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This article results from the analysis of the phenomenon of "barras bravas" (violent supporter groups) in football and its influence in school coexistence at three public educational institutions in Bogotá. The methodology of the study was mixed with a concurrent triangulation design (DITRIAC), hence diverse instruments were employed to verify the findings and cross-validate quantitative and qualitative data. The information obtained from a survey applied to 300 students was complemented with life histories, field notes and a document review of the institutional reports on school coexistence. The study revealed that violence emerges as a consequence of the participation in "barras bravas," whose members attend the institutions where this research was conducted. The discussion reflects how important it is to vindicate the role of the school within the framework of public policies which both integrate youth dynamics and articulate programs and projects suitable for the Colombian context.

Objective: To analyse the relationship between poverty and attitudes towards childcare practices in rural and urban areas of Colombia. Method: This article presents a cross-sectional correlational study conducted in the department of Atlántico, northern Colombia. Attitudes towards childcare and living conditions were assessed among 1189 caregivers of preschool children. The multidimensional poverty index and the participants' area of origin (urban or rural) were considered. Results: No direct relationship was found between attitudes towards childcare and the multidimensional poverty index. However, it was observed that urban participants from deprived areas had a higher poverty index and less positive attitudes towards childcare, especially regarding cognitive, sleep and health care. There was a moderating effect of area on attitudes towards childcare. Conclusions: The study highlights the influence of poverty and social vulnerability on attitudes towards childcare, particularly in urban areas. These findings underline the importance of considering socio-economic and geographical conditions when addressing childcare practices. It also highlights the need to implement specific strategies to promote positive childcare practices in more vulnerable contexts to improve early childhood development in Colombia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seed uniformity and stability testing, and multiplication, are key steps in the seed supply chain of the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) and other crops. Optimizing agronomical practices in these phases can ultimately ensure seed quality and availability, and germplasm prospective utilization. However, farmers have rarely standardized seed testing and propagation protocols in local common bean landraces conserved in situ. An example of this is the Liborino variety (var.), a promising yellow Andean common bean known for its presumably high digestibility and adaptation to the local conditions of the Cauca river canyon (northwest Andes of Colombia), but likely experiencing genetic erosion after decades of suboptimal propagation. Therefore, this work intended to evaluate and select locally adapted genotypes of common bean var. Liborino for commercial use, to be later multiplied, evaluated by participatory breeding, and eventually shared with farmers. Specifically, we evaluated 44 accessions of var. Liborino common bean in six adaption and yield field trials in the Cauca river canyon at 1100 and 1400 m a.s.l, and in AGROSAVIA's "La Selva" research station at 2100 m a.s.l. In parallel, we carried out standardized seed multiplication of a Liborino genotype using best practices to guarantee uniformity and stability. From the 44 accessions, nine were well adapted to the tested local conditions. Four of these accessions exhibited a bush type growth habit, while the remaining five were climbers. The trials revealed maximum average extrapolated yields of up to 1169.4 ± 228.4 kg ha−1 for the bush types (G8152) and up to 1720.0 ± 588.4 kg ha−1 for the climbers (G51018), both at 2100 m a.s.l. Three climbing accessions matched farmers' expectations for seed coat color and shape, according to a participatory selection exercise. Uniform and stable seed of the selected genotype was delivered in 2022 to 39 farmers, ~6.5 kg of seeds per farmer. Our results will allow implementing bean genetic improvement pipelines, promoting var. Liborino commercialization, and boosting the economic and sustainable development of the rural communities in the Cauca river canyon. Seed uniformity testing and multiplication pipelines must be extended to other bean landraces conserved in situ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work a natural fiber composite material, the Guadua Angustifolia Kunth from the family of Bamboo is investigated as a suitable alternative for solutions for impact applications, load-bearing, and other structural applications. Since this type of Bamboo grows faster than wood and requires less water and area to reach maturity and be able to crop, it is a competitive, economically, and environmentally solution when is compared to other construction materials. The Bamboo species of interest is a natural one from Colombia and will be evaluated in flexural behavior and under impact response to understand the material subjected under fast loading. Flexural samples were cut parallel to bamboo axial fibers to obtain the highest impact strength. The flexural