Pediatric neurosurgical medulloblastoma outcomes in La Paz, Bolivia: How a Lower Middle-Income Country (LMIC) institution in South America compares to the United States.

BACKGROUND: How pediatric medulloblastoma patients fare in Lower Middle-Income Country (LMICs) in South America is not well understood. Correspondingly, the aim of this study was to summarize the pediatric neurosurgical experience of an institution in La Paz, and compare outcomes to that of a generalized High Income Country (HIC) United States (US) experience. METHODS: A retrospective review of all pediatric neurosurgical medulloblastoma patients at the Children's Hospital of La Paz, Bolivia (Hospital del Niño "Dr. Ovidio Aliaga Uria") between 2014 and 2023 was conducted and compared to a generalized US experience abstracted from the US National Cancer Database (NCDB) and National Inpatient Sample (NIS) databases. Categorical, continuous and survival data were statistically summarized and compared. RESULTS: A total of 24 pediatric medulloblastoma patients underwent neurosurgical treatment at the Hospital del Niño. In this La Paz cohort, there were 15 (63%) males and 9 (38%) females, with a mean age of 5.6 years old at diagnosis. The majority of patients underwent subtotal resection (STR, 79%), while the remaining patients underwent biopsy only. Ten (42%) patients expired during their hospitalization, and mean length of stay overall was 39 days. Only 8 (33%) patients received adjuvant treatment after surgery. Median overall survival from diagnosis in the La Paz cohort was 1.9 months. Compared to the US databases, the La Paz cohort experienced significantly more emergency room admissions for surgery, less gross total resection, more STR, more return to operating room for ventriculoperitoneal shunting, more bacteremia, more tracheostomy procedures, more percutaneous gastrostomy placements, longer lengths of stay, less adjuvant chemotherapy, less radiation therapy, shorter follow-up, and ultimately, significantly shorter overall survival (all P < 0.050). CONCLUSIONS: Pediatric neurosurgical medulloblastoma outcomes at the Children's Hospital of La Paz, Bolivia are significantly inferior to that of a generalized US experience. Future research is required to identify institution- and country-specific initiatives to improve discrepancies between institutions in LMICs in South America compared to HICs.

The prevalence and demographic associations of headache in the adult population of Peru: a national cross-sectional population-based study.

BACKGROUND: The Global Campaign against Headache is conducting a series of population-based studies to fill the large geographical gaps in knowledge of headache prevalence and attributable burden. One major region not until now included is South America. Here we present a study from Peru, a country of 32.4 million inhabitants located at the west coast of South America, notable for its high Andes mountains. METHODS: The study was conducted in accordance with the standardized methodology used by the Global Campaign. It was a cross-sectional survey using cluster randomised sampling in five regions to derive a nationally representative sample, visiting households unannounced, and interviewing one randomly selected adult member (aged 18-65 years) of each using the Headache-Attributed Restriction, Disability, Social Handicap and Impaired Participation (HARDSHIP) questionnaire translated into South American Spanish. The neutral screening question ("Have you had headache in the last year?") was followed by diagnostic questions based on ICHD-3 and demographic enquiry. RESULTS: The study included 2,149 participants from 2,385 eligible households (participating proportion 90.1%): 1,065 males and 1,084 females, mean age 42.0 ± 13.7 years. The observed 1-year prevalence of all headache was 64.6% [95% CI: 62.5-66.6], with age-, gender- and habitation-adjusted prevalences of 22.8% [21.0-24.6] for migraine (definite + probable), 38.9% [36.8-41.0] for tension-type headache (TTH: also definite + probable), 1.2% [0.8-1.8] for probable medication-overuse headache (pMOH) and 2.7% [2.1-3.5] for other headache on ≥ 15 days/month (H15+). One-day prevalence of headache (reported headache yesterday) was 12.1%. Migraine was almost twice as prevalent among females (28.2%) as males (16.4%; aOR = 2.1; p < 0.001), and strongly associated with living at very high altitude (aOR = 2.5 for > 3,500 versus < 350 m). CONCLUSION: The Global Campaign's first population-based study in South America found headache disorders to be common in Peru, with prevalence estimates for both migraine and TTH substantially exceeding global estimates. H15 + was also common, but with fewer than one third of cases diagnosed as pMOH. The association between migraine and altitude was confirmed, and found to be strengthened at very high altitude. This association demands further study.

