Comparative evaluation of two lures to attract female mosquitoes in an urban natural reserve during daytime.

The most widely used attractant to capture adult female mosquitoes is CO2. However, there are also baits available on the market that emit a scent resembling human skin. These baits were specifically designed to attract highly anthropophilic species such as Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti. In this study, we compare the effectiveness of CDC traps baited either with CO2 or with a commercial blend simulating skin odor, BG-Sweetscent, for trapping female mosquitoes during daylight hours in an urban reserve in the City of Buenos Aires. We employed a hurdle generalized linear mixed model to analyze trap capture probability and the number of mosquitoes captured per hour, considering the effects of attractant, mosquito species, and their interaction. Traps baited with CO2 captured ten mosquito species, while those baited with BG-Sweetscent captured six in overall significantly lower abundance. The odds of capturing mosquitoes were 292% higher for the CO2-baited traps than for those baited with BG-Sweetscent. No evidence of a combined effect of attractant type and species on female mosquito captures per hour was found. Results indicated that CDC traps baited with CO2 were more effective than those baited with BG-Sweetscent in capturing more mosquito species and a higher number of mosquitoes within each species, even if the species captured with CO2 exhibited a certain level of anthropophilia. This result has practical implications for mosquito surveillance and control in urban natural reserves.

Detection of plasma anti-lipopolysaccharide (LPS) antibodies against enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) in asymptomatic kindergarten teachers from Buenos Aires province.

In Argentina, hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) caused by EHEC has the highest incidence in the world. EHEC infection has an endemo-epidemic behavior, causing 20-30% of acute bloody diarrhea syndrome in children under 5 years old. In the period 2016-2020, 272 new cases per year were notified to the National Health Surveillance System. Multiple factors are responsible for HUS incidence in Argentina including person-to-person transmission. In order to detect possible EHEC carriers, we carried out a preliminary study of the frequency of kindergarten teachers with anti-LPS antibodies against the most prevalent EHEC serotypes in Argentina. We analyzed 61 kindergarten teachers from 26 institutions from José C. Paz district, located in the suburban area of Buenos Aires province, Argentina. Fifty-one percent of the plasma samples had antibodies against O157, O145, O121 and O103 LPS: 6.4% of the positive samples had IgM isotype (n=2), 61.3% IgG isotype (n=19) and 32.3% IgM and IgG (n=10). Given that antibodies against LPS antigens are usually short-lived specific IgM detection may indicate a recent infection. In addition, the high percentage of positive samples may indicate a frequent exposure to EHEC strains in the cohort studied, as well as the existence of a large non-symptomatic population of adults carrying pathogenic strains that could contribute to the endemic behavior through person-to-person transmission. The improvement of continuous educational programs in kindergarten institutions could be a mandatory measure to reduce HUS cases not only in Argentina but also globally.

Facing and Overcoming Pain Through Scientific Evidence: The Imperative of Exposure as a Psychological Technique for Cognitive Behavioral Treatments in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

On the basis of a research study on cognitive behavioral psychotherapies conducted between 2016 and 2020, this article analyzes exposure as a psychological technique focused on facing and overcoming distressing situations that interfere with everyday life and cause pain. Said psychotherapies have gained more relevance in Argentina in recent years. Their development and institutionalization continued during the first decades of the new millennium. By the late 1990s, there were social and economic transformations that modified people's lives and produced different types of suffering. In addition, that scenario was set with subjectivity models based on the importance of being autonomous and responsible in different spheres of daily life (including healthcare). Accordingly, current social imperatives such as "you can do it" or "give it another try" become values linked to personal realization that are assimilated by these psychotherapies through techniques such as exposure. In that respect, this article aims at analyzing exposure as a psychological technology with evidence-based epistemological presuppositions and problem-solving models based on the subjects' individual commitment. Unlike most social-anthropological studies that connect the notion of exposure to that of risk, from a cognitive behavioral standpoint, self-exposing and overcoming the cause of distress is associated with a successful therapeutic process. This study used a qualitative methodology, and the technique was the analysis drawn from 30 semi-structured interviews with cognitive behavioral psychologists from the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The Polish Catholic Church in Martin Coronado, Buenos Aires, and its Role in the Life of the Argentinian Polish Community during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The objective of the article is to determine the role of the Catholic Church in the life of the Polish community in Argentina as exemplified by the Polish Catholic Centre in Martin Coronado during the pandemic caused by the SARS-Cov-2 coronavirus. The article presents opinions of the Polish community in Buenos Aires concerning the priestly service of the Bernardine friars during the pandemic. The research confirms that the Argentinian Polish community evaluates the work of the clergymen very highly and emphasises that thanks to their support, peace and constant contact through, inter alia, introduction of the broadcast of the masses in the Polish language, they felt the care and support of the priests, which was necessary during social isolation. The article will also present a proposal of the model of activities that Polish priests from Martin Coronado can implement during the COVID-19 pandemic so that the faithful feel even greater support and closeness to the Polish missionary centre in Argentina.

Rickettsia spp., Ehrlichia sp. and Candidatus Midichloria sp. associated to ticks from a protected urban area in Buenos Aires City (Argentina).

The aim of this study was to determine the infection with Rickettsiales in ticks and birds from the main protected urban area of Buenos Aires City (Argentina). One Amblyomma aureolatum (0.2%) and one Ixodes auritulus (0.1%) were positive by PCR targeting Rickettsia 23S-5S rRNA intergenic spacer. Phylogenetic analysis shows to findings in A. aureolatum are closely to Rickettsia bellii and for I. auritulus are related to 'Candidatus Rickettsia mendelii'. One I. auritulus (0.1%) and three A. aureolatum (0.6%) were positive by PCR for a fragment of the 16S rRNA gene of the Anaplasmataceae family. The sequences obtained from A. aureolatum were phylogenetically related to Midichloriaceae endosymbionts. The sequence from I. auritulus s.l. had 100% identity with Ehrlichia sp. Magellanica from Chile and two genotypes of Ehrlichia sp. from Uruguay. The results of our study show that Rickettsia and Ehrlichia are present in ticks in the main protected urban area of Buenos Aires City.

[Implementation of a support system for isolated elderly people to limit the consequences of the Covid-19 epidemic in Buenos Aires]. / Un système de soutien aux personnes âgées isolées pour limiter les conséquences de la Covid-19 à Buenos Aires.

The Covid-19 pandemic with its associated quarantine and isolation has had a dramatic impact on the elderly. In order to mitigate this, the National University of La Plata and the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie set up a health surveillance and early warning project for the elderly in Buenos Aires, Argentina. This interventional study, has included 1,964 people. A general health and quality of life questionnaire was completed by all participants at the beginning of the isolation, and another time a year later.

Characteristics of Patients Co-infected with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 and Dengue Virus, Buenos Aires, Argentina, March-June 2020.

An epidemic of dengue virus and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) co-infections occurred in Argentina during 2020. We describe the clinical characteristics and outcomes in a cohort of patients hospitalized because of co-infection. We retrospectively identified 13 patients from different hospitals in Buenos Aires who had confirmed infection with SARS-CoV-2 and dengue virus and obtained clinical and laboratory data from clinical records. All patients had febrile disease when hospitalized. Headache was a common symptom. A total of 8 patients had respiratory symptoms, 5 had pneumonia, and 3 had rash. Nearly all patients had lymphopenia when hospitalized. No patients were admitted to an intensive care unit or died during follow up. Co-infection with SARS-CoV-2 and dengue virus can occur in patients living in areas in which both viruses are epidemic. The outcome of these patients did not seem to be worse than those having either SARS-CoV-2 or dengue infection alone.

Head lice were also affected by COVID-19: a decrease on Pediculosis infestation during lockdown in Buenos Aires.

Pediculosis is a worldwide disease affecting school-aged children produced by the presence of the head louse, Pediculus humanus capitis De Geer, an obligate ectoparasite on the human scalp feeding exclusively on blood. Transmission occurs primarily through direct physical head-to-head contact. In March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the COVID-19 outbreak as a pandemic. COVID-19 is caused by SARS-CoV-2, a variant of the coronavirus. Therefore, on March 18, 2020, the Argentinean government established mandatory isolation for an indefinite period. This obligatory isolation interrupted regular classes avoiding direct contact between children, thus affecting the dispersal route of individuals and the evolution of head louse populations. In this study, we evaluated through an online survey how confinement affected the prevalence of lice during lockdown compared to the situation prior to confinement. The survey allowed to discriminate the different control strategies, the number of treatments, and the amount of insects recorded by parents. Data of 1118 children obtained from 627 surveys were analyzed. As the main result, it was observed that prevalence of lice decreased significantly from before (69.6%) to during (43.9%) COVID-19 lockdown. Moreover, head lice infestation was more effectively controlled in households with up to 2 children in comparison to households with 3 or more children. This is the first study that analyzed the prevalence of head lice during COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, this work demonstrated the impact of social distance in the population dynamics of head lice and how it could affect the control strategies in the future.

