number of leptospirosis cases. Monthly cases of leptospirosis, confirmed by laboratory tests and spanning from 2007 to 2022, were obtained from the National Public Health Surveillance System. Additionally, we collected monthly runoff and atmospheric and oceanic data from remote sensors. Multidimensional poverty index values for each municipality were sourced from the Terridata repository. We employed causal inference and distributed lag nonlinear models to estimate the lagged effect of runoff on leptospirosis cases. Municipality-specific estimates were combined through meta-analysis to derive a single estimate for all municipalities under study. The pooled results for the 20 municipalities suggest a lagged effect for the 0 to 2, and 0–3 months of runoff on leptospirosis when the runoff is < 120 g/m2. No effect was identified for longer lagged periods (0–1, 0 to 4, 0 to 5, and 0–6 months) or higher runoff values. Incorporation of the multidimensional poverty index into the meta-analysis of runoff contributed to the models for the lagged periods of 0–3, and 0–4 months.

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Heliyon

Título del artículo:

Harnessing Graph Neural Networks to Predict International Trade Flows

In the realm of international trade and economic development, the prediction of trade flows between countries is crucial for identifying export opportunities. Commonly used log-linear regression models are constrained due to difficulties when dealing with extensive, high-cardinality datasets, and the utilization of machine learning techniques in predictions offers new possibilities. We examine the predictive power of Graph Neural Networks (GNNs) in estimating the value of bilateral trade between countries. We work with detailed UN Comtrade data that represent annual bilateral trade in goods between any two countries in the world and more than 5000 product groups. We explore two different types of GNNs, namely Graph Convolutional Networks (GCNs) and Graph Attention Networks (GATs), by applying them to trade flow data. This study evaluates the effectiveness of GNNs relative to traditional machine learning techniques such as random forest and examines the possible effects of data drift on their performance. Our findings reveal the superior predictive capability of GNNs, suggesting their effectiveness in modeling complex trade relationships. The research presented in this work offers a data-driven foundation for decision-making and is relevant for business strategies and policymaking as it helps in identifying markets, products, and sectors with significant development potential.

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Big Data and Cognitive Computing

Título del artículo:

Prediction of Positive Patient Health Questionnaire-2 Screening Using Area Deprivation Index in Primary Care

Depression is recognized as a significant public health issue in the United States. The National Survey on Drug Use and Health reports that 21.0 million adults aged 18 or older had major depressive disorder in 2020, including 14.8 million experiencing a major depressive episode with severe impairment. The aim is to predict the positivity of Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2) outcomes among patients in primary care settings by analyzing a range of variables, including socioeconomic status, demographic characteristics, and health behaviors, thereby identifying those at increased risk for depression. Employing a machine learning approach, the study utilizes retrospective data from electronic health records across 15 primary care clinics in South Florida to explore the relationship between social determinants of health (SDoH), including area of deprivation index (ADI) and PHQ-2 positivity. The study encompasses 15 primary care clinics located in South Florida, where a diverse patient population receives care. Analysis included 94,572 patient visits; 74,636 records were included in the study. If a zip+4 was not available or an ADI score did not exist, the visit was not included in the final analysis. Screening involved the PHQ-2, assessing depressed mood and anhedonia, with a cutoff >2 indicating positive screening. ADI was used to assess SDoH by matching patients’ residential postal codes to ADI national percentiles. Demographics, sexual history, tobacco use, caffeine intake, and community involvement were also evaluated in the study. Over 40 machine learning algorithms were explored for their accuracy in predicting PHQ-2 outcomes, using software tools including Scikit-learn and stats models in Python. Variables were normalized, scored, and then subjected to predictive regression models, with Random Forest showing outstanding performance. Feature engineering and correlation analysis identified ADI, age, education, visit type, coffee intake, and marital status as significant predictors of PHQ-2 positivity. The area under the curve and model accuracies varied across clinics, with specific clinics showing higher predictive accuracy and others (p >.05). The study concludes that the ADI, as a proxy for SDoH, alongside other individual factors, can predict PHQ-2 positivity. Health organizations can use this information to anticipate health needs and resource allocation.

