Differences in Childhood Growth Parameters Between Patients With Somatic and Heritable Retinoblastoma.

Purpose: Little is known regarding differences in childhood growth between somatic and heritable retinoblastoma (Rb) populations. We aimed to compare childhood growth parameters between somatic and heritable Rb cohorts at birth and at time of diagnosis with Rb. Methods: A multinational, longitudinal cohort study was conducted with patients from 11 centers in 10 countries who presented with treatment naïve Rb from January to December 2019. Variables of interest included age, sex, and size characteristics at birth and at time of presentation, as well as germline mutation status. After Bonferroni correction, results were statistically significant if the P value was less than 0.005. Results: We enrolled 696 patients, with 253 analyzed after exclusion criteria applied. Between somatic (n = 39) and heritable (n = 214) Rb cohorts, with males and females analyzed separately, there was no significant difference in birth weight percentile, weight percentile at time of diagnosis, length percentile at time of diagnosis, weight-for-length percentile at time of diagnosis, or change of weight percentile from birth to time of diagnosis. Patients with heritable Rb had a smaller mean weight percentile at birth and smaller mean weight and length percentiles at time of diagnosis with Rb, although this difference was not statistically significant. All cohorts experienced a slight negative change of weight percentile from birth to time of diagnosis. No cohort mean percentiles met criteria for failure to thrive, defined as less than the 5th percentile. Conclusions: Children with Rb seem to have normal birth and childhood growth patterns. There is no definitive evidence that somatic or heritable Rb has a biological or environmental impact on childhood growth parameters.

Cardiac paraganglioma: implications and impacts of a rare disease-a case report †.

Background: Tumour-producing catecholamines arise in the adrenal medulla (pheochromocytomas), as well as in extra-adrenal chromaffin cells (paragangliomas). The origin can be from any location; however, it is very rare in the heart. Case summary: A 43-year-old woman with a history of arterial hypertension presented with dyspnoea on moderate exertion, New York Class Association (NYHA) functional classes III and IV, and oedema in the lower extremities. Medical and laboratory evaluation revealed an NT-proBNP of 6046 pg/mL, a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) of 15%, longitudinal strain of -7%, and a mass located on the inner surface of the left atrioventricular groove. Surgical intervention was performed, and the tumour was resected. Pathological report showed an extra-adrenal paraganglioma without neoplastic involvement in the margins of the vena cava. After surgery, the patient showed clinical improvement with NYHA functional class I, LVEF of 56%, and longitudinal strain of -20% on transthoracic echocardiography 4 months after treatment. Discussion: Paragangliomas are tumours that are rarely found in the heart, and their diagnosis is difficult. However, early detection and treatment can improve the quality of life of affected patients.

Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes of Patients with Heart Failure of Hypertensive Etiology: Analysis of Colombian Heart Failure Registry (RECOLFACA).

INTRODUCTION: Arterial hypertension represents one of the main comorbidities observed in patients with heart failure (HF) and one of the main risk factors for its development. Despite this, studies assessing this hypertensive etiology are scarce in Latin America. Our objective was to analyze the prevalence of HF of hypertensive etiology and evaluate its prognosis in patients enrolled in the Colombian Heart Failure Registry (RECOLFACA by its Spanish acronym). METHODS: RECOLFACA recruited adult patients diagnosed with HF in 60 centers in Colombia between 2017 and 2019. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality. A Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to assess factors associated with primary outcomes in patients with hypertensive HF. A p value <0.05 was considered significant. All statistical tests were two-tailed. RESULTS: Out of the total number of patients evaluated in RECOLFACA (n = 2,514), 804 had a diagnosis of HF with hypertensive etiology (31.9%). These patients were less frequently males and had a significantly older age and lower prevalence of comorbidities than those with HF of other etiologies. Additionally, patients with hypertensive HF had a higher prevalence of HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) (34.1% vs. 28.3%; p = 0.004). Finally, type 2 diabetes mellitus, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease diagnosis, and NYHA class IV were classified as independent mortality risk factors. CONCLUSIONS: Hypertensive HF represents about one-third of the total number of patients with HF in RECOLFACA. Compared with HF of other etiologies, it presents a differential clinical profile - older age and a higher prevalence of HFpEF. RECOLFACA has become a useful tool to characterize patients with HF in Colombia, with which it has been possible to carry out a more specific search and reach the diagnosis of this pathology in our population, and it has served as an example to stimulate registries of patients with HF in other countries in the region.