tests and scanning electron microscopy characterization were included for microstructure analysis. Additionally, compression at high strain rates was characterized by a split-Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB). Results show flexural strength of about 70 MPa. The impact analysis showed a tough material with very similar values to Charpy notched and dynamic instrumented impact tests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we attempt to find existing linkages of financial literacy with indebtedness and wealth accumulation of households in Bogotá, the capital of Colombia. We analyze an econometric model where we regress a household's debt usage, cost of debt servicing, and wealth indicators against its financial literacy. Financial literacy is assessed according to the financial numeracy and money management skills of the head of households. Numeracy skills are found to have a positive correlation with the decision to use debt and have a mortgage and with the total number of lending sources, debt‐to‐income, and net worth. Money management skills decrease the household's likelihood of using all of the debt types considered in the analysis and increase with net worth. We also uncover important debt and wealth accumulation conducts closely tied to the city's economic stratification and the gender of the head of household. A number of public policy implications are derived from the results of the analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper was to create a decision tree (DT) to identify personality profiles of offenders against public safety. A technique meeting this requirement was proposed that uses the C4.5 algorithm to derive decision rules for personality profiling of public safety offenders. The Mini-Mult test was used to measure the personality profiles of 238 individuals. With the test results as our database, a C4.5 DT was applied to construct rules that classify each profile into one of two groups, those without and those with records of offences against public safety. The model correctly classified 80% of the personality profiles and delivered a set of decision rules for distinguishing the profiles by group, and the principal personality profiles were interpreted. We conclude that DTs are a promising technique for analysing personality profiles by their offender or non-offender status. Finally, we believe that the development of a classifying model using DT may have practical applications in the Colombian prison system. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reviews a series of educational guidelines for training in citizenship skills at the preschool level in Colombia, along with research on cognitive and social development in preschool children. It also takes a look at how these guidelines and findings relate to programs for teaching citizenship skills to youngsters in this age group. Thirty-eight studies were reviewed. The discussion focused on the articulation that is required between progress in research on children's cognitive and social development and programs to teach citizenship skills to preschool youngsters. The objective was to provide an idea of civic, defensive and purposeful actions that are pertinent and can be used by teachers at this stage in a child's life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Cuadernos de Administración is the property of Universidad del Valle and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Cuadernos de Administración is the property of Universidad del Valle and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study searches for the presence of an essentialist theory as a basis for social categorization of poverty, in a purposive sample of twelve children between 4 and 7 years old, from high and low socioeconomic levels in the city of Barranquilla. We present the results of the exploratory stage of research, which used qualitative techniques. The analysis of the emerging categories of children's responses, suggests that the social category of poverty is well established, but it has no essentialist ideas underlying. Piaget's theory better explains the findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present preliminary results of a study about the early presence of essentialism as the basis for social categorization of poverty, in a purposive sample of 121 children's body five to seven years, from the high and low socioeconomic levels in Barranquilla, Colombia. After application of the scales, there was no evidence of essentialist thinking, and no significant differences associated with age, gender or socioeconomic status, except in the capacity of self-categorization. The results suggest that children identified poverty as a category, but they are based on external circumstances to establish the membership to the category. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Salud Uninorte is the property of Fundacion Universidad del Norte and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: Sun exposure and skin phototype are the most relevant risk factors for skin cancer. Colombia has high levels of ultraviolet radiation during the whole year, therefore, both, high UVI's and outdoor worker's daily activities, in our country are very important risk factors for the development of cutaneous cancer. To date no study has evaluated the usefulness of Fitzpatrick's skin phototype classification in Colombians and its correlation with the minimal erythema dose (MED) and constitutional skin color. Such information is gaining importance in other nations due to the fact that several country's population is becoming more ethnically diverse. Objectives: To determine the skin phototype, accumulated sun exposure, sun protection behavior, MED and phenotype in a Colombian school population. Methods: Last year high school students from the western Antioquia were invited to participate by phone and letter through their respective school directors. A self-questionnaire was handled to each student. A representative sample of the universe was selected for a medical examination by a dermatologist in order to validate the results of the self-questionnaire. The constitutional skin color was determined with the chromameter CR 300 Minolta®. The MED was defined as the minimal dose of UVB being able to induce erythema 24 h later. Results: Eight schools of the area agreed to participate in the study, and a total of 911 students (58% girls and 42% boys) filled-out the self-questionnaire. Sun exposure in the majority of individuals was in a level between moderate and very high. Ninety percent of students do not use any sun protection device or cream. Only a 50% of concordance between self-assessed skin phototype vs. medical skin phototype was found, and the highest concordance corresponded to skin phototype II (82%). There was a marked difference in skin photosensitivity of Colombians compared with reports in Caucasians. We observed a marked overlapping in MED's and L* values in phototypes II and III. Conclusions: The Fitzpatrick's classification was not useful in Hispanic populations such as ours. Therefore, a new skin-phototype classification system is required. In our population the constitutional color was a good predictor of the MED but it did not correlate with skin phototype. The self-assessed questionnaire method was not useful to determine skin cancer risk in our population. The majority of this population has light skin phototypes and is highly exposed to solar UV radiation without proper protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to present the application of a methodology that seeks facilitating the teaching about the selection of international markets, focused on firm internationalization. The existing literature that validates this type of approach for decision-making is analyzed, identifying the general factors that have influence on the selection of new export markets. Then a new economic factor is proposed with a series of sub-factors to be analyzed, such as country risk, consumer price index, GDP per capita and the unemployment rate. The analytic hierarchy process technique was developed in order to rank the judgments made by ten chemical companies for each of the previously established dimensions. The results suggest that factors such as costs, logistics, trade barriers, economics, and environment and culture are taken into account, in this order of importance, for the exportation of chemical products from Colombia; while the most attractive markets for this case are the United States, Honduras and Ecuador. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. To study the variations in infant mortality rate (IMR) across Colombia's 33 administrative departments over the period 2003-2009, examine persistency of variations across departments over time, and relate those variations to the impact of socio-economic conditions and availability of care on IMR. Materials and methods. Using vital statistics and related socio-economic data we establish three types of analysis according to: (a) the variation of the departmental IMR (2003-2009), (b) the association between the departmental IMR and its key determinants over time, and (c) the lines of causality and relative impact of different factors, by using structural equations. Results. The 4.7 fold ratio between the highest and lowest departmental IMR (2009) may be underestimated considering underreporting, especially in low-income departments. There is a negative association between the departmental IMR with time and a set of highly correlated variables, such as the mother education, income per capita, health insurance level and access to services. Conclusions. The effect of better insurance, availability of private beds, and having doctors attending mothers, eclipse the impact of better socioeconomic conditions. The range of services does notappearto be influenced by a rational policy; resources are not allocated according to the need, but with the general development. Private beds are made available where there is better health insurance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gold mining not only introduces mercury (Hg) contamination to soils but also facilitates the mobilization of other toxic substances, including arsenic (As). This study assessed the total content, chemical species, and bioavailable fraction of As in surface soils impacted by mining residues during frequent flooding. Analysis of 207 soil samples across the floodplain region of La Mojana, Colombia, screened to 2 mm with polyethylene mesh, revealed significant correlations (p < 0.05) between inorganic As, the residual phase, sulphur (S), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), and aluminum (Al), indicating associations with sulfides and oxyhydroxides of Fe and Mn. The origin of toxicity was linked to suspended materials transported by rivers during flooding in areas with intense mining activity. Sites with better oxidizing conditions exhibited a higher presence of phases associated with amorphous and crystalline oxides in non-flooded