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Clinical Nursing Research

Título del artículo:

Pre-morbid sleep disturbance and its association with stroke severity: results from the international INTERSTROKE study

Background and purpose: Whilst sleep disturbances are associated with stroke, their association with stroke severity is less certain. In the INTERSTROKE study, the association of pre-morbid sleep disturbance with stroke severity and functional outcome following stroke was evaluated. Methods: INTERSTROKE is an international case–control study of first acute stroke. This analysis included cases who completed a standardized questionnaire concerning nine symptoms of sleep disturbance (sleep onset latency, duration, quality, nocturnal awakening, napping duration, whether a nap was planned, snoring, snorting and breathing cessation) in the month prior to stroke (n = 2361). Two indices were derived representing sleep disturbance (range 0–9) and obstructive sleep apnoea (range 0–3) symptoms. Logistic regression was used to estimate the magnitude of association between symptoms and stroke severity defined by the modified Rankin Score. Results: The mean age of participants was 62.9 years, and 42% were female. On multivariable analysis, there was a graded association between increasing number of sleep disturbance symptoms and initially severe stroke (2–3, odds ratio [OR] 1.44, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.07–1.94; 4–5, OR 1.66, 95% CI 1.23–2.25; >5, OR 2.58, 95% CI 1.83–3.66). Having >5 sleep disturbance symptoms was associated with significantly increased odds of functional deterioration at 1 month (OR 1.54, 95% CI 1.01–2.34). A higher obstructive sleep apnoea score was also associated with significantly increased odds of initially severe stroke (2–3, OR 1.48; 95% CI 1.20–1.83) but not functional deterioration at 1 month (OR 1.19, 95% CI 0.93–1.52). Conclusions: Sleep disturbance symptoms were common and associated with an increased odds of severe stroke and functional deterioration. Interventions to modify sleep disturbance may help prevent disabling stroke/improve functional outcomes and should be the subject of future research.

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European Journal of Neurology

Título del artículo:

Spatiotemporal hierarchical Bayesian analysis to identify factors associated with COVID-19 in suburban areas in Colombia

Introduction: The pandemic had a profound impact on the provision of health services in Cúcuta, Colombia where the neighbourhood-level risk of Covid-19 has not been investigated. Identifying the sociodemographic and environmental risk factors of Covid-19 in large cities is key to better estimate its morbidity risk and support health strategies targeting specific suburban areas. This study aims to identify the risk factors associated with the risk of Covid-19 in Cúcuta considering inter -spatial and temporal variations of the disease in the city\'s neighbourhoods between 2020 and 2022. Methods: Age-adjusted rate of Covid-19 were calculated in each Cúcuta neighbourhood and each quarter between 2020 and 2022. A hierarchical spatial Bayesian model was used to estimate the risk of Covid-19 adjusting for socioenvironmental factors per neighbourhood across the study period. Two spatiotemporal specifications were compared (a nonparametric temporal trend; with and without space-time interaction). The posterior mean of the spatial and spatiotemporal effects was used to map the Covid-19 risk. Results: There were 65,949 Covid-19 cases in the study period with a varying standardized Covid-19 rate that peaked in October–December 2020 and April–June 2021. Both models identified an association of the poverty and stringency indexes, education level and PM10 with Covid-19 although the best fit model with a space-time interaction estimated a strong association with the number of high-traffic roads only. The highest risk of Covid-19 was found in neighbourhoods in west, central, and east Cúcuta. Conclusions: The number of high-traffic roads is the most important risk factor of Covid-19 infection in Cucuta. This indicator of mobility and connectivity overrules other socioenvironmental factors when Bayesian models include a space-time interaction. Bayesian spatial models are important tools to identify significant determinants of Covid-19 and identifying at-risk neighbourhoods in large cities. Further research is needed to establish causal links between these factors and Covid-19.

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Heliyon

Título del artículo:

“Research seedbeds” towards the consolidation of a research culture in the university context. Literature review 2017-2023.