Trends in tracheal, bronchial and lung cancer attributed to smoking in South America: Global Burden of Disease analysis 1990-2019.

Objective: To investigate the burden of tracheal, bronchus, and lung (TBL) cancer due to tobacco exposure in the last 30 years in 12 South American countries. Methods: We used the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2019 exposure-response function to analyze the total tobacco, smoking, and secondhand smoke exposure-related TBL cancer deaths and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), for 12 South American countries, between 1990 and 2019. Metrics were described as absolute numbers or rates per 100 000 individuals. The relative change in burden was assessed by comparing the 1990-1994 to 2015-2019 periods. Results: In 2019, the all-ages number of TBL cancer deaths and DALYs associated with tobacco exposure in South America was 29 348 and 658 204 in males and 14 106 and 318 277 in females, respectively. Age-adjusted death and DALYs rates for the region in 2019 were 182.8 and 4035 in males and 50.8 and 1162 in females, respectively. In males, 10/12 countries observed relative declines in TBL death rates attributed to tobacco exposure while only 4 countries reduced their mortality in females. Conclusion: While significant efforts on tobacco control are under place in South America, substantial burden of TBL cancer persists in the region with significant sex-specific disparities. Increased country-specific primary data on TBL cancer and tobacco exposure is needed to optimize healthcare strategies and improve comprehension of regional trends.

Case Report: Expanding the phenotypic spectrum of PURA syndrome in South America with the first presentation of concurrent vitiligo.

Purine-rich element-binding protein A (PURα) regulates multiple cellular processes. Rare de novo mutations can lead to PURA syndrome, which manifests as a range of multisystem disturbances, including hypotonia, global developmental delay, swallowing disorders, apnea, seizures, visual impairments, and congenital heart defects. We report the case of a Colombian girl with no relevant medical history who was diagnosed with PURA syndrome at the age of 7, due to a heterozygous mutation located at 5q31.2, specifically the variant c.697_699del (p.Phe233del), in exon 1 of the PURA gene. This represents the first documented case of PURA syndrome in South America and the first association of the syndrome with vitiligo, thereby expanding the known phenotypic spectrum. In addition to enriching the literature concerning the phenotypic diversity of PURA syndrome, this report highlights, for the first time, the diagnostic challenges faced by developing countries like Colombia in diagnosing high-burden rare diseases such as PURA syndrome.

Sustainable Development Goals' health-related indicators for Brazil and Ecuador: an analysis for the period of 1990-2019.