areas. Although the bioavailable fraction was minimal in flooded sites, reducing conditions facilitated As mobility, resulting in higher concentrations in deeper soil layers, particularly as As(III). The contamination factor (CF) ranged from 1.3 to 11.1, and the geochemical index (Igeo) ranged from -0.2 to 2.9, indicating a moderate to high As contamination level in soils. This poses potential health risks, considering the agricultural use of these soils., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Climate change brings a range of challenges and opportunities to shrimp fisheries globally. The case of the Colombian Pacific Ocean (CPO) is notable due the crucial role of shrimps in the economy, supporting livelihoods for numerous families. However, the potential impacts of climate change on the distribution of shrimps loom large, making it urgent to scrutinize the prospective alterations that might unfurl across the CPO. Employing the Species Distribution Modeling approach under Global Circulation Model scenarios, we predicted the current and future potential distributions of five commercially important shrimps (Litopenaeus occidentalis, Xiphopenaeus riveti, Solenocera agassizii, Penaeus brevirostris, and Penaeus californiensis) based on an annual cycle, and considering the decades 2030 and 2050 under the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways SSP 2.6, SSP 4.5, SSP 7.0, and SSP 8.5. The Bathymetric Projection Method was utilized to obtain spatiotemporal ocean bottom predictors, giving the models more realism for reliable habitat predictions. Six spatiotemporal attributes were computed to gauge the changes in these distributions: area, depth range, spatial aggregation, percentage suitability change, gain or loss of areas, and seasonality. L. occidentalis and X. riveti exhibited favorable shifts during the initial semester for both decades and all scenarios, but unfavorable changes during the latter half of the year, primarily influenced by projected modifications in bottom salinity and bottom temperature. Conversely, for S. agassizii, P. brevirostris, and P. californiensis, predominantly negative changes surfaced across all months, decades, and scenarios, primarily driven by precipitation. These changes pose both threats and opportunities to shrimp fisheries in the CPO. However, their effects are not uniform across space and time. Instead, they form a mosaic of complex interactions that merit careful consideration when seeking practical solutions. These findings hold potential utility for informed decision-making, climate change mitigation, and adaptive strategies within the context of shrimp fisheries management in the CPO., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The first successful lung transplant in Colombia was performed on October 28, 1997 in Medellín by Alberto Villegas Hernández at the "Clínica Cardiovascular Santa María" today called the Cardio VID Clinic. Here we present both survival outcomes and characteristics of the oldest and most experienced lung transplant program in Colombia. We conducted a retrospective study of all patients taken to lung transplantation at the Cardio VID Clinic in Medellín, Colombia from October 1997 to October 2022. Patient information from our institutional database and transplant archives were retrieved and reviewed. From October 1997 to October 2022, a total of 153 patients underwent orthotopic lung transplantation at our institution in Medellín, Colombia. Mean recipient age was 48 ± 13 years, the youngest patient was 15 years old and the oldest patient was 73 years old at the time of transplant. Seventy-four (48.4%) patients were men and seventy-nine (51.6%) were women. Uncensored lung transplant survival in Medellin at 1 month, 1 year, 5 years, and 10 years were 68%, 50%, 31%, and 12%, respectively. Although health care coverage in Colombia reaches nearly 100%, socioeconomic hurdles during post-transplant care, nonreturning patients, infections, and traumatic donor deaths lead to high mortality rates. Due to these factors, establishing successful and sustainable lung transplant programs in these settings is challenging., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) can lead to significant functional impairments, yet little is understood about the recovery phase and long-term consequences for patients in low- and medium-income countries., Objective: To evaluate the functional status and identify factors influencing outcomes among patients with GBS in Colombia., Methods: Telephone interviews were conducted with GBS patients enrolled in the Neuroviruses Emerging in the Americas Study between 2016 and 2020. The investigation encompassed access to health services and functional status assessments, utilizing the modified Rankin Scale (mRS), GBS Disability Score (GDS), Barthel Index (BI), and International Classification of Functioning (ICF). Univariate analysis, principal component analysis, linear discriminant analysis, and linear regression were employed to explore factors influencing functional status., Results: Forty-five patients (mean age = 50[±22] years) with a median time from diagnosis of 28 months (IQR = 9-34) were included. Notably, 22% and 16% of patients did not receive rehabilitation services during the acute episode and post-discharge, respectively. Most patients demonstrated independence in basic daily activities (median BI = 100, IQR = 77.5-100), improvement in disability as the median mRS at follow-up was lower than at onset (1 [IQR = 0-3] vs. 4.5 [IQR = 