Postoperative virtual reality for recovery after bariatric surgery: study protocol for a randomised clinical trial.

Background: Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocols for bariatric surgery improve clinical outcomes. However, the impact of ERAS protocols on patient satisfaction is unknown. Virtual reality has been implemented as an effective adjunct to standard analgesic regimens. This study seeks to find out if immersive virtual reality in the immediate postoperative period could improve the subjective quality of recovery and further reduce opioid requirements for bariatric surgery patients compared with ERAS care alone. Methods: This is a single-centre, randomised clinical trial of patients recovering from laparoscopic bariatric surgery. Once in the post-anaesthesia care unit (PACU), participants will receive either an immersive virtual reality plus ERAS protocol or ERAS protocol alone. The primary outcome will be the Quality of Recovery-15 (QoR-15) score at PACU discharge. Secondary outcomes include PACU opioid requirements, length of PACU stay, PACU pain scores, QoR-15 score on postoperative day 1, hospital length of stay, opioid requirements, and opioid-related adverse effects until hospital discharge. Conclusions: Positive findings from this study could introduce virtual reality as a non-pharmacological adjunct during PACU care that improves subjective recovery for patients undergoing bariatric surgery. Clinical trial registration: NCT04754165.

Description of clinical and genetic features of 122 patients included in the Spanish Pompe registry.

Pompe disease is a rare genetic disorder with an estimated prevalence of 1:60.000. The two main phenotypes are Infantile Onset Pompe Disease (IOPD) and Late Onset Pompe Disease (LOPD). There is no published data from Spain regarding the existing number of cases, regional distribution, clinical features or, access and response to the treatment. We created a registry to collect all these data from patients with Pompe in Spain. Here, we report the data of the 122 patients registered including nine IOPD and 113 LOPD patients. There was a high variability in how the diagnosis was obtained and how the follow-up was performed among different centres. Seven IOPD patients were still alive being all treated with enzymatic replacement therapy (ERT) at last visit. Ninety four of the 113 LOPD patients had muscle weakness of which 81 were receiving ERT. We observed a progressive decline in the results of muscle function tests during follow-up. Overall, the Spanish Pompe Registry is a valuable resource for understanding the demographics, patient's journey and clinical characteristics of patients in Spain. Our data supports the development of agreed guidelines to ensure that the care provided to the patients is standardized across the country.

Infections in the first year after heart transplantation in a Latin American country.

BACKGROUND: Heart transplantation is the therapy of choice in patients with advanced heart failure refractory to other medical or surgical management. However, heart transplants are associated with complications that increase posttransplant morbidity and mortality. Infections are one of the most important complications after this procedure. Therefore, infections in the first year after heart transplantation were evaluated. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study of infections after heart transplants was conducted in a teaching hospital in Colombia between 2011 and 2019. Patients registered in the institutional heart transplant database (RETRAC) were included in the study. Microbiological isolates and infectious serological data were matched with the identities of heart transplant recipients and data from clinical records of individuals registered in the RETRAC were analyzed. The cumulative incidences of events according to the type of microorganism isolated were estimated using Kaplan-Meier survival analyses. RESULTS: Seventy-nine patients were included in the study. Median age was 49 years (37.4-56.3), and 26.58% of patients were women. Eighty-seven infections were documented, of which 55.17% (48) were bacterial, 22.99% (20) were viral, and 12.64% (11) were fungal. Bacterial infections predominated in the first month. In the first year, infections caused 38.96% of hospital admissions and were the second cause of death after heart transplants (25.0%). CONCLUSION: Posttransplant infections in the first year of follow-up were frequent. Bacterial infections predominated in the early posttransplant period. Infections, mainly bacterial, were the second most common cause of death and the most common cause of hospitalization in the first year after heart transplantation.