Minimally invasive surgery for haemophilic pseudotumour of the limbs: 28 years of experience.

INTRODUCTION: Haemophilic pseudotumour (HP) is an encapsulated haematoma in patients with haemophilia (PWH) which has a tendency to progress and produce clinical symptoms related to its anatomical location. AIM: To show the experience of one surgeon who has been using mini-invasive technique to treat pseudotumours of limbs in PWH with and without inhibitors at one centre for 28 years. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-three patients with 39 HP were treated. All patients had haemophilia A. Twenty-four patients had no inhibitors (72.8%), and 9 had inhibitors (27.2%). The mean follow-up was 16 years (1-25). All patients had x-rays and MRIs. All of them received Buenos Aires protocol as conservative treatment for 6 weeks. MRIs were repeated after 6 weeks' treatment to assess response to treatment. Surgery was performed in patients who did not respond to conservative treatment. RESULTS: After Buenos Aires protocol, four pseudotumours did not shrink (10.24%), 33 (84.61%) shrank, and two (5.12%) healed. Thirty-seven pseudotumours had surgery, 35 pseudotumours (94.59%) healed with minimally invasive treatment, and two did not heal (5.41%). No infection was observed with this treatment. The mortality rate for the series was 0%. CONCLUSION: The minimally invasive treatment of pseudotumours was effective in 95% of the cases and resulted in no mortality in this series after 28 years.

Material Flow Analysis (MFA) and waste characterizations for formal and informal performance indicators in Tandil, Argentina: Decision-making implications.

In cities, the achievement of waste-related legal requirements and the main drivers of Integrated Sustainable Waste Management (ISWM) need adequate indicators and adaptable-to-case tools and strategies. In this work, we combine Material Flow Analysis (MFA) and waste characterizations to develop a mass balance table to design, calculate and analyse indicators related to the formal and informal waste sub-circuits of Tandil, a medium-sized city of the Buenos Aires province (Argentina). Results show that global recovery is very low (2.3% ± 0.16) and mainly driven by the Informal Recovery Sector (IRS). Also, the IRS strategy is more effective, recovering 40% ± 8.0 of its targeted materials from non-household sources. Regarding each material recovery performance, results show significant differences. For paper and board, recovery exceeds 20%. For HDPE, Tetra brik and Ferrous Metals are lower than 1%. In the case of PET and Glass, 9.6 and 9.0% of what is generated in households is recovered, respectively. However, the global recovery rate of each material is different: 2.9% ± 0.4 for PET and 5.5% ± 1.4 for Glass. Our research show that strategies in place are insufficient regarding legislation in force. Even a hypothetically 100% effectiveness in them will account only for 20.9% ± 2.1 of global recovery. Addressing organic waste, therefore, is imperative. Considering the current province law provision of final disposal diversion, accounting for the work of the IRS is key because they recover more waste than the official strategy. Regarding open dumps eradication, we estimate that up to 17% of generated waste is incorrectly final disposed through private skips illegally dumped. A tracking system for skips could avoid this situation.

Armed against Unhappiness: Psychoanalytic Grammars in Buenos Aires.

Psychoanalysis has produced an ensemble of institutions, expertise, procedures, and practices for rendering the psychoanalytic subject legible and, through this, psychic life as an actionable site of intervention, dislocation, and struggle. This article examines how diverse psychoanalytic communities in Buenos Aires have produced unique grammars that influence how individuals articulate ideas about health and well-being. Descriptive, culturally specific, historically informed, and always provisional, this grammar is empirically grounded in lived experience. Through presenting several case studies, I flesh out how this grammar, as a deictic expression of/for the unconscious is deployed, reworked, and embodied in everyday interactions. I demonstrate how psychic life is enmeshed within social and political experience. In doing so, I consider how interpersonal, existential, environmental, social, and political contingencies shape divergent notions of well-being and structure desires of what it means to live "a good life."

Ecosystem Services and Economic Assessment of Land Uses in Urban and Periurban Areas.

This work quantified ecosystem services (ES) and the geographic gross product (GGP) at municipal level in the Metropolitan Region of Buenos Aires (MRBA), Argentina. The ES offer and GGP were evaluated for each land use (extensive agriculture EA, intensive agriculture IA, urban and periurban agriculture UPA, green areas GA, urban use URB), expressed as a percentage (%), at the municipality level. Municipalities with a greater URB percentage (<70) presented an elevated ES offer from GA. In periurban municipalities EA contributed to ES offer more than other vegetated land uses (IA, GA, and UPA). Urban municipalities presented 20% more GGP than periurban municipalities. The GGP was negatively associated with total ES offer (-0.34) and ES offer from EA (-0.46). The identification and quantification of ES and GGP is relevant for achieving an adequate landscape planning and a sustainable environmental and economic use of urban systems.

Heavy metal pollution and health risk assessment of soils from open dumps in the Metropolitan Area of Buenos Aires, Argentina.

We assessed heavy metal pollution and potential health risk by ingestion of soil in six open dumps in the Metropolitan Area of Buenos Aires (MABA), Argentina. For the determination of Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn, Hg, and Cr, soil samples were taken from the first 10 cm using sampling grids installed between the boundaries of the waste final disposal sites and the beginning of the urban area. Soil samples were considered contaminated if at least one metal exceeded the maximum levels established by the Argentine regulation. Potential health risk by soil ingestion was calculated using deterministic analysis for both adults and children and stochastic analysis only for children. In 39.8% (N = 171) of the soil samples, the concentration of at least one metal was above the guide levels. Concentrations of Pb, Cu, and Zn exceeded maximum permissible values in all open dumps. Except for Hg, heavy metal concentrations differed significantly among open dumps. Hazard indexes > 1 were obtained for the children's population using both deterministic and stochastic models. The most sensitive variables in the stochastic model were exposure frequency and soil ingestion rate, together explaining 70% of the variation in the forecasts. The calculated risks were highly dependent on Pb concentrations. The determination of blood lead concentration in children and the assessment of other exposure routes are needed in areas of open dump influence in MABA.

Human infection with Pseudoterranova cattani by ingestion of "ceviche" in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Anisakidosis is an infection caused by larval nematodes that belong to several genera within the family Anisakidae. Anisakidosis has about 20000 cases reported to date, the vast majority (90%) in Japan. Usually, human anisakiosis is more common than human pseudoterranovosis in Japan and Europe, although in North America Pseudoterranova spp. is the more frequent. Cases of human pseudoterranovosis have been reported from Chile and Peru. We here report one of the few cases of human infection by Pseudoterranova cattani by consumption of "ceviche" in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Microscopic agglutination test: Variables that affect the time of serological confirmation of human leptospirosis cases.

Leptospirosis is considered an endemic disease in Buenos Aires province, Argentina, with human cases reported annually from rural and urban areas. The aim of the study was to describe the variables that influence the delay in the serological confirmation of leptospirosis in human cases (period 2006-2014) from Buenos Aires province. Sixty-four percent (64%) of cases could be confirmed by microscopic agglutination test (MAT) with the first sample. The time of confirmation of the human leptospirosis cases was on average 21 days from the onset of the first clinical signs, and varied depending on the distance of the different sanitary regions. The geographical distribution of the confirmed leptospirosis human cases, in addition to the high number of suspected cases and probable cases (which could not be confirmed by MAT), demonstrate that leptospirosis is endemic and underreported in Buenos Aires province, and that distance and lack of resources could be determinant factors of this situation.

Rectal Lymphogranuloma Venereum, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Among 34 men with proctitis in Buenos Aires, Argentina, 16 (47%) had Chlamydia trachomatis infection, 11 (68.8%) of which were biovar lymphogranuloma venereum. The outbreak was probably local, as in Europe. In Argentina, lymphogranuloma venereum should be a suspected cause of proctitis in HIV-infected men who have had unprotected anal sex with men.

Dengue Virus 1 Outbreak in Buenos Aires, Argentina, 2016.

The largest outbreak of dengue in Buenos Aires, Argentina, occurred during 2016. Phylogenetic, phylodynamic, and phylogeographic analyses of 82 samples from dengue patients revealed co-circulation of 2 genotype V dengue virus lineages, suggesting that this virus has become endemic to the Buenos Aires metropolitan area.