The purpose of this study was to unveil the importance of SI research seedbeds and their impact on the achievement of a research culture in the university context through a systematic review during the years 2017-2023, the research sought to generate a theoretical approach that allows to give answers towards the promotion of a good practice of research culture and for this it is intended that this study allows to become a theoretical reference for the implementation of groups or research seedbeds in the UPEL-IPRGR, methodologically the research allowed, the review of 50 scientific articles published in journals indexed in SCOPUS, EBSCO, DIALNET, REDALYC, SCIELO in order to approach, analyze and explain the reality of the phenomenon under study, through the use of new research methods in the field of social sciences such as mixed methods, which allowed to deepen the study in its entirety from different perspectives and with the use of various techniques and instruments in a sequential manner, Among the main findings found, it is highlighted that there is currently a need to include research seedbeds as a formative extracurricular strategy, since they allow a significant exchange of scientific experiences with international projection, likewise the implementation of this strategy implies a synergy between the functions of teaching, research and extension that allows to articulate and develop a research culture within the university context and thus raise the rates of scientific productivity within the academic campus.

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Aibi, Revista de Investigacion Administracion e Ingenierias

Título del artículo:

Toward an integral educational management from the theory of complexity: Regular and extended educational days.

Institutional educational management should be immersed in a framework that involves dynamic and innovative actions to generate a productive and motivating process for its participants. In this context, the main objective of this work was to develop theoretical elements for educational management in both regular and extended school days, utilizing complexity as an emerging paradigm. The epistemological foundation was rooted in complexity theory, incorporating constructivist and cognitivist approaches. The chosen methodological approach was interpretative and qualitative, employing phenomenology as a method. Data collection techniques comprised interviews and observations, administered to seven key informants using a script. Analysis was conducted using grounded theory and the Constant Comparison technique, employing content analysis for coding and categorization, facilitating the transition from data to theory. Constitutive theoretical elements were identified, including the renewal of secondary education, the transformation of educational management, the updating of curricular orientation, motivation for community participation, the renewal of pedagogical praxis, the conception of innovative days, and research as a formative task.

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Aibi, Revista de Investigacion Administracion e Ingenierias

Título del artículo:

Social accounting and its effect on the corporate business model.

The background shows the positive evaluation in terms of social account, in terms of sustainable development in the economic, social and financial field, where aspects such as; the cost of labor, knowledge management, intellectual capital and environmental working conditions, adequate management of social and environmental accounting; with respect to economic profitability and added economic value. Other no less important jobs involve strategic management and the use of technology and robotics as tools for efficiency and productivity in processes. However, the current seed of interest seeks to determine the effect of Social Accounting on the corporate Business Model. through a qualitative analysis during the period 2019-2024. For this, the PICOT methodology was used under the following criteria: preparatory phase through the use of the Google Scholar, Dialnet, Scopus, Ryalnet and Scielo databases. Inclusion and exclusion criteria for articles related to Social Accounting, written in English or Spanish and published during the aforementioned period. The comparison level shows the relationship or qualification between variables or their effect on economic, productivity or efficiency results, and then show these results as an effect on the business models. In its application, 71 of 400 articles are selected that show the following findings: omission of non-monetized sections and reports in international standards, IFRS, use of the green economy and circular economy in the reuse of waste as raw material and, adoption of intelligence artificial and robotics as an improvement in business competitiveness. These findings have not been adopted on a massive scale by companies, even though they probably strengthen relationships with their consumers in terms of image, business reputation and income; due to the lack of formulas and mechanisms that demonstrate the benefit with respect to the amount invested.