OBJECTIVE: This article aims to analyse the evolution of 40 Sustainable Development Goals' (SDGs) health-related indicators in Brazil and Ecuador from 1990 to 2019. STUDY DESIGN: Epidemiological study of long-term trends in 40 SDGs' health-related indicators for Brazil and Ecuador from 1990 to 2019, using estimates from the Global Burden of Disease Study. METHODS: Forty SDGs' health-related indicators and an index from 1990 to 2017 for Brazil and Ecuador, and their projections up to 2030 were extracted from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation's Global Burden of Disease website and analysed. The percent annual change (PC) between 1990 and 2019 was calculated for both countries. RESULTS: Both countries have made progress on child stunting (Brazil: PC = -38%; Ecuador: PC = -43%) and child wasting prevalences (Brazil: PC = -42%; Ecuador: PC = -41%), percent of vaccine coverage (Brazil: PC = +215%; Ecuador: PC = +175%), under-5 (Brazil: PC = -75%; Ecuador: PC = -60%) and neonatal mortality rates (Brazil: PC = -69%; Ecuador: PC = -51%), health worker density per 1000 population (Brazil: PC = +153%; Ecuador: PC = +175%), reduction of neglected diseases prevalences (Brazil: PC = -40%; Ecuador: PC = -58%), tuberculosis (Brazil: PC = -27%; Ecuador: PC = -55%) and malaria incidences (Brazil: PC = -97%; Ecuador: PC = -100%), water, sanitation and hygiene mortality rates (Brazil and Ecuador: PC = -89%). However, both countries did not show sufficient improvement in maternal mortality ratio to meet SDGs targets (Brazil: PC = -37%; Ecuador: PC = -40%). Worsening of indicators were found for violence, such as non-intimate partner violence for both countries (Brazil: PC = +26%; Ecuador: PC = +18%) and suicide mortality rate for Ecuador (PC = +66%), child overweight indicator for Brazil (PC = -67%), disaster mortality rates (Brazil: PC = +100%; Ecuador: PC = +325%) and alcohol consumption (Brazil: PC = +46%; Ecuador: PC = +35%). CONCLUSIONS: Significant improvements are necessary in both countries requiring the strengthening of health and other policies, particularly concerning the prevention and management of violence and alcohol consumption, and preparedness for dealing with environmental disasters.

Integrating perspectives in developing mycorrhizal trait databases: a call for inclusive and collaborative continental efforts.

Global assessments of mycorrhizal symbiosis present large sampling gaps in rich biodiversity regions. Filling these gaps is necessary to build large-scale, unbiased mycorrhizal databases to obtain reliable analyses and prevent misleading generalizations. Underrepresented regions in mycorrhizal research are mainly in Africa, Asia, and South America. Despite the high biodiversity and endemism in these regions, many groups of organisms remain understudied, especially mycorrhizal fungi. In this Viewpoint, we emphasize the importance of inclusive and collaborative continental efforts in integrating perspectives for comprehensive trait database development and propose a conceptual framework that can help build large mycorrhizal databases in underrepresented regions. Based on the four Vs of big data (volume, variety, veracity, and velocity), we identify the main challenges of constructing a large mycorrhizal dataset and propose solutions for each challenge. We share our collaborative methodology, which involves employing open calls and working groups to engage all mycorrhizal researchers in the region to build a South American Mycorrhizal Database. By fostering interdisciplinary collaborations and embracing a continental-scale approach, we can create robust mycorrhizal trait databases that provide valuable insights into the evolution, ecology, and functioning of mycorrhizal associations, reducing the geographical biases that are so common in large-scale ecological studies.

A Meta-Analysis of the Global Prevalence of Temporomandibular Disorders.

Background: This meta-analysis aims to evaluate the proportion of people with TMDs in different studies, considering factors such as geographical region, patient age, and sample size. Methods: The search yielded 6984 articles on the incidence of TMDs. Finally, 74 studies with 172,239 subjects and 35,259 with TMDs were selected for final analysis. Analyses were performed using the R statistical language. Results: The incidence of TMDs in the world population was 34%. The age group 18-60 years is the most exposed to TMDs. From the data presented, we observed that for each continent, the female group was 9% to 56% larger than the male group. The highest female-to-male ratio (F:M) was reported in South America (1.56), whereas the lowest F:M ratio was reported in Europe (1.09), suggesting an almost equal distribution of males and females. Conclusions: This suggests that geographical location may play a role in the results of the studies. The prevalence of TMDs was significantly higher in South America (47%) compared to Asia (33%) and Europe (29%). Larger epidemiological studies of TMDs in African and Australian populations are recommended. In conclusion, both visual and statistical assessments suggest that the results of our meta-analysis are robust and unlikely to be significantly affected by publication bias. This suggests that geographical location may play a role in the prevalence of TMDs.

Quantitative integrative taxonomy informs species delimitation in Teloschistaceae (lichenized Ascomycota): the genus Wetmoreana as a case study.

The genus Wetmoreana was studied using quantitative integrative taxonomy methods to resolve the genus delimitation and explore its taxonomy diversity at the species level. As a result, the genus Fulgogasparrea is synonymized with Wetmoreana, and the latter includes 15 formally described species, one subspecies, and three further, thus far undescribed species: W. appressa, W. awasthii comb. nov., W. bahiensis sp. nov., W. brachyloba comb. nov., W. brouardii, W. chapadensis comb. nov., W. circumlobata sp. nov., W. decipioides, W. intensa comb. nov., W. ochraceofulva comb. nov., W. rubra sp. nov., W. sliwae sp. nov., W. sliwae ssp. subparviloba subsp. nov., W. subnitida comb. nov., W. texana, and W. variegata sp. nov. Eleven of 19 examined taxa are newly placed within this genus or confirmed to belong to it. Two species, W. awasthii and W. intensa, are transferred to Wetmoreana without additional analysis but based on previous studies. The W. brouardii and W. ochraceofulva species complexes are discussed in detail. Additionally, Caloplaca muelleri and C. rubina var. evolutior are transferred to Squamulea, and the latter is elevated to the species rank.

The effect of livestock grazing on plant diversity and productivity of mountainous grasslands in South America - A meta-analysis.

Mountainous grasslands in South America, characterized by their high diversity, provide a wide range of contributions to people, including water regulation, soil erosion prevention, livestock feed provision, and preservation of cultural heritage. Prior research has highlighted the significant role of grazing in shaping the diversity and productivity of grassland ecosystems, especially in highly productive, eutrophic systems. In such environments, grazing has been demonstrated to restore grassland plant diversity by reducing primary productivity. However, it remains unclear whether these findings are applicable to South American mountainous grasslands, where plants are adapted to different environmental conditions. To address this uncertainty, we conducted a meta-analysis of experiments excluding livestock grazing to assess its impact on plant diversity and productivity across mountainous grasslands in South America. In alignment with studies in temperate grasslands, our findings indicated that herbivore exclusion resulted in increased aboveground biomass but reduced species richness and Shannon diversity. The effects of grazing exclusion became more pronounced with longer durations of exclusion; nevertheless, they remained resilient to various climatic conditions, including mean annual precipitation and mean annual temperature, as well as the evolutionary history of grazing. In contrast to results observed in temperate grasslands, the reduction in species richness due to herbivore exclusion was not associated with increased aboveground biomass. This suggests that the processes governing (sub)tropical grassland plant diversity may differ from those in temperate grasslands. Consequently, further research is necessary to better understand the specific factors influencing plant diversity and productivity in South American montane grasslands and to elucidate the ecological implications of herbivore exclusion in these unique ecosystems.

On Ypsolopha micromoths (Lepidoptera, Ypsolophidae) associated with Adesmia shrubs (Fabaceae) in the arid western slope of the central Andes.

Ypsolopha Latreille, 1796 (Lepidoptera, Ypsolophidae) is a genus comprised mostly of Holarctic micromoth species with a fairly broad range of larval hosts (e.g. Aceraceae, Rosaceae, and Fagaceae). The only previous record of herbivory on a representative of the South American genus Adesmia DC. (Fabaceae) was based on the discovery of Ypsolophamoltenii Vargas, 2018 larvae feeding on Adesmiaverrucosa Meyen in the Andes of northern Chile. Further surveys revealed Adesmiaatacamensis Phil. as another host for Y.moltenii, and Adesmiaspinosissima Meyen as the single host of Ypsolopha sp. The genetic distance between DNA barcodes of the two micromoth species was 7.9-8.1% (K2P). These results suggest narrow host ranges for Adesmia-feeding Ypsolopha and highlight the need to further explore the taxonomic diversity of these micromoths in other South American environments.

Henneguya (Cnidaria: Myxobolidae) species infecting Oligosarcus jenynsii (Characiformes: Characidae) in a Neotropical shallow lake from Argentina: morphological and molecular characterisation.

Two previously undescribed myxozoan species, Henneguya sardellae sp. n. and H. margaritae sp. n., found infecting connective tissues of the Neotropical characid fish Oligosarcus jenynsii (Günther) from Argentina are morphologically and molecularly characterised. Mature spores of H. sardellae sp. n. are ellipsoid, with two, straight and visibly fused caudal appendages cleaved at its blunt terminal end; measuring 33.5 ± 1.2 (30.9-35.5) µm in total length, spore body 17.5 ± 0.6 (16.3-18.6) µm, 7.8 ± 0.4 (7.0-8.8) µm wide and 6.9 ± 0.2 (6.6-7.2) µm thick, with two elongated, unequally-sized polar capsules situated at anterior end, and 11-13 turns of polar tubules. Mature spores of H. margaritae sp. n. are pyriform, with two caudal appendages visible fused together and much longer than spore body, with unequal endings; measuring 35.9 ± 2.8 (29.2-40.7) µm in total length, spore body 11.5 ± 0.9 (9.2-13.0) µm long, 5.8 ± 0.4 (5.1-6.7) µm wide and 5.5 ± 0.2 (5.1-5.8) µm thick, with two polar capsules similar in size, pyriform polar capsules containing polar tubules with 4-5 coils. Both species showed a membraneous sheath surrounding the spore body and caudal appendages; in H. sardellae sp. n. this feature can deploy laterally. Phylogenetic analyses based on SSU rDNA sequences showed that H. sardellae sp. n. and H. margaritae sp. n. clustered with other myxobolids parasitising Characiformes in Brazil, Cichliformes in Mexico and Cyprinodontiformes in Mexico and the United States. The description of these two new species of Henneguya as the first described species of the genus that parasitise freshwater fish in Argentina highlights the importance of further research on the diversity and distribution of myxozoans in this region.

A new characid species with remarkable sexual dimorphism (Characiformes: Characidae: Stevardiinae) from the upper Guayabero River, Orinoco basin, Colombia.

A new species of characid with remarkable sexual characteristics is described from the upper Guayabero River drainage from the Orinoco basin in Colombia. The new species is included in the genus Monotocheirodon by sharing most of the previously proposed diagnostic features of this genus. It differs from all Stevardiinae by the combination, in adult males, of an enlarged urogenital papilla in contact with the first anal-fin unbranched ray and a highly modified anal fin with enlarged and distally elongated first and second branched anal-fin rays, forming a gonopodium-like structure. In addition, it differs from congeners by the presence of an adipose fin, an incomplete lateral line, an ascending process of the premaxilla dorsally oriented, and a long snout. The new species was discovered from a poorly sampled region in Colombia and is an unexpected new record given its disjunct geographic distribution from other species of the genus. Monotocheirodon species were previously known from piedmont drainages in Bolivia and Peru. The conservation status of the new species is herein categorized following IUCN criteria.

Awake craniotomies in South America: Advancements, challenges, and future prospects.

BACKGROUND: Awake craniotomy has emerged as an advanced surgical technique, characterized by keeping the patient awake during brain surgery. In South America, awake craniotomies have grained traction in neurosurgical practices across various medical centres and hospitals, with notable practitioners contributing to its growth and refinement in the region. PURPOSE: This study aims to explore the integration and impact of awake craniotomies in South American neurosurgical practices. The focus is on understanding the benefits, challenges, and potential transformative effects of the procedure in the region. RESEARCH DESIGN: A comprehensive narrative review and analysis through a thorough examination of the existing literature. RESULTS: The findings indicate that awake craniotomies in South America offer substantial benefits, including cost savings thorugh reduced hospitalization time, quicker recovery and decreased morbidity. Enhanced safety, effective pain management and reduced anaesthesia also contribute to this. CONCLUSION: Whilst the adaptation of awake craniotomies in South America holds great promise in transforming neurosurgical care in the region, significant challenges hinder its widespread adoption. Inadequate infrastructure, limited access to equipment, financial instability, and shortages in trained healthcare providers represent challenges that need to be addressed.

Unveiling the neuroanatomy of Josephoartigasia monesi and the evolution of encephalization in caviomorph rodents.

