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The population of Argentina is the result of the intermixing between several groups, including Indigenous American, European and African populations. Despite the commonly held idea that the population of Argentina is of mostly European origin, multiple studies have shown that this process of admixture had an impact in the entire Argentine population. In the present study we characterized the distribution of Indigenous American, European and African ancestry among individuals from different regions of Argentina and evaluated the level of discrepancy between self-reported grandparental origin and genetic ancestry estimates. A set of 99 autosomal ancestry informative markers (AIMs) was genotyped in a sample of 441 Argentine individuals to estimate genetic ancestry. We used non-parametric tests to evaluate statistical significance. The average ancestry for the Argentine sample overall was 65% European (95%CI: 63-68%), 31% Indigenous American (28-33%) and 4% African (3-4%). We observed statistically significant differences in European ancestry across Argentine regions [Buenos Aires province (BA) 76%, 95%CI: 73-79%; Northeast (NEA) 54%, 95%CI: 49-58%; Northwest (NWA) 33%, 95%CI: 21-41%; South 54%, 95%CI: 49-59%; p<0.0001] as well as between the capital and immediate suburbs of Buenos Aires city compared to more distant suburbs [80% (95%CI: 75-86%) versus 68% (95%CI: 58-77%), p = 0.01]. European ancestry among individuals that declared all grandparents born in Europe was 91% (95%CI: 88-94%) compared to 54% (95%CI: 51-57%) among those with no European grandparents (p<0.001). Our results demonstrate the range of variation in genetic ancestry among Argentine individuals from different regions in the country, highlighting the importance of taking this variation into account in genetic association and admixture mapping studies in this population.

We report the distribution of the APOB signal peptide polymorphism in 5 native populations of South America: 2 samples of Mataco and 1 sample each of Pilagá and Toba from the Argentinian Chaco and 1 sample of Ache from the Paraguay forest. A randomly selected subsample of a previously studied sample from the Cayapa of Ecuador (Scacchi et al. 1997) was reanalyzed to investigate probable differences attributable to sampling, laboratory techniques, or interobserver error. The polymorphism observed in the signal peptide region of the APOB gene among native populations of South America exhibits the same range of variation found among geographic continental populations, confirming the high genetic heterogeneity of South Amerindians. Extremes in the allele prevalences were found among the Mataco and Ache, populations not far apart geographically. The small differences in genotype and allele frequencies between the subsample of the Cayapa analyzed here and the original Cayapa sample and between the 2 Mataco samples were not statistically significant and most likely were due to sampling error.

A novel, simple, rapid, and non-expensive analytical method based on square wave voltammogram at Pt-microelectrode coupled with partial least square multivariate calibration was used for the simultaneous quantitation of thymol (THY) and carvacrol (CAR) in thyme and oregano essential oils. Results demonstrated that the multivariate calibration method successfully exploited the first-order advantage, rendering highly satisfactory quantitative figures (average recoveries not statistically different than 100%). Moreover, the results agree well with those obtained from the official analytical method. Last, the method’s environmental sustainability was asserted using the AGREE metric, highlighting its eco-friendly nature. More importantly, the proposed analytical procedure does not require previous sample preparation or electrode surface modification. The results underscore the suitability of the method for determining THY and CAR in essential oils at low concentrations (LOD ~ 7.6 µM) with REP% below 5.6%, meeting the requirements of the green analytical chemistry.

Chronic kidney disease-associated pruritus (CKD-aP), a persistent itching sensation, is prevalent among hemodialysis patients. This study aims to understand its prevalence, its possible association with selected solutes, and impact on quality of life (QoL) in hemodialysis patients. Involving 434 hemodialysis patients in Spain, this observational study employed a survey based on validated pruritus assessment tools, alongside demographic, clinical, and biochemical data collection. The study used statistical analyses to examine the correlation between CKD-aP and various QoL dimensions. CKD-aP affected 46,4% (202) of the participants, with no significant variation across gender and age (p = 0.222 and p = 0.379, respectively). There were no significant associations between CKD-aP and biochemical markers like calcium, phosphate, and C-reactive protein (p > 0.05, in all cases). Each reporting period (morning, midday, evening, and night) revealed distinct patterns in pruritus prevalence and severity (p < 0.05). The nighttime report exhibited the most significant differences, as more than half of the patients with moderate to severe pruritus reported constant and frequent itching (23.0% and 27.9%, respectively). Concerning other variables and symptoms associated with QoL, pruritus group exhibited higher rates of anxiety, depression, decreased sexual desire and sexual function, and sometimes to most of the time reported sleep onset problems, sleeping pill use, and drowsiness on waking (p < 0.001 in all cases). When stratifying by pruritus intensity differences persisted across anxiety (p < 0.001) and sleep onset problems (p = 0.018). The findings underscore the high prevalence and severe impact of CKD-aP in QoL among hemodialysis patients, indicating a need for standardized screening and treatment approaches in clinical practice. The lack of correlation with common biochemical markers suggests an intricate pathophysiology, warranting further investigation. These insights emphasize the necessity of holistic management strategies and more research to understand CKD-aP complex nature for better patient outcomes.