Discovery of Novel Viruses in Culicoides Biting Midges in Chihuahua, Mexico.

Biting midges (Culicoides) are vectors of many pathogens of medical and veterinary importance, but their viromes are poorly characterized compared to certain other hematophagous arthropods, e.g., mosquitoes and ticks. The goal of this study was to use metagenomics to identify viruses in Culicoides from Mexico. A total of 457 adult midges were collected in Chihuahua, northern Mexico, in 2020 and 2021, and all were identified as female Culicoides reevesi. The midges were sorted into five pools and homogenized. An aliquot of each homogenate was subjected to polyethylene glycol precipitation to enrich for virions, then total RNA was extracted and analyzed by unbiased high-throughput sequencing. We identified six novel viruses that are characteristic of viruses from five families (Nodaviridae, Partitiviridae, Solemoviridae, Tombusviridae, and Totiviridae) and one novel virus that is too divergent from all classified viruses to be assigned to an established family. The newly discovered viruses are phylogenetically distinct from their closest known relatives, and their minimal infection rates in female C. reevesi range from 0.22 to 1.09. No previously known viruses were detected, presumably because viral metagenomics had never before been used to study Culicoides from the Western Hemisphere. To conclude, we discovered multiple novel viruses in C. reevesi from Mexico, expanding our knowledge of arthropod viral diversity and evolution.

Schwarzites and Triply Periodic Minimal Surfaces: From Pure Topology Mathematics to Macroscale Applications.

Schwarzites are porous (spongy-like) carbon allotropes with negative Gaussian curvatures. They are proposed by Mackay and Terrones inspired by the works of the German mathematician Hermann Schwarz on Triply-Periodic Minimal Surfaces (TPMS). This review presents and discusses the history of schwarzites and their place among curved carbon nanomaterials. The main works on schwarzites are summarized and are available in the literature. Their unique structural, electronic, thermal, and mechanical properties are discussed. Although the synthesis of carbon-based schwarzites remains elusive, recent advances in the synthesis of zeolite-templates nanomaterials have brought them closer to reality. Atomic-based models of schwarzites are translated into macroscale ones that are 3D-printed. These 3D-printed models are exploited in many real-world applications, including water remediation and biomedical ones.

Detection of Antibodies to Lokern, Main Drain, St. Louis Encephalitis, and West Nile Viruses in Vertebrate Animals in Chihuahua, Guerrero, and Michoacán, Mexico.

We conducted serologic surveillance for flaviviruses and orthobunyaviruses in vertebrate animals in Mexico in 2018-2019. Sera were collected from 856 vertebrate animals, including 323 dogs, 223 horses, and 121 cows, from 16 species. The animals were from 3 states: Chihuahua in northwest Mexico (704 animals) and Guerrero and Michoacán on the Pacific Coast (27 and 125 animals, respectively). Sera were assayed by plaque reduction neutralization test using four flaviviruses (dengue type 2, St. Louis encephalitis, West Nile, and Zika viruses) and six orthobunyaviruses from the Bunyamwera (BUN) serogroup (Cache Valley, Lokern, Main Drain, Northway, Potosi, and Tensaw viruses). Antibodies to West Nile virus (WNV) were detected in 154 animals of 9 species, including 89 (39.9%) horses, 3 (21.4%) Indian peafowl, and 41 (12.7%) dogs. Antibodies to St. Louis encephalitis virus (SLEV) were detected in seven animals, including three (0.9%) dogs. Antibodies to Lokern virus (LOKV) were detected in 22 animals: 19 (8.5%) horses, 2 (1.7%) cows, and a dog (0.3%). Antibodies to Main Drain virus (MDV) were detected in three (1.3%) horses. WNV and LOKV activity was detected in all three states, SLEV activity was detected in Chihuahua and Michoacán, and MDV activity was detected in Chihuahua. None of the animals was seropositive for Cache Valley virus, the most common and widely distributed BUN serogroup virus in North America. In conclusion, we provide serologic evidence that select flaviviruses and BUN serogroup viruses infect vertebrate animals in Chihuahua, Guerrero, and Michoacán. We also provide the first evidence of LOKV and MDV activity in Mexico.

Discovery of a novel Tymoviridae-like virus in mosquitoes from Mexico.

A novel Tymoviridae-like virus, designated Ek Balam virus, was isolated from male Culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes collected in Yucatan, Mexico. The genome was fully sequenced and shown to have no more than 69% nt sequence identity to its closest known relative. Mosquito cells were permissive to Ek Balam virus replication, but mammalian and avian cells were refractory, suggesting that vertebrates are not involved in the maintenance of the virus in nature.

Detection of novel and recognized RNA viruses in mosquitoes from the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico using metagenomics and characterization of their in vitro host ranges.

