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Background Worldwide, Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) is among the diseases that cause the highest economic impact in modern pig production. PRRS was first detected in Costa Rica in 1996 and has since then severely affected the local swine industry. Studies of the molecular characterization of circulating strains, correlation with clinical records, and associations with pathogens associated with Porcine Respiratory Disease Complex (PRDC) have not been done in Costa Rica. Results Sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of ORF5 proved that PRRSV-2 was the only species detected in all locations analyzed. These sequences were grouped into three clusters. When comparing samples from San Jose, Alejuela, and Puntarenas to historical isolates of the previously described lineages (1 to 9), it has been shown that these were closely related to each other and belonged to Lineage 5, along with the samples from Heredia. Intriguingly, samples from Cartago clustered in a separate clade, phylogenetically related to Lineage 1. Epitope analysis conducted on the GP5 sequence of field isolates from Costa Rica revealed seven peptides with at least 80% amino acid sequence identity with previously described and experimentally validated immunogenic regions. Previously described epitopes A, B, and C, were detected in the Santa Barbara-Heredia isolate. Conclusions Our data suggest that the virus has three distinct origins or introductions to the country. Future studies will elucidate how recently introduced vaccines will shape the evolutionary change of circulating field strains.

Background Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus (PRRSV) continues to impose significant economic losses on pig production globally. In Costa Rica, where the virus is endemic, there is limited knowledge of the farm-level risk factors influencing PRRSV spread. This study aimed to identify biosecurity factors associated with PRRSV seroprevalence in Costa Rican pig farms. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 21 pig farms across Costa Rica. Data on farm management and biosecurity practices were collected using a structured questionnaire and linked to PRRSV seroprevalence data from a companion study. Logistic regression, and machine learning methods like LASSO (Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator), and Random Forest models were used to identify significant risk factors associated with herd-level PRRSV positivity. Results Three key risk factors were consistently identified by both LASSO and Random Forest models: historical controlled exposure to PRRSV, restrictions on employee access to the farm, and restrictions on employee visits to other pig farms. Additional risk factors identified included topography, disinfection practices for transport vehicles, sanitation measures for visitors, boot and clothing protocols, and feedback procedures. Farms with a history of controlled exposure had an odds ratio of 90 (95% CI: 7.6–3,550) for being PRRSV-positive. Conclusion The findings underscore the importance of internal and external biosecurity measures, particularly in relation to personnel movement and intentional exposure practices. Modeling approaches such as LASSO and Random Forest provided complementary insights into PRRSV risk factors in a tropical production setting. These insights can guide tailored interventions to reduce PRRSV transmission in Costa Rica and similar regions.

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) causes significant economic losses to the swine industry worldwide. Little is known regarding the epidemiology of this infection in tropical countries. To address this problem in Costa Rica, a seroepidemiological study was carried out in two phases. In the first phase, a pilot study was conducted in nine farms with the clinical diagnosis of PRRSV. In total, 265 pig serum samples were collected from animals ranging in age from 1 to 15 weeks of age. This study aimed to establish the duration of maternal immunity in piglets, to identify the period of viremia, and to determine when seroconversion occurs. In the second phase, a cross-sectional serology study was performed on a representative sample of the Costa Rican national herds in the second phase. The twenty-five selected farms represent all provinces and were classified according to herd size (100 to 2000 sows). In each farm, pigs aged 8, 10, and 12 weeks were sampled, as well as gilts based on the pilot study. In total 1281 pigs were sampled across all 25 farms. The aim of the cross-sectional study was to quantify the seroprevalence of PRRSV in Costa Rican pig farms and to describe its geographical distribution in this tropical country. The prevalence of positive farms was 44% (11/25), and these farms were located in six of the seven provinces of Costa Rica. Overall, 58% (344/596) of the pigs were seropositive to PRRSV. The age of the pigs and the ecozone where farms were located were significantly related with PRRSV seroprevalence in animals and herds, respectively.