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Aibi, Revista de Investigacion Administracion e Ingenierias

Título del artículo:

Immune thrombocytopenic purpura following mRNA-SARS-CoV-2 vaccination: a case report

Introduction: Herein, it is presented a case report of a Colombian adult male patient, without any previous report of thrombocytopenia or hematological disorders, who developed a mild and chronic paucisymptomatic immune thrombocytopenic purpura, a rare complication following SARS-CoV-2 m-RNA. To the best of our knowledge, this represents the first documented case in Colombia of immune thrombocytopenic purpura associated with mRNA vaccines (BNT162b2 or mRNA-1273), with a comprehensive 2-year clinical follow-up. Case Description: The patient received the initial and second doses of the mRNA BNT162b2 vaccine in June 2021, the first booster dose in November 2021 (mRNA-1273), and the second booster dose (mRNA BNT162b2) in June 2022. Thrombocytopenia (<100 x109 platelets/L, which is the criterion to define immune thrombocytopenic purpura) was documented after the second vaccination dose and both boosters, and it improved after corticosteroid therapy. However, cycling thrombocytopenia persisted until the clinical follow-up in August 2023, with platelet count ranging from 57 to 191 x109 platelets/L (mean: 103 x109 platelets/L). Conclusion: Given that secondary immune thrombocytopenic purpura can occur following SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination, systematic research to identify risk factors associated with immune thrombocytopenic purpura due to COVID-19 immunization should be conducted.

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Revista Cuidarte

Título del artículo:

LINEAR AND AFFINE FUNCTION IN SECONDARY TEXTBOOKS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

This article deals with a systematic review on the analysis of Secondary Education textbooks on the linear and affine function, following the guidelines of the PRISMA model and the keywords obtained from the UNESCO thesaurus. The databases considered for this research were WoS, Scopus, SciELo, DOAJ and Dialnet. The search yielded a total of 14 documents, six of which were analyzed after applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Some results show that, in relation to bibliometric indicators, most of the authors are female and the country of the institutions to which the authors belong only one of them is Latin American. The presence of a qualitative approach with the object of study, mostly textbooks, is evidenced. It is concluded that there are few scientific articles on the subject in mainstream journals.

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Interciencia

Título del artículo:

Factors related to mental health problems in nursing students: a multicenter study

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has brought consequences to the mental health of the undergraduate population of nursing programs. Objective: To identify the factors associated with mental health disturbances among university students in nursing programs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and Methods: A multicenter, cross-sectional study was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic among students enrolled in nursing programs at two Colombian universities and one Spanish university. An online sociodemographic, economic, and personal survey was administered along with the GHQ-12, the Family APGAR, the MOS Social Support Survey, and the IES-R for posttraumatic stress. The prevalence of mental health disturbances and their differences according to the characteristics of the students were estimated; prevalence ratios were also obtained. Results: Of the 302 students, a prevalence of clinically significant mental was found in 61.92%, family dysfunction in 61.58%, and low social support in 9.33%. In addition, 44.46% had posttraumatic stress symptoms, 52.65% had economic difficulties, 54.61% had academic difficulties, and 69.87% had personal difficulties. These mental disturbances were frequent in the presence of moderate family dysfunction (PR=1.77 CI95%=1.15;2.73), difficulty in paying for food (PR=1.35 CI95%=1.09;1.67), a breakup with a partner (PR=1.27 CI95%=1.02;1.59) and clinically relevant posttraumatic stress symptoms (PR=1.69 CI95%=1.28;2.24). Discussion: Psychological distress and its related factors found in nursing students agree with other findings in the literature. Conclusion: A significant proportion of nursing students were affected in their mental health during the pandemic, demonstrating the need for systematic, continuous, and comprehensive strategies by educational institutions.

Acerca de la revista donde se publicó este artículo:

Revista Cuidarte

Título del artículo:

Sanitary quality of bottled water distributed in three municipalities in the north of Santander, Colombia