4-5], p < 0.001), and most were able to walk without assistance (median GDS = 2, IQR = 0-2). A shorter period from disease onset to interview was associated with worse mRS (p = 0.015) and ICF (p = 0.019). Negative outcomes on GDS and ICF were linked to low socioeconomic status, ICF to the severity of weakness at onset, and BI to an older age., Conclusions: This study underscores that the functional recovery of GBS patients in Colombia is influenced not only by the natural course of the disease but also by socioeconomic factors, emphasizing the crucial role of social determinants of health., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest Declarations of interest: none., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Intervention programs aimed at mitigating the effects of chronic noncommunicable disease (CNDs) focus on promoting healthy lifestyle habits (HLH), especially in the early stages of life. Because of this, different typologies of caregivers have been identified according to HLH during middle childhood and adolescence. However, the available studies have focused on aspects such as nutrition, physical activity, and rest, ignoring other HLHs that are equally important for children's well-being. Likewise, few studies address HLH during the first five years of life and how caregivers affect children's health. In a sample of 544 caregivers of children aged zero to five years from low-income Colombian communities, we established a typology of attitudes toward different HLHs. The results indicate the presence of three clusters that grouped caregivers with (1) positive attitudes toward all HLHs, (2) toward some HLHs, and (3) relatively low positive attitudes toward all HLHs. Membership in clusters with less positive attitudes toward HLHs was also found to be associated with low educational levels and living in rural areas. This study detected profiles of caregivers who may have unhealthy lifestyles, so the results would allow social workers to design differential interventions on HLHs in non-industrialized countries.

The Amazon region abounds in precious mineral resources including gold, copper, iron, and coltan. Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) poses a severe risk in this area due to considerable mercury release into the surrounding ecosystems. Nonetheless, the impact of mercury on both the overall microbiota and the microbial populations involved in mercury transformation is not well understood. In this study we evaluated microbial diversity in samples of soil, sediment and water potentially associated with mercury contamination in two localities (Taraira and Tarapacá) in the Colombian Amazon Forest. To this end, we characterized the bacterial community structure and mercury-related functions in samples from sites with a chronic history of mercury contamination which today have different levels of total mercury content. We also determined mercury bioavailability and mobility in the samples with the highest THg and MeHg levels (up to 43.34 and 0.049 mg kg -1 , respectively, in Taraira). Our analysis of mercury speciation showed that the immobile form of mercury predominated in soils and sediments, probably rendering it unavailable to microorganisms. Despite its long-term presence, mercury did not appear to alter the microbial community structure or composition, which was primarily shaped by environmental and physicochemical factors. However, an increase in the relative abundance of merA genes was detected in polluted sediments from Taraira. Several Hg-responsive taxa in soil and sediments were detected in sites with high levels of THg, including members of the Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, Firmicutes and Chloroflexi phyla. The results suggest that mercury contamination at the two locations sampled may select mercury-adapted bacteria carrying the merA gene that could be used in bioremediation processes for the region., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Background: The increase in the use of psychoactive substances, alcohol and cigarettes in young people has become a public health problem. The identification of factors that increase or reduce the risk of exposure to these substances and the possible relationship between them is essential for planning strategies with a risk approach; hence the reason for this study. The objective was to establish the profile of use of psychoactive substances, alcohol and cigarettes and the factors associated with such use in nursing students of a higher education institution., Methods: Quantitative, observational, analytical cross-sectional study., Results: We included 310 students from 1 st to 9th semester of a Nursing programme from a private higher education institution in Bogotá. The prevalence of psychoactive substance use in the last year was 2.96% (95%CI, 1.36-5.54), with marijuana being the substance most used (55.55%). The prevalence of alcohol and cigarette use during the last 12 months was estimated at 86.64% (95%CI, 83.24-91.0) and 12.16% (95%CI, 8.43-15.88) respectively. A statistically significant association was found between the use of these substances: alcohol use was associated with cigarette use (OR = 3.22; P = 0.006) and smoking was associated with psychoactive substance use (OR = 15.4; P < 0.001)., Conclusions: Alcohol use increases the likelihood of smoking cigarettes, and this in turn increases the likelihood of psychoactive substance use, in this university population., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U.)