Substrates engineered to undergo a 1,4-C–H insertion to yield benzocyclobutenes resulted in a novel elimination reaction to yield ortho¬-quinone dimethide (o-QDM) products that undergo Diels-Alder or hetero-Diels-Alder cycloadditions. The analogous benzylic acetals or ethers avoid the C–H insertion pathway completely and, after hydride transfer, undergo a de-aromatizing elimination reaction to o-QDM at ambient temperature. The resulting dienes undergo a variety of cycloaddition reactions with high diastereo- and regio-selectivity. This is one of the few examples of catalytic generation of o-QDM without the intermediacy of a benzocyclobutene and represents one of the mildest, ambient temperature processes to access to these useful intermediates. This proposed mechanism is supported by DFT calculations. Moreover, the methodology was applied to the synthesis of (±)-isolariciresinol in 42% overall yield.

El objetivo del presente libro es dar a conocer distintas formas de la psicología social y diferentes posicionamientos teóricos y metodológicos relacionados con este campo de conocimientos. Para lograrlo, se compilaron catorce trabajos que se agruparon en cinco secciones. En el libro, se integran dos tipos de trabajos: unos que muestran resulta dos de investigaciones aplicadas y otros de carácter más teórico. En el título se apela a la definición más llana del término lección, que es la de exposición. Cada tema aquí explorado y expuesto fue escrito por especialistas. La sección de \"Encrucijadas\" es el recorrido de la psicología social desde la micropiscología hasta la psicología cultural; la de \"Caminos\" se encarga de abordar los temas del tiempo y del olvido social; en \"Veredas\" se discute acerca de la política y la democracia; \"Senderos\" incluye dos temáticas muy particulares de la psicología social: el amor y la vejez, y \"Rutas\" aborda temas como la resiliencia, la participación social indígena y la vieja discusión sobre las categorías de individuo y sociedad. Este libro se planeó, originalmente, a partir de un coloquio realizado entre la Sociedad Mexicana de Psicología Social (SOMEPSO) y la Facultad de Psicología de la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM). Gracias a las gestiones que se realizaron con la Universidad Cooperativa de Colombia (UCC) se pudo realizar una obra con colaboraciones de tres países: México, Colombia y Argentina. Esperamos que este trabajo sea prolífico y marque el inicio de futuras colaboraciones.

Aquí lo que hay es hambre, asegu ra López. En su casa hacen una ración de medio kilo de arroz que acompañan con algún pescado que desmenuzan en fibras para que alcance para todos. Toman los bocados con las manos y es lo único con lo que la familia integrada por 10 personas pasa el día y la noche. Los habitantes de Caño Sawa dicen que la crisis exacerbó su pobreza. Carecen de infraestructura, no tienen ambulatorios o cloacas, pero reclaman que antes tenían al menos que comer. La inflación, el encarecimiento de la comida y el contrabando les quitó el pan de la boca. En 2015 se realizó un censo que registró a 15.000 familias, de acuerdo con el Ministerio de Alimentación. No obstante, el informe de Codhez revela una disparidad en las cifras oficiales, pues el Ministerio de los Pueblos Indígenas, junto con el Ministerio de Alimentación, la Alcaldía de la Guajira y el Sistema de Misiones, realizó un censo en septiembre que incluyó a 6.945 familias integradas por 23.646 personas. Daniela Guerra, directora gene ral de Codhez, subraya que con el incremento de los controles para trasladar alimentos desde Maracaibo y otras regiones del país hacia La Guajira, así como la confiscación de víveres y bienes particulares, la situación se agrava. Allí, además, no existen sistemas de agua potable, los cortes eléctricos son frecuentes y están aislados del resto del país. El control militar recrudeció desde la declaratoria del estado de excepción.