Bottled water is a vital source of hydration for health. Bottled water companies manage resources responsibly and have as a great challenge to invest in science, technology, innovation, research and practices that improve the quality and conservation of water. In Colombia, the bottled water market is disputed by about 800 companies, which start with drinking water and add microfiltration, nanofiltration, ozonation, reverse osmosis, ultraviolet light, pasteurization, among others. The objective of this study was to evaluate the presence of mesophilic aerobes, coliforms, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Salmonella spp. in treated bottled drinking water produced by companies in San José de Cúcuta and marketed in the municipalities of Los Patios, Villa del Rosario and Cúcuta, Colombia. A total of 50 samples from ten companies were collected and analyzed following methodologies established in Colombian technical standards. The presence of mesophilic aerobes was determined in 76% of the total number of samples, total coliforms in 36%, fecal coliforms in 28%, Pseudomonas aeruginosa in 12% and Salmonella spp. in 0%. These results exceed the permitted values, according to Resolution 12186 of 1991 from the Ministry of Health (Ministerio de Salud, 1991). For this reason, it is necessary to carry out an exhaustive followup and control of the processing and distribution stages of bottled treated drinking water in order to establish the necessary corrective measures to ensure quality and reduce the potential risk to the health of consumers.

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Tecnologia y Ciencias del Agua

Título del artículo:

Digital marketing and E-commerce for pymes in Colombia: security and ease of mobile transactions.

This study investigated the importance of training in digital marketing and e-commerce for SMEs in Colombia, focusing on the security and ease of mobile transactions. Face-to-face training workshops were conducted with 18 selected entrepreneurs to analyze their previous experiences and challenges. The results revealed that 88% of the entrepreneurs considered training in these topics essential. The lack of knowledge and skills in digital marketing and e-commerce was identified as a barrier to the growth of SMEs online. The workshops were effective in improving the entrepreneurs\' knowledge and skills, and they emphasized the importance of security and personalization in ecommerce. Emerging trends and technologies, such as the use of blockchain and biometric technologies, were identified to enhance the security of mobile transactions. The adoption of innovative technologies, such as artificial intelligence and augmented reality, was highlighted as a way to increase competitiveness and improve the customer experience in e-commerce in Colombia.

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Aibi, Revista de Investigacion Administracion e Ingenierias

Título del artículo:

Associations of the glycaemic index and the glycaemic load with risk of type 2 diabetes in 127 594 people from 20 countries (PURE): a prospective cohort study

Background: The association between the glycaemic index and the glycaemic load with type 2 diabetes incidence is controversial. We aimed to evaluate this association in an international cohort with diverse glycaemic index and glycaemic load diets. Methods: The PURE study is a prospective cohort study of 127 594 adults aged 35–70 years from 20 high-income, middle-income, and low-income countries. Diet was assessed at baseline using country-specific validated food frequency questionnaires. The glycaemic index and the glycaemic load were estimated on the basis of the intake of seven categories of carbohydrate-containing foods. Participants were categorised into quintiles of glycaemic index and glycaemic load. The primary outcome was incident type 2 diabetes. Multivariable Cox Frailty models with random intercepts for study centre were used to calculate hazard ratios (HRs). Findings: During a median follow-up of 11·8 years (IQR 9·0–13·0), 7326 (5·7%) incident cases of type 2 diabetes occurred. In multivariable adjusted analyses, a diet with a higher glycaemic index was significantly associated with a higher risk of diabetes (quintile 5 vs quintile 1; HR 1·15 [95% CI 1·03–1·29]). Participants in the highest quintile of the glycaemic load had a higher risk of incident type 2 diabetes compared with those in the lowest quintile (HR 1·21, 95% CI 1·06–1·37). The glycaemic index was more strongly associated with diabetes among individuals with a higher BMI (quintile 5 vs quintile 1; HR 1·23 [95% CI 1·08–1·41]) than those with a lower BMI (quintile 5 vs quintile 1; 1·10 [0·87–1·39]; p interaction=0·030). Interpretation: Diets with a high glycaemic index and a high glycaemic load were associated with a higher risk of incident type 2 diabetes in a multinational cohort spanning five continents. Our findings suggest that consuming low glycaemic index and low glycaemic load diets might prevent the development of type 2 diabetes. Funding: Full funding sources are listed at the end of the Article.