A metagenomics approach was used to detect novel and recognized RNA viruses in mosquitoes from the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. A total of 1359 mosquitoes of 7 species and 5 genera (Aedes, Anopheles, Culex, Mansonia and Psorophora) were sorted into 37 pools, homogenized and inoculated onto monolayers of Aedes albopictus (C6/36) cells. A second blind passage was performed and then total RNA was extracted and analysed by RNA-seq. Two novel viruses, designated Uxmal virus and Mayapan virus, were identified. Uxmal virus was isolated from three pools of Aedes (Ochlerotatus) taeniorhynchus and phylogenetic data indicate that it should be classified within the recently proposed taxon Negevirus. Mayapan virus was recovered from two pools of Psorophora ferox and is most closely related to unclassified Nodaviridae-like viruses. Two recognized viruses were also detected: Culex flavivirus (family Flaviviridae) and Houston virus (family Mesoniviridae), with one and two isolates being recovered, respectively. The in vitro host ranges of all four viruses were determined by assessing their replicative abilities in cell lines of avian, human, monkey, hamster, murine, lepidopteran and mosquito (Aedes, Anopheles and Culex) origin, revealing that all viruses possess vertebrate replication-incompetent phenotypes. In conclusion, we report the isolation of both novel and recognized RNA viruses from mosquitoes collected in Mexico, and add to the growing plethora of viruses discovered recently through the use of metagenomics.

Surveillance for Flaviviruses Near the Mexico-U.S. Border: Co-circulation of Dengue Virus Serotypes 1, 2, and 3 and West Nile Virus in Tamaulipas, Northern Mexico, 2014-2016.

A clinical, serological, and molecular investigation was performed to determine the presence of dengue virus (DENV) and other flaviviruses among residents of the city of Reynosa, Tamaulipas, on the Mexico-U.S. border in 2014-2016. The sample population consisted of 2,355 patients with suspected dengue, in addition to 346 asymptomatic individuals recruited during a household-based epidemiological investigation designed to identify flavivirus seroconversions. Sera were collected from patients with suspected dengue in the acute phase of illness and from asymptomatic individuals at enrollment and every 5-7 months for 19 months. Sera from suspected dengue patients were tested for DENV antigen by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and select antigen-positive sera were further tested using a serotype-specific, quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Sera from the household cohort were tested for flavivirus-reactive antibodies by immunoglobulin (Ig) M and IgG ELISAs using DENV antigen. A total of 418 (17.7%) patients with suspected dengue had laboratory-confirmed DENV infections, including 82 patients who were positive for DENV RNA. The most frequently detected serotype was DENV-1 (61 patients), followed by DENV-2 (16 patients) and DENV-3 (five patients). A total of 217 (62.7%) asymptomatic individuals had flavivirus-reactive antibodies at enrollment, and nine flavivirus-naïve individuals seroconverted. Sera from a subset of dengue patients and household participants, including all those who seroconverted, were further tested by plaque reduction neutralization test, resulting in the detection of antibodies to DENV-1, DENV-2, and West Nile virus. In summary, we provide evidence for the co-circulation of multiple flaviviruses in Reynosa, Tamaulipas, on the Mexico-U.S. border.

Arbovirus Surveillance near the Mexico-U.S. Border: Isolation and Sequence Analysis of Chikungunya Virus from Patients with Dengue-like Symptoms in Reynosa, Tamaulipas.

A total of 1,090 residents of the city of Reynosa, Tamaulipas, on the Mexico-U.S. border presented at hospitals and clinics of the Secretariat of Health, Mexico, in 2015 with symptoms characteristic of dengue. Dengue virus (DENV) antigen was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in acute sera from 134 (12.3%) patients. Sera from select patients (N = 34) were also tested for chikungunya virus (CHIKV) RNA by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Thirteen (38.2%) patients, including five DENV antigen-positive patients, were positive. Sera from three CHIKV RNA-positive patients were further assayed by virus isolation in cell culture and CHIKV was recovered on each occasion. The genome of one isolate and structural genes of the other two isolates were sequenced. In conclusion, we present evidence of CHIKV and DENV coinfections in patients who live near the Mexico-U.S. border and provide the first genome sequence of a CHIKV isolate from northern Mexico.

Evaluation of genetic diversity in jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam.) based on amplified fragment length polymorphism markers.

Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam., commonly called jackfruit, is a medium-sized evergreen tree that bears high yields of the largest known edible fruit. Yet, it has been little explored commercially due to wide variation in fruit quality. The genetic diversity and genetic relatedness of 50 jackfruit accessions were studied using amplified fragment length polymorphism markers. Of 16 primer pairs evaluated, eight were selected for screening of genotypes based on the number and quality of polymorphic fragments produced. These primer combinations produced 5976 bands, 1267 (22%) of which were polymorphic. Among the jackfruit accessions, the similarity coefficient ranged from 0.137 to 0.978; the accessions also shared a large number of monomorphic fragments (78%). Cluster analysis and principal component analysis grouped all jackfruit genotypes into three major clusters. Cluster I included the genotypes grown in a jackfruit region of Karnataka, called Tamaka, with very dry conditions; cluster II contained the genotypes collected from locations having medium to heavy rainfall in Karnataka; cluster III grouped the genotypes in distant locations with different environmental conditions. Strong coincidence of these amplified fragment length polymorphism-based groupings with geographical localities as well as morphological characters was observed. We found moderate genetic diversity in these jackfruit accessions. This information should be useful for tree breeding programs, as part of our effort to popularize jackfruit as a commercial crop.