The clinically significant pathogen Clostridioides difficile lacks the transmembrane nutrient germinant receptors conserved in almost all spore-forming bacteria. Instead, C. difficile initiates spore germination using a unique mechanism that requires two signals: a bile acid germinant and a co-germinant, which can be either an amino acid or a divalent cation. While two soluble pseudoproteases, CspC and CspA, were initially identified as the germinant and co-germinant receptors, respectively, in C. difficile , we previously identified residues in an unstructured region of CspC that regulate the sensitivity of C. difficile spores to both signals. However, the mechanism by which CspC transduces these signals remained unclear. Here, we demonstrate that CspC forms a stable complex with CspA and determine the crystal structure of the CspC:CspA heterodimer. The structure reveals extensive interactions along the binding interface, including direct interactions between the unstructured region of CspC and CspA. Using structure-function analyses, we identify CspC:CspA interactions that regulate the sensitivity of C. difficile spores to germinant signals and show that CspA regulates the response of C. difficile to not only co-germinant but also germinant signals. While we show that CspA can form a homodimer and determine its crystal structure, CspA homodimerization appears unimportant for C. difficile spore germination. Collectively, our analyses establish the CspC:CspA heterodimer, rather than its individual constituents, as a critical signaling node for sensing both germinant and co-germinant signals. They also suggest a new mechanistic model for how C. difficile transduces germinant signals, which could guide the development of therapeutics against this important pathogen.

These are the voices of two teenage researchers in our female-led community research project. This is an introduction piece used during our local presentation to the focus group participants, families, educators, mothers and daughters, and people who had donated money or volunteered time to our research. This presentation carried out one of our primary goals: to bring research done about our community back to our community. Other goals included:• To be phenomenal, confident women willing to learn and teach • To learn how to do our own research • To teach academics that community groups and young women cando our research and that our research methods can be more culturally appropriate and dynamic• Increase mother/daughter communication • Present our findings at the “New Girl Order” International Confer-ence in London.

Nipah virus (NiV), an emerging zoonotic pathogen in Southeast Asia, is transmitted from Pteropus species of fruit bats to a wide range of species, including humans, pigs, horses, dogs, and cats. NiV has killed millions of animals and caused highly fatal human outbreaks since no vaccine is commercially available. This study characterized the immunogenicity and safety of poxvirus-based Nipah vaccines that can be used in humans and species responsible for NiV transmission. Mice were vaccinated with modified vaccinia Ankara (MVA) and raccoon pox (RCN) viral vectors expressing the NiV fusion (F) and glycoprotein (G) proteins subcutaneously (SC) and intranasally (IN). Importantly, both vaccines did not induce significant weight loss or clinical signs of disease while generating high circulating neutralizing antibodies and lung-specific IgG and IgA responses. The MVA vaccine saw high phenotypic expression of effector and tissue resident memory CD8ɑ + T cells in lungs and splenocytes along with the expression of central memory CD8ɑ + T cells in lungs. The RCN vaccine generated effector memory (SC) and tissue resident (IN) CD8ɑ + T cells in splenocytes and tissue resident (IN) CD8ɑ + T cells in lung cells. These findings support MVA-FG and RCN-FG viral vectors as promising vaccine candidates to protect humans, domestic animals, and wildlife from fatal disease outcomes and to reduce the global threat of NiV.

The widespread use of potent androgen receptor signaling inhibitors (ARSIs) has led to an increasing emergence of AR-independent castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), typically driven by loss of AR expression, lineage plasticity, and transformation to prostate cancers (PCs) that exhibit phenotypes of neuroendocrine or basal-like cells. The anti-apoptotic protein BCL2 is upregulated in neuroendocrine cancers and may be a therapeutic target for this aggressive PC disease subset. There is an unmet clinical need, therefore, to clinically characterize BCL2 expression in metastatic CRPC (mCRPC), determine its association with AR expression, uncover its mechanisms of regulation, and evaluate BCL2 as a therapeutic target and/or biomarker with clinical utility. Here, using multiple PC biopsy cohorts and models, we demonstrate that BCL2 expression is enriched in AR-negative mCRPC, associating with shorter overall survival and resistance to ARSIs. Moreover, high BCL2 expression associates with lineage plasticity features and neuroendocrine marker positivity. We provide evidence that BCL2 expression is regulated by DNA methylation, associated with epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and increased by the neuronal transcription factor ASCL1. Finally, BCL2 inhibition had antitumor activity in some, but not all, BCL2-positive PC models, highlighting the need for combination strategies to enhance tumor cell apoptosis and enrich response.