Acerca de la revista donde se publicó este artículo:

The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology

Título del artículo:

Lifestyle risk factors and all-cause and cause-specific mortality in the Mexico City prospective study: Assessing the influence of reverse causation

Background: We examined the association between individual lifestyle risk factors with all-cause and cause-specific mortality. Methods: Prospective cohort study including 155,002 participants from the Mexico City Prospective Study. Cox regression models were used to estimate the association between individual lifestyle risk factors and all-cause and cause-specific mortality. Participants with prevalent diseases at baseline and participants who died during the first 2, 5, 10, and 15 years of follow-up were excluded to account for reverse causation. Results: 27,469 people died during 18.3 years of follow-up years. Overweight and moderate alcohol consumption were inversely associated with all-cause mortality, while low physical activity and smoking were positively associated when all participants were included, regardless of prevalent disease or duration of follow-up. The direction of the association of overweight with all-cause mortality changed from inverse to positive after excluding the first 10 years of follow-up. Compared with normal weight, the hazard ratio (95 % confidence interval) was 1.17 (1.13,1.22) for obesity after excluding those who died in the first 5 years of follow-up and 1.71 (1.59,1.84) after excluding the first 15 years of follow-up. The magnitude of the association of alcohol intake, low physical activity, and smoking with mortality attenuated, whereas for fruits and vegetables increased, after excluding longer periods of follow-up. Limitations: The data were collected exclusively in Mexico City; lifestyle risk factors were self-reported and thus prone to misclassification bias. Conclusions: Reverse causation may influence both the magnitude and the direction of the associations between lifestyle risk factors and mortality.

Acerca de la revista donde se publicó este artículo:

Journal of Affective Disorders

Título del artículo:

Chronology and impact of global research into chronic postoperative pain: a bibliometric analysis of 40 years of research

Objective: To describe the chronology, evolution and impact of global research into chronic postoperative pain. Materials and methods: A bibliometric study was conducted using the Scopus database. A structured search was designed and validated, thereby allowing the collection of metadata, which were analyzed through the Bibliometrix package of the R programming language. The study involved the description of the general characteristics, evolution and calculation of impact metrics of global research into chronic postoperative pain. Results: The study included 1,496 documents, which spanned from 1983 to 2023. Original articles accounted for 70.7 % (n =1,059) of the total output, followed by reviews (n = 357; 23.8 %). There was an international collaboration rate of 15.6 %, and there has been sustained growth in output since 1983, with a sharp increase in the last 13 years, 2022 being the most prolific one (n =191 published documents). It was identified that Canada and Denmark lead the impact of global research and have the most productive authors and institutions. However, the United States is the most prolific country because it leads significant collaboration, mainly with European and Latin American countries. Neuropathic pain, risk factor assessment and pain management were identified as some of the most frequent topics. Over the past approximately 10 years, there has been persistent interest in research on quality of life, prediction, prevention, and risk factor assessment. Recently, there has been interest in studying pain in video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery and developing predictive models. Conclusions: The study revealed sustained growth in global research on chronic postoperative pain over the past 40 years. Such growth has been mainly led by Canadian and Danish institutions, despite the United States being the most prolific country. Moreover, there has been a significant transition in the studied topics, moving from the use of drugs and identification of risk factors to the study of predictive models, data systematization, and video-assisted surgery.

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Horizonte Medico

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Debut of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia with malignant hypercalcemia, unusual presentation: a case report

Introduction. Leukaemia is the leading childhood cancer, with a 2022 incidence rate of 5.5 per 100,000 children. In the pediatric population, Hypercalcaemia maligna is one of its rare and severe paraneoplastic manifestations (overall incidence 0.4 - 1.3%). Objective. To present a case of acute lymphoblastic leukemia that debuted with severe hypercalcemia. Case description. It is about a 3-year-old female preschooler who started with a clinical picture characterized by bone pain and functional limitation; initial haemograms showed no alteration of cell lines, radiographs showed generalized osteopenia, accompanied by severe hypercalcemia, inhibited parathyroid hormone and secondary hypercalciuria, which were managed with intravenous hydration, diuretic, steroid and zoledronic acid. She also presented electrolyte imbalances that required potassium and phosphorus replacement with adequate response. Bone marrow studies were performed, confirming the diagnosis of acute lymphoblastic leukemia; she received ALLIC 2009 protocol chemotherapy with refractory disease at the end of the induction phase, and finally, a haploidentical bone marrow transplant, which was successful. Discussion. Hypercalcemia of malignancy is one of the endocrinological oncological emergencies with a low incidence, which is more frequent in the adult population. So, it is not the first diagnostic impression to be considered in pediatrics, leading to delays in aetiological diagnosis and prognosis. Conclusion. Hypercalcaemia accompanied by diffuse osteolytic lesions may be the first and only manifestation in the pediatric population with a diagnosis of acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Recognizing it will lead to the timely initiation of treatment, with an impact on survival.