Vitamin A biomarkers were associated with α(1)-acid glycoprotein and C-reactive protein over the course of a human norovirus challenge infection.

Retinol binding protein (RBP) is used as a proxy for retinol in population-based assessments of vitamin A deficiency (VAD) for cost-effectiveness and feasibility. When the cut-off of < 0·7 µmol/l for retinol is applied to RBP to define VAD, an equivalence of the two biomarkers is assumed. Evidence suggests that the relationship between retinol and RBP is not 1:1, particularly in populations with a high burden of infection or inflammation. The goal of this analysis was to longitudinally evaluate the retinol:RBP ratio over 1 month of follow-up among fifty-two individuals exposed to norovirus (n 26 infected, n 26 uninfected), test whether inflammation (measured as α-1-acid glycoprotein (AGP) and C-reactive protein (CRP)) affects retinol, RBP and the ratio between the two and assess whether adjusting vitamin A biomarkers for AGP or CRP improves the equivalence of retinol and RBP. We found that the median molar ratio between retinol and RBP was the same among infected (0·68) and uninfected (0·68) individuals. AGP was associated with the ratio and RBP individually, controlling for CRP, and CRP was associated with both retinol and RBP individually, controlling for AGP over 1 month of follow-up. Adjusting for inflammation led to a slight increase in the ratio among infected individuals (0·71) but remained significantly different from the expected value of one. These findings highlight the need for updated recommendations from the WHO on a cut-off value for RBP and an appropriate method for measuring and adjusting for inflammation when using RBP in population assessments of VAD.

Clinical and laboratory features of rickettsioses in Yucatan, Mexico.

Rickettsia species are obligate intracellular bacteria that can cause mild to severe human disease. Based on phylogeny, clinical symptoms, and antigenic properties, rickettsiae are classified into four groups. Infections by these agents are characterized by clinical symptoms ranging from self-limited to severe and even fatal febrile illnesses, depending on the Rickettsia spp. involved, the patient's predisposition, and timely medical care. The present study aimed to characterize rickettsial diseases in Yucatan according to clinical and laboratory features appearing in medical records corresponding to 427 samples taken between 2015 and 2018. A study was conducted over the period 2015-2018 on 427 samples. Clinical and laboratory features were documented from the patients' medical records. For molecular diagnosis, blood was collected in 3.8 % sodium citrate as anticoagulant, and DNA was extracted. Single-step and nested PCR amplification was performed using genus-specific primers for the rickettsial 17kDa and ompB genes. The amplicons obtained were purified and sequenced. A total of 22.7 % (97/427) positive cases of Rickettsia spp. were identified by PCR from 14.15 % (15/106) of the municipalities in Yucatan. 75.2 % (73/97) of the cases were from the city of Merida during the autumn (September-December). The age groups with the highest frequency of confirmed cases were pediatric (5-14 years) (57.7 %) and adults (25-49 years) (42.2 %). There were six fatal cases in children, one associated with R. typhi and five with R. rickettsii. In non-fatal cases, 32.9 % (32/97) corresponded to the spotted fever group (SFG), and 60.8 % (59/97) to the typhus group (TG). Significant differences in signs, and laboratory data, were observed between the pediatric and adult populations. For the treatment of patients, oral and intravenous doxycycline was used in severe hospitalized cases. Typhus group and spotted fever group Rickettsiae are endemic pathological agents found in urban and rural areas of our region. Molecular identification allows for greater diagnostic accuracy and timely treatment and consequently a better prognosis. It is necessary to implement or reinforce measures focused on the dissemination of knowledge regarding rickettsial diseases and their prevention.

Human Resource Management in the Gig Economy: towards a new configuration?

The context of the Gig Economy involves a break in the standard employment relationship between employees and employer; and a questioning of the role of Human Resources management (HR) in charge of managing this link. This article aims to analyse the role and configuration of HR management in the context of the Gig Economy From the contingent configurational approach, the way in which HR practices are combined and configured to contribute to performance and manage the relationship with the individuals who participate in this economy is argued. It is found that the labour relationship between companies and gig workers is characterized by being transactional and symbiotic based on the utilitarian premise of mutual benefit. For this reason, for this context, an HR configuration oriented towards the market or maximizing productivity and the fulfilment of agreements would predominate. JEL CLASSIFICATION J0I; J2I; MI2

O contexto da Gig Economy implica uma ruptura da relação de emprego padrão entre empregados e empregador e um questionamento do papel da gestão de Recursos Humanos (RH) no gerenciamento desse vínculo. Este artigo tem como objetivo analisar o papel e a configuração da GRH no contexto da Gig Economy. A partir de uma abordagem configuracional contingente, ele argumenta como as práticas de RH são combinadas e configuradas para contribuir para o desempenho e gerenciar o relacionamento com os indivíduos que participam dessa economia. O estudo conclui que a relação de emprego entre as empresas e os trabalhadores autônomos é caracterizada como transacional e simbiótica, com base na premissa utilitarista do benefício mútuo. Assim, nesse contexto, predominaria uma configuração de RH orientada para o mercado ou para maximizar a produtividade e o cumprimento de acordos. CLASSIFICAÇÃO JEL J01; J21; M12

El contexto de la Gig Economy supone una ruptura de la relación laboral estándar entre empleados y empleador; y un cuestionamiento sobre la función de la gestión de Recursos Humano (RR.HH.) encargada de gestionar dicho vínculo. El presente artículo tiene como objetivo analizar la función y configuración de la gestión de RR.HH. en el contexto de la Gig Economy. Desde el enfoque configuracional contingente se argumenta el modo en el que las prácticas de RR.HH. se combinan y configuran para aportar al desempeño y gestionar el relacionamiento con los individuos que participan de esta economía. Se encuentra que la relación laboral entre las empresas y los trabajadores gig se caracteriza por ser transaccional y simbiótica basada en la premisa utilitaria del beneficio mutuo. Por ello, para este contexto predominaría una configuración de RR.HH. orientada hacia el mercado o en maximizar la productividad, y al cumplimiento de acuerdos. CLASIFICACIÓN JEL J0I; J2I; MI2

Hallazgo incidental de neoplasia primaria de pulmón: blastoma pulmonar en mujer adulta. Reporte de caso / Incidental finding of primary lung neoplasm: pulmonary blastoma in an adult woman, case report

El blastoma pulmonar es una neoplasia poco común y agresiva que se origina en el pulmón; está compuesto por tejido mesenquimal y epitelial inmaduro que imita la configuración pulmonar en etapas embrionarias. Tiene una baja incidencia y una alta tasa de mortalidad, con aproximadamente un 60 %. Este blastoma tiende a desarrollarse con mayor frecuencia entre la cuarta y quinta década de vida, siendo más prevalente en mujeres y generalmente asociado al tabaquismo. Se presenta el caso de una mujer de 23 años sin factores de riesgo conocidos, a quien se le diagnosticó incidentalmente un blastoma pulmonar primario. La paciente experimentaba dolor en la región costal izquierda, tos productiva, disnea y hemoptisis desde hace 30 días. Los hallazgos en las imágenes de rayos X y tomografías de tórax llevaron a la realización de una biopsia del pulmón izquierdo, que reveló fragmentos de tejido con una notable presencia de necrosis tumoral. Cinco días después, la paciente consultó nuevamente debido a un empeoramiento de los síntomas, incluyendo dolor torácico de tipo pleurítico. Se decidió realizar una lobectomía inferior izquierda, durante la cual se encontró un tumor sólido adherido a la pleura visceral, con masas tumorales en la pleura parietal. El estudio histopatológico final confirmó el diagnóstico de un tumor maligno de alto grado compatible con blastoma pulmonar. En conclusión, el blastoma pulmonar es una neoplasia rara que puede presentarse en diferentes etapas de la vida, aunque tiene mayor incidencia entre los 40 y 50 años. Es importante que los patólogos consideren esta enfermedad en sus diagnósticos diferenciales debido a los desafíos que implica su diagnóstico. Detectar el blastoma pulmonar en etapas tempranas es crucial para el tratamiento adecuado, aunque actualmente no se conocen marcadores predictivos confiables y el pronóstico de esta enfermedad es generalmente desfavorable.

Pulmonary blastoma is a rare and aggressive neoplasm that originates in the lung. It is composed of immature mesenchymal and epithelial tissue that mimics the embryonic configuration of the lung. It has a low incidence and a high mortality rate, of approximately 60%. Pulmonary blastoma tends to occur more frequently between the fourth and fifth decades of life, being more prevalent in women and generally associated with smoking. The case of a 23-year-old woman with no known risk factors is presented, who incidentally was diagnosed with a primary pulmonary blastoma. The patient experienced pain in the left costal region, productive cough, dyspnea, and hemoptysis for 30 days. Findings on X-ray and chest tomography led to a biopsy of the left lung, which revealed tissue fragments with significant tumor necrosis. Five days later, the patient consulted again due to worsened symptoms, including pleuritic chest pain. It was decided to perform a left lower lobectomy, during which a solid tumor attached to the visceral pleura with tumor masses in the parietal pleura was found. The final histopathological study confirmed the diagnosis of a high-grade malignant tumor compatible with pulmonary blastoma. In conclusion, pulmonary blastoma is a rare neoplasm that can occur at different stages of life, although it has a higher incidence between the ages of 40 and 50. Pathologists need to consider this disease in their differential diagnoses due to the challenges involved in its diagnosis. Detecting pulmonary blastoma at early stages is crucial for appropriate treatment, although currently there are no reliable predictive markers, and the prognosis of this disease is generally unfavorable.

Design and evaluation of a mobile-based intervention for Maya adults during the COVID-19 pandemic

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a direct impact on mental health. Inter national organisations have emphasised the vulnerability of indigenous people. Digital Mental Health approaches deliver online therapy as an evidence-based, effective, and accessible treat ment option for common mental health problems. However, the evidence regarding these ap proaches is limited in indigenous populations. The objective of this study is to describe the design, development, and evaluation of the efficacy of a self-applied online intervention regarding the psychological symptoms of depression, anxiety, and fear of COVID-19 in a sample of the Maya population. Method: A prospective longitudinal quantitative study was designed, where a single group was measured before and after receiving the online intervention. This study took place from April to September 2021 and consisted of six sessions delivered via WhatsApp in Spanish and Mayan. Results: The initial assessment was implemented with 82 participants who were evaluated using the Patient Health Questionnaire, Scale for Generalised Anxiety Disorder and the Fear of COVID-19 Scale; 18 participants remained in the intervention for the post-as sessment. Statistical differences were observed in PRE and POST measures of depression and anxiety, but not in fear of COVID-19. Conclusions: This study produced positive results for the first online mental health intervention implemented in the Latin American indigenous pop ulation. Future studies might consider developing similar interventions for other indigenous communities in Latin America.