Caviomorph rodents are an exceptional model for studying the effects of ecological factors and size relations on brain evolution. These mammals are not only speciose and ecologically diverse but also present wide body size disparity, especially when considering their fossil relatives. Here, we described the brain anatomy of the largest known rodent, Josephoartigasia monesi, uncovering distinctive features within this species regarding other taxa. Albeit resembling extant pacarana Dinomys branickii, J. monesi stands out due to its longer olfactory tract and well-developed sagittal sinus. Challenging the previous hypothesis that giant rodents possessed comparatively smaller brains, we found that J. monesi and another giant extinct rodent, Neoepiblema acreensis, are within the encephalization range of extant caviomorphs. This was unraveled while developing the a Phylogenetic Encephalization Quotient (PEQ) for Caviomorpha. With PEQ, we were able to trace brain-size predictions more accurately, accounting for species-shared ancestry while adding the extinct taxa phenotypic diversity into the prediction model. According to our results, caviomorphs encephalization patterns are not the product of ecological adaptations, and brain allometry is highly conservative within the clade. We challenge future studies to investigate caviomorphs encephalization within different taxonomic ranks while increasing the sampled taxa diversity, especially of extinct forms, in order to fully comprehend the magnitude of this evolutionary stasis.

Experimental oral administration of pollen beetle (Astylus atromaculatus) to cattle results in an acute lethal gastrointestinal disease.

In the summer of 2023, ingestion of Astylus atromaculatus (pollen beetle) was linked to spontaneous fatal disease in grazing cattle and sheep in Argentina and Uruguay. While the disease was experimentally reproduced in sheep and guinea pigs in the 1970's, no experimental reproductions have been attempted in cattle, and controversy exists as to whether this insect is indeed noxious to cattle and at which dose. Here, we demonstrate that A. atromaculatus causes acute fatal disease in Hereford calves at single oral dosages of 2.5, 4.5, 10.0, and 15.0 g of insect/kg body weight. Death or severe disease necessitating euthanasia occurred at 38 to 48 hours postinoculation regardless of the dose, suggesting that the single fatal dosage is likely <2.5 g/kg body weight (this dose representing approximately 850 mL of intact beetles in a 100 kg calf). Clinically, the disease was characterized by acute anorexia, prolonged recumbency, reluctance to move, listlessness/apathy, depression, ruminal hypomotility and tympany, hypothermia, bruxism with frothing at the mouth, and mucoid diarrhea progressing to death. Hematologic and biochemical alterations included hemoconcentration, stress/acute inflammatory leukogram, negative energy balance, and ketosis. The pathological hallmark of this experimental disease is acute necrotizing omaso-reticulo-rumenitis, fibrinohemorrhagic enteritis, and exfoliative colitis with intralesional chitinous insect fragments. While A. atromaculatus might contain a gastrointestinal toxin or pathogen, extensive toxicological testing failed to identify a causative toxin. Other pathomechanisms such as direct physical damage caused by insect fragments on the alimentary tract seem plausible, although further studies are needed to elucidate the pathogenesis of A. atromaculatus-associated disease.

Mycorrhizas in South American Ericaceae.

Mycorrhizal symbioses (mycorrhizas) of Ericaceae, including ericoid mycorrhiza (ErM), have been mainly studied in the Northern Hemisphere, although the highest diversity of ericaceous plants is located in the Southern Hemisphere, where several regions remain largely unexplored. One of them is South America, which harbors a remarkably high diversity of Ericaceae (691 species and 33 genera) in a wide range of environmental conditions, and a specific mycorrhizal type called cavendishioid. In this review, we compile all available information on mycorrhizas of Ericaceae in South America. We report data on the mycorrhizal type and fungal diversity in 17 and 11 ericaceous genera, respectively. We show that South American Ericaceae exhibit a high diversity of habitats and life forms and that some species from typical ErM subfamilies may also host arbuscular mycorrhiza. Also, a possible geographical pattern in South American ErM fungal communities is suggested, with Sebacinales being the dominant mycorrhizal partners of the Andean clade species from tropical mountains, while archetypal ErM fungi are common partners in southern South America species. The gathered information challenges some common assumptions about ErM and suggests that focusing on understudied regions would improve our understanding of the evolution of mycorrhizal associations in this intriguing family.