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MedUNAB

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Global research on fungal meningitis: Visual and bibliometric analysis

Introduction: Fungal meningitis is a life-threatening condition with limited therapeutic options and many uncertainties regarding its prognosis and comprehensive management. Aim: To analyze the evolution and characteristics of global research on fungal meningitis. M aterials and m ethods: Bibliometric cross-sectional study using Scopus as the data source. Results: 1 881 documents published between 1946 and 2024 were selected. 69.4 % (n=1 307) of the production consisted of articles with primary data. International collaboration was identified at 9.4 %, with an annual growth rate of 3.24 %. Over 95 % of the authors have published only up to two articles. The United States is the most prolific country with the highest impact. Over time, research has focused on immunocompromised individuals, followed by those linked to Cryptococcus, Candida, and Aspergillus, clinical manifestations, coinfections, and Fusarium solani infection. Diagnostic tool performance, such as nuclear magnetic resonance and lumbar puncture, and antifungals, such as amphotericin B and fluconazole, have been studied. Conclusions: Fluctuating growth was identified in global research on fungal meningitis, with a downward trend in recent years, primarily led by the United States and American institutions. This research has focused mainly on studying the clinical and epidemiological behavior of the disease, along with the performance of diagnostic tools and therapeutic strategies.

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Gaceta Medica de Caracas

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Effects of a WhatsApp-Assisted Health Educational Intervention for Cardiac Rehabilitation: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial Protocol

Although the effectiveness of cardiac rehabilitation (CR) programs in secondary prevention is well-recognized, there is a lack of studies exploring the potential of mobile health to enhance educational interventions within CR. The objective is to assess the impact of a structured WhatsApp-assisted health educational intervention, in conjunction with the usual care, compared to the usual care alone among participants enrolled in a CR program. The trial will recruit 32 participants enrolled in a CR program, who will be randomly assigned to a structured WhatsApp-assisted health educational intervention plus usual care or usual care alone group. The intervention will span 4 weeks, with assessments at baseline, 4 weeks, and 3, 6, and 12 months. The primary outcome measure is the cardiovascular risk factors knowledge score. Secondary outcomes include physical activity levels, anxiety and depression, and quality of life. Expected results include improved knowledge of cardiovascular risk factors, increased physical activity levels, and better mental health outcomes in the intervention group. Additionally, an enhancement in the overall quality of life is anticipated. These findings are expected to underscore the value of integrating mHealth with traditional CR methods, potentially shaping future approaches in chronic disease management and prevention.

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Methods and Protocols

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Relationship between Social Support and Clinical Outcomes: An Evaluation of Participant-Nominated Treatment Supporters in the HOPE 4 Intervention

BACKGROUND: The HOPE 4 trial (Heart Outcomes Prevention and Evaluation 4) investigated the effectiveness of a comprehensive, collaborative model of care, implemented in Colombia and Malaysia, which aimed to reduce cardiovascular disease risk in individuals with hypertension. One component of this intervention was the nomination of a treatment supporter, where participants could select a family member or friend to assist them with their care. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of these individuals on participant outcomes, as well as the relationship dynamics between participants and their treatment supporter. METHODS: Participants in the HOPE 4 intervention group with baseline and 12 months of follow-up were included for analysis. They were divided into Every Visit (n=339) and

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Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes