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Proteomic analysis of human blister fluids following envenomation by three snake species in India: differential markers for venom mechanisms of action
(2019-04-30) Macêdo, Jéssica Kale A.; Joseph, Joseph K.; Menon, Jaideep; Escalante Muñoz, Teresa; Rucavado Romero, Alexandra; Gutiérrez Gutiérrez, José María; Fox, Jay William
Skin blistering as a result of snakebite envenomation is characteristic of some bites, however little is known regarding the mechanism of blister formation or the composition of the blister fluid. In order to investigate if blister fluid proteomes from humans suffering snakebite envenomation could provide insights on the pathophysiology of these skin alterations, blister fluid was collected from six patients upon presentation at a clinic in India bitten by three species of snakes, Daboia russelii (3), Hypnale hypnale (2), or Naja naja (1). Standard clinical data were recorded throughout the treatment. Approximately 805 proteins were identified in blister fluids using proteomic analyses. Informatics analyses of the proteomes identified the top biological response categories as: platelet degranulation, innate immune response, receptor-mediated endocytosis, complement activation, and blood coagulation. Hierarchical clustering did not show a clear segregation of patients’ proteomes being associated with the species of snake involved, suggesting that either the proteomic profiles described reflect a general response to venom-induced tissue damage or more patient data sets will be required to observe significant differences. Finally, it is of interest that venom proteins were also identified in the blister fluids suggesting that this fluid may serve as a reservoir of venom biologically active proteins/toxins, and as such, may indicate the clinical value of removing blister fluid to attenuate further tissue damage. The proteomic analysis of blister fluid collected from people suffering snakebite
envenomation is a valuable tool to understand the pathophysiology of envenomation; to identify
venom components; and to provide insights into new therapeutic options.
The effect of a compression bandage on dual energy X-ray absorptiometry body composition scores
(2024-01-01) Chacón Araya, Yamileth; Carpio Rivera, Elizabeth; Quirós Quirós, Andrea; Moncada Jiménez, José
Background: Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) measures are affected by the noise produced by external factors such as textile compression found in loose clothing. The study aimed to determine the effect of a compression bandage (CB) on body composition (BC) assessed by DXA. Methods: Sixty volunteers (age=21.4§4.7yr.) underwent full-body DXA scans on a control (CTRL) condition and after wearing a 30-mmHg CB on the trunk, legs, and arms. ANOVA (2 genders by 2 experimental conditions) determined mean interactions in BC variables tissue body fat% (BF%), region body fat% (RBF%), body tissue (BT), fat mass (FM), lean mass (LM), bone mineral content (BMC), and total mass (TM). Absolute reliability in BC scores was studied by the typical error of the measurement (TEM), the coefficient of variability (CV), and Bland-Altman plots. Results: ANOVA interactions were found on tissue total BF% (p=0.049), RBF% (p=0.048), android lean mass (p=0.004), and android total mass (p=0.019). The CV was small for tissue BF% (2.61§0.93%, CI95%=0.79, 4.43%), RBF% (2.66§1.78%, CI95%=-0.83, 6.15%), BT (4.82§2.19%, CI95%=0.54, 9.10kg), FM (4.17§2.25%, CI95%=-0.24, 8.58kg), LM (3.25§2.44%, CI95%=-1.53, 8.04kg), BMC (4.81§2.96%, CI95%=-0.99, 10.62kg), and TM (2.84§2.80%, CI95%=-2.65, 8.33kg). Bland-Altman plots showed random error for BF%, LM, and BMC. A bias of 0.5% was observed on BF% in males. Conclusion: A CB worn during a full-body DXA scan elicited similar BC scores than not wearing it. The variation in scores was <10% for most BC variables, and a trivial bias of 0.5% in BF% was detected in male scores.