Introducción: La pandemia de COVID-19 tuvo impacto directo en la salud mental. Organizaciones internacionales han enfatizado la vulnerabilidad de los pueblos indígenas. Los enfoques de salud mental digital brindan terapia en línea como una opción de tratamiento basada en evidencia, efectiva y accesible; sin embargo, los datos son limitados en población indígena. El objetivo de este estudio fue describir el diseño, desarrollo y evaluación de la eficacia de una intervención en línea autoaplicada sobre síntomas psicológicos de depresión, ansiedad y miedo al COVID-19 en una muestra de población maya. Método: Se diseñó un es tudio cuantitativo longitudinal prospectivo, donde se midió a un solo grupo antes y después de recibir la intervención en línea, implementada de abril a septiembre de 2021, que constó de seis sesiones impartidas vía WhatsApp, en español y maya. Resultados: La evaluación inicial se implementó con 82 participantes que fueron evaluados mediante el Cuestionario de Salud del Paciente, Escala para el Trastorno de Ansiedad Generalizada y Escala de Miedo al COVID-19; 18 participantes permanecieron para la evaluación posterior. Se observaron di ferencias estadísticas en las medidas pre- y post- de depresión y ansiedad, pero no miedo al COVID-19. Conclusiones: Este estudio arrojó resultados positivos de la primera intervención de salud mental en línea implementada en la población indígena latinoamericana. Estudios futuros podrían considerar el desarrollo de intervenciones similares para otras comunidades indígenas en América Latina.

Rear textured p-type high temperature passivating contacts and their implementation in perovskite/silicon tandem cells.

Silicon solar cells based on high temperature passivating contacts are becoming mainstream in the photovoltaic industry. Here, we developed a high-quality boron-doped poly-silicon hole contact. When combined with a co-processed phosphorus-doped poly-silicon electron contact, high-voltage silicon bottom cells could be demonstrated and included in 28.25%-efficient perovskite/Si tandems. The active area was 4 cm2 active area and the front electrode was screen-printed.

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy in a Latin American Center: A Single Center Observational Study.

BACKGROUND: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a complex disorder that includes various phenotypes, leading to different manifestations. It also shares different disadvantages typical of rare diseases, including limited recognition, lack of prospective studies assessing treatment, and little or delayed access to advanced treatment options. Reliable data about the prevalence and natural history of cardiomyopathies in South America are lacking. This study summarizes the features and management of patients with HCM in a university hospital in Colombia. METHODS: This was an observational retrospective cohort study of patients with HCM between January 2010 and December 2021. Patient data were analyzed from an institutional cardiomyopathy registry. Demographic, paraclinical, and outcome data were collected. RESULTS: A total of 82 patients during the study period were enrolled. Of these, 67.1% were male, and the mean age at diagnosis was 49 years. Approximately 83% were in NYHA functional class I and II, and the most reported symptoms were dyspnea (38%), angina (20%), syncope (15%), and palpitations (11%). In addition, 89% had preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) with an asymmetric septal pattern in 65%. Five patients (6%) had alcohol septal ablation and four (5%) had septal myectomy. One patient required heart transplantation during follow-up. Sudden cardiovascular death was observed in 2.6%. The overall mortality during follow-up was 7.3%. CONCLUSIONS: HCM is a complex and heterogeneous disorder that presents with significant morbidity and mortality. Our registry provides comprehensive data on disease courses and management in a developing country.

New onset postoperative depression after major surgery: an analysis from a national claims database.