Arsenic in the health of ecosystems: spatial distribution in water, sediment and aquatic biota of Pampean streams.

A survey of arsenic and phosphorus in Pampean streams of Buenos Aires province was performed. Nitrates and ammonia were also determined. Stream water was sampled as well as stream sediment and filamentous algae. Results show that 32 streams exceeded the arsenic recommended guidelines for human consumption of 10 µg L-1 and six exceeded recommended values for aquatic organisms' protection of 50 µg L-1. The average concentration found was 36.54 µg L-1 and areas with more concentration of As are located in the southern region of the province, in streams that are tributaries of the Atlantic Ocean. Other regions with high As concentration are the Matanza River tributaries and the Arrecifes River tributaries. No differences of As concentration was found between stream sediments. Also, no seasonal pattern of As concentration was observed in one stream sampled during a year, but a positive correlation between As and the conductivity (p = 0.0002) and pH (p = 0.01) of the streams was found. Also, As bioaccumulation was detected for all the algae sampled, but no correlation between As accumulated and As in the stream water was found. Ammonia levels exceeded recommended guidelines for human consumption in the Argentinean law in 30 streams. The characterization performed in this study provides relevant information on the distribution of arsenic and its origin and mobility.

[Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome in Buenos Aires, 2009-2014]. / Síndrome pulmonar por hantavirus en Buenos Aires, 2009-2014.

Andes virus is the causative agent of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) in Argentina and neighboring countries. In our country four different areas are affected: Northwest, Southwest, Central and Northeast, where distinct Andes virus genotypes were characterized. Three genotypes were described in Buenos Aires province (Central area): AND-Buenos Aires, AND-Lechiguanas and AND-Plata. In this work, we considered all HPS cases confirmed by ELISA and real time RT-PCR during the period 2009-2014 in Buenos Aires province. The annual distribution, fatality rate and geographic distribution were analyzed. We also analyzed the genotypes involved by RT-PCR and nucleotide sequencing. Finally we evaluated epidemiological data in order to establish the route of transmission. We analyzed 1386 suspect cases of hantavirus infection from Buenos Aires province and we confirmed 88 cases of Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome during 2009-2014. The overall average was 14.3 cases per year. The occurrence of a HPS outbreak was confirmed in Buenos Aires province during 2013, showing a 3 fold increase in case number compared to the annual average between 2009 and 2012, tending to normalize during 2014. The overall lethality was 25.6%, with a maximum value of 45.5% in 2011. Genotype analysis was performed in 30.7% of confirmed cases, AND-BsAs show the highest incidence, it was characterized in 72% of the studied cases. Epidemiological data and results of viral genome comparison strongly suggest person-to-person transmission in the three clusters of two cases described in our study.

A two-stage epidemiological study of eating disorders and muscle dysmorphia in male university students in Buenos Aires.

OBJECTIVE: Studies using traditional screening instruments tend to report a lower prevalence of eating disorders (EDs) in men than is observed in women. It is therefore unclear whether such instruments are valid for the assessment of ED in males. Lack of a formal diagnostic definition of muscle dysmorphia syndrome (MD) makes it difficult to identify men at risk. The study aimed to assess the prevalence of ED and MD in male university students of Buenos Aires. METHOD: A cross-sectional, two-stage, representative survey was of 472 male students from six different schools in Buenos Aires, mostly aged between 18 and 28 years. The first stage involved administration of self-report questionnaires (Eating Attitude Test-26; scores ≥15 indicate "at risk" status). In Stage 2 students at risk of developing EDs were evaluated with a clinical interview, the Eating Disorder Examination (EDE; 12th edition). Two control students were interviewed for every at risk student. RESULTS: The prevalence of EDs among university male students was 1.9% (n = 9). All participants with an ED presented with illness classified as eating disorder not otherwise specified (EDNOS). Using the Drive for Muscularity Scale (DMS) with a 52-point threshold we identified possible MD in 6.99% (n = 33) of the sample. DISCUSSION: The prevalence of ED detected in this study is comparable with previous findings in male populations, and below that observed in female populations. However, the prevalence of possible cases of MD resembles the total rate of EDs in women. Characteristics associated with EDs and MD in men are also discussed.