Introduction: Long-term use of antiretroviral therapy (ART) for HIV infection might lead to the necessity of switching regimens. We aimed to analyze the reasons for the ART switch, the time-to-switch of ART, and its associated factors in a Colombian cohort., Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort in 20 HIV clinics, including participants ≥18 years old with confirmed HIV infection who underwent an ART switch from January 2017 to December 2019 with at least 6 months of follow-up. A time-to-event analysis and an exploratory Cox model were performed., Results: 796 participants switched ART during the study period. The leading cause of ART switch was drug intolerance ( n = 449; 56.4%) with a median time-to-switch of 12.2 months. The longest median time-to-switch was due to regimen simplification (42.4 months). People ≥50 years old (HR = 0.6; 95% CI (0.5-0.7) and CDC stage 3 at diagnosis (HR = 0.8; 95% CI (0.6-0.9) had less hazard for switching ART over time., Conclusions: In this Colombian cohort, drug intolerance was the main cause of the ART switch, and the time-to-switch is shorter than reports from other countries. In Colombia, it is crucial to apply current recommendations for ART initiation to choose regimens with a better tolerability profile., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe author(s) declared the following potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: WL declares MSD unrestricted grant. MGG and SMV declare personal fees from MSD. SLVB and CAM declare MSD grant. CBR and JU are employees of MSD, Colombia, who may own stock and/or hold stock options in Merck and Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ USA. EM reports grants, personal fees and other from VIIV/ GSK, personal fees and other from Merck Sharp and Dohme Corp, personal fees and other from Biotoscana gilead group. SL was MSD employee during manuscript development SVC, MJR, LAM, MM, LMR, OS, JF, CG, NF, MB, JA, DA, JAA do not declare any conflict of interest.

The vertical distribution, level of contamination, potential ecological risks, and historical fluxes of trace elements (Pb, As, and Hg) were evaluated from 210 Pb-dated sediment cores in three different areas with gold mining impacts in northern Colombia: the Atrato River (AR), the Delicias Marsh (DM) and the Encaramada Marsh (EM). All cores spanned ∼100 years; the mass accumulation rates followed the order AR > DM > EM. The average trace elements concentrations in the sediment cores were: Pb 2.41 ± 0.72, As 0.65 ± 0.32, Hg 0.07 ± 0.02 μg g -1 in the Atrato River; Pb 23.49 ± 2.59, As 2.46 ± 0.88, Hg 0.10 ± 0.02 μg g -1 in the Delicias Marsh; and Pb 9.76 ± 4.18, As 2.44 ± 1.26, Hg 0.17 ± 0.06 μg g -1 in the Encaramada Marsh. Sediments are classified according to the contamination factor (CF) and geoaccumulation index (Igeo) as low to very highly contaminated. The Pollution load index (PLI) indicates environmental deterioration (PLI> 1), and the Sediment quality guidelines (SQGs) indicate that only Hg may produce adverse biological effects in the EM core. This study is an example of the reconstruction of temporal changes in pollution levels and impacts of potentially toxic elements caused by gold mining in remote ecosystems, which can be reproduced in other areas where environmental monitoring is scarce or non-existent., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

With the aim to distinguish between routes of exposition to mercury (Hg) in artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) communities and to distinguish between Hg contamination sources, Hg species composition should be performed in human biomarkers. In this work, Hg species-specific determination were determined in human hair samples (N = 96), mostly non-directly occupied in ASGM tasks, from the six most relevant gold mining Colombian regions. Therefore, MeHg, Hg(II) and THg concentrations were simultaneously determined by double spiking species-specific isotope dilution mass spectrometry (IDMS) and GC-ICP-MS. Only 16.67% of participants were involved at some point in AGSM works and fish consumption ranged from 3 to 7 times/week, which is between medium and high intake levels. The median concentration of THg obtained from all samples is higher than the reference dose weekly acceptable of MeHg intake established by the EPA (1 ppm), whereas a 25% were more than 4 times higher than the WHO level (2.2 μg Hg g -1 ). Median THg value of individuals consuming fish 5-7 