Background: Postoperative depression is not well characterised. We investigated the incidence of postoperative depression with the hypothesis that after controlling for confounders, new onset depression would vary significantly by surgical type. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using the Optum Clinformatics Datamart. The primary outcome was new onset postoperative depression, defined by a new diagnosis of depression or new prescription for an antidepressant in the year after surgery using International Classification of Diseases (ICD) 9/10 codes and drug names. Adjustment for preoperative comorbidities and predictors of depression was with multivariable Cox regression and propensity score matching. Sensitivity analyses defining new onset depression as both a new diagnosis of depression and a new prescription for an antidepressant, or either outcome separately, were conducted. Results: Data from 132 390 cardiac surgery, 12 538 thoracotomy, 32 630 video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS), 96 750 hip fracture surgery, 157 484 hip replacement, and 347 878 laparoscopic cholecystectomy patients from January 2004 to June 2021 were analysed. The incidence of new onset postoperative depression was 18.8% for hip fracture surgery, 16.1% for thoracotomy, 12.6% for cardiac surgery, 12.4% for VATS, 8.6% for laparoscopic cholecystectomy, and 6.8% for hip replacement. After multivariable adjustment, hip fracture surgery patients were most likely to develop new onset postoperative depression (hazard ratio [95% confidence interval]) 1.56 [1.45-1.68]), followed by thoracotomy (1.12 [1.03-1.22]), cardiac surgery (1.09 [1.04-1.12]), VATS (0.95 [0.90-1.00]), and hip replacement (0.55 [0.52-0.57]) compared with patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy (hazard ratio=1). Results from propensity score matched analyses and sensitivity analyses were similar. Conclusions: The risk of postoperative depression differs by surgical type after controlling for preoperative characteristics.

Prevalence and risk factors of anemia in the mother-child population from a region of the Colombian Caribbean.

BACKGROUND: Despite Colombia's robust well-child visits program, Colombian children and mothers still suffer from anemia, especially in populations of lower socioeconomic status. In this study, we aimed to quantify the prevalence and risk factors among mothers and their children attending their well-child visits in Apartadó, a municipality in the Urabá region of the Colombian Caribbean. METHODS: There were 100 mother-child pairs enrolled in this secondary data-analysis study from a health facility in the municipality of Apartadó, Urabá, Colombia, during well-child visits. Self-reported data included child illnesses in the past two weeks (diarrheal, fever, or respiratory symptoms), child feeding practices (breastfeeding, complementary feeding), child vaccinations, and demographic characteristics (mother's and child's age, mother's education, marital status, race, and child sex) and socioeconomic status. Mother and child anthropometry data were collected via standardized weight and height measurements. Mother or child anemia status was collected via a blood test. Chi-squared tests and multivariable logistic regression were used to assess associations between risk factors and anemia. RESULT: The anemia prevalence in children (74%) and mothers (47%) was higher than the Colombian national prevalence. Reported child comorbidities in the preceding two weeks were not significantly associated with child anemia and included respiratory illnesses (60%), fever (46%), and diarrhea (30%). Stunting (8%) was not significantly associated with anemia. Wasting (0%) was not observed in this study. Reported child breastfeeding and complementary feeding were also not significantly associated with child anemia. In adjusted models, the child's significant risk factors for anemia included the mother's "Mestiza" race (OR: 4.681; 95% CI: 1.258, 17.421) versus the Afro-Colombian race. Older children (25-60 months) were less likely to develop anemia than younger (6-24 months) children (OR: 0.073; 95% CI: 0.015, 0.360). CONCLUSIONS: The finding of high anemia prevalence in this study advances our understanding of child and maternal anemia in populations of low socioeconomic status where health care is regularly accessed through well-child programs.

Perception of risk among children: Exploring the risk of TB-rickettsial disease based on the children's drawing pictures in a Mayan community of Yucatan.