Steps to overcome the North–South divide in research relevant to climate change policy and practice
(2017-01-04) Blicharska, Malgorzata; Smithers, Richard J.; Kuchler, Magdalena; Agrawal, Ganesh K.; Gutiérrez, José María; Hassanali, Ahmed; Huq, Saleemul; Koller, Silvia H.; Marjit, Sugata; Mshinda, Hassan M.; Masjuki, Hassan Hj; Solomons, Noel W.; van Staden, Johannes; Mikusiński, Grzegorz
A global North–South divide in research, and its negative consequences, has been highlighted in various scientific disciplines. Northern domination of science relevant to climate change policy and practice, and limited research led by Southern researchers in Southern countries, may hinder further development and implementation of global climate change agreements and nationally appropriate actions. Despite efforts to address the North–South divide, progress has been slow. In this Perspective, we illustrate the extent of the divide, review underlying issues and analyse their consequences for climate change policy development and implementation. We propose a set of practical steps in both Northern and Southern countries that a wide range of actors should take at global, regional and national scales to span the North–South divide, with examples of some actions already being implemented.
Mecanismos focales de los sismos sentidos en Costa Rica durante el año 2024
(2025-04-30) Linkimer Abarca, Lepolt; Fallas Salazar, Carolina; Arroyo Hidalgo, Ivonne Gabriela
Este estudio presenta 139 nuevos mecanismos focales elaborados en el marco del resumen anual de la sismicidad del año 2024. En total, la Red Sismológica Nacional (RSN) localizó 5378 eventos, cuya energía conjunta equivale a un sismo de magnitud momento (Mw) 6,6. Solo el ~3,8 % (204) del total de sismos fue percibido por la población. Los mecanismos focales y las localizaciones de estos eventos permitieron agrupar su origen en cinco categorías: fallamiento en las placas cabalgantes Caribe y Panamá, zona interplacas de la subducción de la placa Coco, deformación interna de la placa Coco subducida, fallamiento del límite entre las placas Coco y Nazca y fallamiento de la placa Coco previo a la subducción. Los sismos superficiales (< 35 km) en las placas cabalgantes, al igual que los asociados con el límite Coco-Nazca, ocurrieron principalmente en fallas de desplazamiento de rumbo, mientras que los relacionados con subducción fueron de tipo inverso. Los diez sismos sentidos más relevantes en 2024 alcanzaron magnitudes Mw 5,5-6,2. La intensidad máxima observada fue de V, en áreas muy reducidas cerca de los epicentros de seis eventos (Mw 4,9 y 6,2).
Seismicity in Central America (1520–2020) and earthquake catalog compilation for seismic hazard assessments
(2024-11-12) Gamboa Canté, Carlos José; Arroyo Solórzano, Mario Andrés; Benito Oterino, María Belén; Fortín Aguilar, José Jorge; Arroyo Hidalgo, Ivonne Gabriela; Camacho Astigarrabia, Eduardo; Castro Rojas, Diego Andrés; Flores Beltetón, Omar; Linkimer Abarca, Lepolt; Marroquin Parada, Martha Griselda; Mixco Durán, Luis Ernesto; Strauch, Wilfried; Talavera, Emilio; Valle, Gerson; Yani Quiyuch, Robin Onelio
Central America is a seismically active region located in a tectonic setting dominated by the subduction zone between the Cocos and Caribbean plates, transform boundaries between the North American and Caribbean plates, and local or crustal faulting with some of the most important fault systems aligned with the volcanic arc. Combining seismic data from various Central American seismic agency catalogs covering the period from 1520 to 2020, we present an updated regional earthquake catalog for the region. Fourteen databases containing seismic events from local and regional agencies were collected for different time periods, homogenized to moment magnitude (Mw), and subsequently unified using a prioritization criteria approach. We analyzed to the data to identify and remove duplicate earthquakes, prioritizing records with the lowest RMS value, depth consistent with their location based on the region’s crustal thickness, and magnitudes in accordance with historical reports or bibliographic sources. Additionally, significant seismic events (Mw ≥ 6.0) were carefully reviewed based on their epicentral locations and magnitudes, according on reliable publications. The earthquake catalog compiled includes a total of 260 548 earthquakes, for which we conducted a descriptive, spatiotemporal statistical analysis, as well as estimations of the magnitude of completeness (Mc) and declustering. Among the most important results, we highlight recent completeness periods for magnitudes Mw < 5.0. Geographically, seismic zones with better Mc are directly related to either good seismic network coverage or high seismicity rates in the region. As regards declustering, the Reasenberg declustering method considers several main shocks with ~ 76% of the earthquakes compared to the initial catalog and the Uhrhammer method considers ~ 51% as main shocks.