Pacific and Atlantic sea lion mortality caused by highly pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5N1) in South America.

We describe the evolution of the outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) A(H5N1) in sea lions (Otaria flavescens) of South America. At least 24,000 sea lions died in Peru, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, and Brazil between January-October 2023. The most plausible route of infection is cohabiting with or foraging on infected birds. However, we urge a detailed evaluation of the sea lions actual source of infection given that the concomitant massive wild bird mortalities registered in the Pacific Ocean did not occur in the Atlantic Ocean.

Clonal dissemination of Acinetobacter radioresistens among Humboldt penguins (Spheniscus humboldti) inhabiting a barren northern Peruvian island.

Acinetobacter spp. are often isolated from natural sources, but knowledge about their presence in wild animals is fragmented and uncomplete. The present study aimed to characterize a series of Acinetobacter radioresistens isolated from Humboldt penguins (Spheniscus humboldti). Fifteen Humboldt penguins from an inhabited northern Peruvian island were sampled. Microorganisms were identified by MALDI-TOF MS. Antibiotic susceptibility to 12 antimicrobial agents was established, and clonal relationships were determined. A representative isolate was selected for whole genome sequencing (WGS). A. radioresistens were isolated from the feces of 12 (80%) Humboldt penguins, being susceptible to all the antimicrobial agents tested, except eight cefotaxime-intermediate isolates. All A. radioresistens were clonally related. WGS showed that the isolate belonged to ST1972, the presence of two chromosomal encoded carbapenemases (blaOXA-23 and a putative subclass B3 metallo-ß-lactamase), and a series of point mutations in antibiotic-resistance related chromosomal genes, which were considered as polymorphisms. In addition, a few virulence factors, including a capsule-encoding operon, superoxide dismutases, catalases, phospholipases and a siderophore receptor were identified. The present results suggest that A. radioresistens may be a common member of the gut microbiota of Humboldt penguins, but further studies in other geographical areas are needed to establish this finding.

The genus Perissopalla Brennan and White, 1960 (Trombidiformes: Trombiculidae) in Brazil: Redescriptions, new localities, and host records with the first molecular data for the genus.

The genus Perissopalla Brennan and White (Trombidiformes: Trombiculidae) is currently represented by ten species with three from Brazil: Perissopalla barticonycteris Brennan, Perissopalla ipeani Brennan, and Perissopalla tanycera Brennan. In the present study, these three species are redescribed and illustrated based on the types and additional non-type specimens. New host and locality records for P. ipeani and P. tanycera are included. Additionally, a partial sequence for the 18S rRNA gene for P. ipeani was provided.

Mental Health Professionals' Perception of Respect for Human Rights and Organizational Well-Being in Three Countries of South America.

The respect for human rights in mental health care services significantly contributes to organizational well-being and is evolving into an actual benchmark of quality standards. This study assesses the perception of the respect for human rights for users and staff, as well as organizational and job satisfaction among mental health professionals in three South American countries, through the well-being at work and respect for human rights (WWRR) questionnaire and assesses whether there are significant differences. Seven mental health facilities in Argentina, Colombia, and Peru were involved in this observational study. The sample comprised 310 mental health professionals. The three countries exhibited differences in WWRR, particularly in the staff's satisfaction with resources for care (η2 = 0.166) and staff's satisfaction with organizational aspects (η2 = 0.113). Colombia had the lowest scores in these factors but the highest in the perception of the respect for human rights for users and staff, although this difference did not reach a statistical significance. Despite the progress made in recent years towards coercion-free medical standards and an increased focus on mental health polices in Latin American countries, there is a need to enhance the quality standards of mental health services, recognizing the value that the respect for human rights holds for the organizational well-being of both mental health users and professionals.