Background: It is important to work on designs of health promotion strategies that involve educational interventions about the risk factors associated to TB-rickettsiosis (Tick-Borne rickettsiosis). Children's drawings provide a window into their thoughts and feelings. The aim was to analyze children's risk perceptions regarding by the presence of ticks in a rural community in southeast Mexico. Methods: The main framework used was a social cognitive perspective under the Health Belief Model. Study was carried out in rural elementary schools and included a drawing contest. A total of 224 children (8-12 years old) participated. Drawings were coded and classified; descriptive trend analysis was performed using counts and percentages. The qualitative data was analyzed by researcher experts in TB- rickettsiosis and using Atlas ti V.8. Results: Results are presented in seven categories that consider environmental elements, actors, and cognitive aspects. The environmental context, 99.1% of the drawings represent sites outside the home (92% include vegetation with the presence of ticks in their immediate external environment). In the actors' category, 69.6% included people carrying out activities (prevention and risk). As for the cognitive aspects, 70% included domestic pets and 13.4% farmyards animals. Conclusion: The children expressed their ideas about risk factors and preventive measures against TB-rickettsiosis with a self-care approach. They acquired knowledge about preventive strategies and clinical symptoms. It is necessary to evaluate what happens after an intervention and how they implement in their lives what they have learned.

Analysis of the Stress Field in Photoelasticity Used to Evaluate the Residual Stresses of a Plastic Injection-Molded Part.

The degree of quality of thermoplastic injection-molded parts can be established based on their weight, appearance, and defects. However, the conditions of the injection process may induce effects on the mechanical performance of the injected parts, and the residual stresses can cause cracks or early failures when an external load or force is applied. To evaluate these mechanical behaviors, different experimental techniques have been reported in the literature, where digital photoelasticity has stood out both for being a non-contact technique and for achieving quantitative results through sophisticated computational algorithms. Against this background, our proposal consists of analyzing the overall residual stress distribution of parts injected under different molding conditions by using digital photoelasticity. In this case, the specimens are subjected to bending strength tests to identify possible effects of the injection process conditions. The findings show that, at mold temperatures of 80 °C, flow-induced residual stresses increase with packing pressure. However, these internal stress levels do not affect the external load applied by the mechanical bending test, while the mass injected at higher levels of packing pressure helps to increase the bending strength of the injected part. At lower mold temperatures (50 °C), the mechanical strength of the injected part is slightly reduced, possibly due to a lower effect of the packing pressure.

Tick-associated diseases identified from hunting dogs during the COVID-19 pandemic in a Mayan community in Yucatan, Mexico.

Background: Hunting activity in the Mayan communities has increased due to COVID-19 and domestic dogs have gained more importance. Due to their proximity to humans, domestic dogs are a bridge between tick-borne diseases (TBDs) and humans and their peri-domestic environment. In Mexico, and especially in rural regions, there were not adequate records of TBDs during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Aim: Identify TBD of ticks collected during the COVID-19 pandemic in a rural community. Methods: Tick capture was carried out in March 2021, in Teabo, Yucatan. Ticks were removed using from domestic dogs and placed in ethanol. Collected ticks were morphologically identified and underwent DNA extraction and a partial segment of the mitochondrial 16S-rDNA gene was amplified to corroborate the tick species. The DNA was screened for the presence of Anaplasma spp., Borrelia spp., Ehrlichia spp., and Rickettsia spp. Purified amplification products were submitted for sequencing and the results were compared to those deposited in GenBank using BLAST. Results: We collected 33 ectoparasites, Ixodes affinis, Rhipicephalus sanguineus, Rhipicephalus microplus, and Amblyomma mixtum on 11 hunting dogs. The most frequent ectoparasite was R. sanguineus (66%). We detected the presence of DNA of Rickettsia endosymbiont in I. affinis and Anaplasma platys in R. sanguineus. Rickettsia endosymbiont presented a similarity of 100% with the partial sequence of R. endosymbiont of I. affinis isolate IACACTM001 16S ribosomal RNA gene and the sequence of A. platys had a similarity of 100% with the partial sequence of the isolate 23-33TX 16S ribosomal RNA gene of A. platys from dogs from Texas, USA and with the partial sequence of the isolate L134 16S ribosomal RNA gene of Ehrlichia canis from dogs from Piura, Peru. Conclusion: We confirmed for the first time the presence of A. platys in R. sanguineus and R. endosymbiont in I. affinis ticks from dogs in the state of Yucatan.