Colonoscopía virtual por tomografía computada multislice / Virtual colonoscopy by multi-slice CT

Objetivo: Determinar la utilidad de la tomografía computada multislic (TCMS), su sensibilidad (S) y especificidad (E) comparando sus resultados con los obtenidos por colonoscopía convencional (CC). Material y métodos: Se evaluaron 30 pacientes por TCMS y CC. Las TC se realizaron con un equipo multislice, con cortes de 2,5 mm de espesor; 1,3 mm intervalo de reconstrucción; 50 mAS y 120 Kv. Los hallazgos se dividieron en dos grupos: normales y patológicos. Este último se subdividió de acuerdo al tamaño de las lesiones halladas: a) <5 mm, b) entre 5-9 mm, c) >9 mm. Resultados: La S y E en el grupo 2a) fue 82 por ciento y 78 por ciento, en el 2b) 100 por ciento y 93 por ciento y en el 2c) 100 por ciento y 100 por ciento respectivamente. Conclusión: La CV por TCMS mostró alta S y E en la detección de lesiones elevadas. Debido a su rapidez de adquisición, brindó mayor confort al paciente y menos artefactos por movimiento de las imágenes

Colonoscopía virtual por tomografía computada multislice / Virtual colonoscopy by multi-slice CT

Objetivo: Determinar la utilidad de la tomografía computada multislic (TCMS), su sensibilidad (S) y especificidad (E) comparando sus resultados con los obtenidos por colonoscopía convencional (CC). Material y métodos: Se evaluaron 30 pacientes por TCMS y CC. Las TC se realizaron con un equipo multislice, con cortes de 2,5 mm de espesor; 1,3 mm intervalo de reconstrucción; 50 mAS y 120 Kv. Los hallazgos se dividieron en dos grupos: normales y patológicos. Este último se subdividió de acuerdo al tamaño de las lesiones halladas: a) <5 mm, b) entre 5-9 mm, c) >9 mm. Resultados: La S y E en el grupo 2a) fue 82 por ciento y 78 por ciento, en el 2b) 100 por ciento y 93 por ciento y en el 2c) 100 por ciento y 100 por ciento respectivamente. Conclusión: La CV por TCMS mostró alta S y E en la detección de lesiones elevadas. Debido a su rapidez de adquisición, brindó mayor confort al paciente y menos artefactos por movimiento de las imágenes (AU)

The quality of services offered at primary health care centres in Jamaica - abstract

It is imperative to assess the quality of services, especially prior to making any major organizational changes. Such assessments furnish a strong platform for planning. The objectives of this study were to identify the factors that would influence the degree of customer satisfaction. A survey was carried out over a ten-day period on a sample of 261 patients selected from seven primary health care centres within the parishes of Kingston and St. Andrew. The results revealed that three-quarters of the users of health centres lived within a radius of five miles. In addition, three-quarters of the respondents were knowledgeable about the type of health services available to them. Within this group, there were 79 percent of women respondents as compared to 65 percent of male respondents (p<0.05). Seventy percent of respondents had a positive attitude towards the fee-payment for services. The younger age group had a more positive attitude towards fee-payment than older respondents (p<0.001). Respondents with relatively high education levels also had more positive attitudes towards fee-payment than less educated respondents (p<0.01). Approximately 50 percent of the respondents reported being satisfied with the interpersonal relationship with doctors and nurses, while only 20 percent expressed satisfaction for the relationship with their pharmacists. Three-quarters of the respondents expressed their dissatisfaction with the physical facilities at the health centres. A high proportion (92 percent) of the clientele was dissatisfied with the health care delivery process. The health care receivers were moderately satisfied with the health services offered to them (AU)

A survey of patients' satisfaction with the quality of services offered at selected primary health care centres in Kingston and St. Andrew, Jamaica

It is imperative to assess the quality of services provided especially prior to making any major organizational changes. Such assessments furnish a strong platform for planning. The aim of this study was to evaluate the quality of services from the perspective of those who recieve the health care. A survey was carried out over a ten-day period on a sample of 261 patients selected from seven primary health care centres within the parishes of Kingston and St. Andrew. The results revealed that three quarters of the users of health centres lived within a raduis of five miles. In addition, three quarters of the repondents were knowledgable about the type of health services available to them. Within this group there were more females (79 percent of respondents) than males (65 percent of all male respondents). Seventy per cent of respondents had a positive attitude towards the fee-payment for services. The younger age group had a more positive attitude towards fee-payment than older respondents. Respondents with relatively high education levels also had more positive attitudes towards fee-payment than less educated respondents. Approximately 50 per cent of the respondents reported being satisfied with the interpersonal relationship with their doctors and nurses, while only 20 per cent expressed satisfaction for the relationship with their pharmacy. More than the three quarters of the respondents expressed their dissatisfaction with the physical facilities at the health care delivery process. The majority of the health care receivers were not satisfied with the health service offered to them. Lack of interpersonal skills in health care professionals, defects in the health system and deficiencies in the health service is a need for a new approach - 'Customer mindedness' or 'Continuous Quality Improvement" in order to design, develop and deliver quality care (AU)