times per week was significantly higher (p < 0.05) than those of the other consuming groups (12.5 μg Hg g -1 ). Most of the samples presented a % of MeHg relative to THg higher than 80%. The average % of Hg(II)/THg was 11% and only 10 individuals presented a Hg(II) content over 30%. No significant differences (p > 0.05) were found when the amount of Hg(II) was compared between people involved in AGSM task and people not involved. Interestingly, significant differences among the evaluated groups where found when the percentage of the Hg(II)/THg ratio of these groups were compared. In fact, people involved in AGSM tasks showed 1.7 times higher Hg(II)/THg vs. inhabitants uninvolved. This suggest that Hg(II) determination by IDMS-GC-ICP-MS could be a good proxy for evaluating Hg(II) adsorption by direct exposure to mercury vapors onto hair., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The SARS CoV-2 antibody and CD4 + T cell responses induced by natural infection and/or vaccination decline over time and cross-recognize other viral variants at different levels. However, there are few studies evaluating the levels and durability of the SARS CoV-2-specific antibody and CD4 + T cell response against the Mu, Gamma, and Delta variants. Here, we examined, in two ambispective cohorts of naturally-infected and/or vaccinated individuals, the titers of anti-RBD antibodies and the frequency of SARS-CoV-2-specific CD4 + T cells up to 6 months after the last antigen exposure. In naturally-infected individuals, the SARS-CoV-2 antibody response declined 6 months post-symptoms onset. However, the kinetic observed depended on the severity of the disease, since individuals who developed severe COVID-19 maintained the binding antibody titers. Also, there was detectable binding antibody cross-recognition for the Gamma, Mu, and Delta variants, but antibodies poorly neutralized Mu. COVID-19 vaccines induced an increase in antibody titers 15-30 days after receiving the second dose, but these levels decreased at 6 months. However, as expected, a third dose of the vaccine caused a rise in antibody titers. The dynamics of the antibody response upon vaccination depended on the previous SARS-CoV-2 exposure. Lower levels of vaccine-induced antibodies were associated with the development of breakthrough infections. Vaccination resulted in central memory spike-specific CD4 + T cell responses that cross-recognized peptides from the Gamma and Mu variants, and their duration also depended on previous SARS-CoV-2 exposure. In addition, we found cross-reactive CD4 + T cell responses in unexposed and unvaccinated individuals. These results have important implications for vaccine design for new SARS-CoV-2 variants of interest and concern., Competing Interests: AS is or has been a consultant for Arcturus, Cell Carta/Caprion, Oxford Immunotech, Repertoire and Pfizer, Moderna, AstrZeneca, Flowpharma, Qiagen, EmerVac and Gritstone. La Jolla Institute has filed for patent protection for various aspects of T cell epitope and vaccine design work. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Martel, Cuervo-Rojas, Ángel, Ariza, González, Ramírez-Santana, Acosta-Ampudia, Murcia-Soriano, Montoya, Cardozo-Romero, Valderrama-Beltrán, Cepeda, Castellanos, Gómez-Restrepo, Perdomo-Celis, Gazquez, Dickson, Brien, Mateus, Grifoni, Sette, Weiskopf and Franco.)

Objective: This objective of this study is to examine the association between suicidal behaviour and substance use, depression, aggressiveness and borderline personality traits among adolescents from Sincelejo, a rural city in the north of Colombia., Methods: This cross sectional study included 352 participants selected by purposive sampling, from a public and a private school located in Sincelejo, Sucre district, in the north of Colombia. Students ages ranged from 12 to 18 years old (mean, 15.09±1.82). The participants completed three screening tools: a socio-demographic questionnaire, a screening instrument to collect information related to the frequency of use of some substances, such as tobacco and cannabis, and a self-report inventory to assess various personality and psychopathology domains. A series of t-tests, ANOVA and linear regression analyses were conducted., Results: Physical aggression (t=7.74; p <0.01), cognitive depression (t=5.03; p <0.01), affective depression (t=8.24; p <0.01), affective instability (t=3.46; p <0.01), few social relationships (t=3.36; p <0.01), self-harm (t=3.45; p<.01), cannabis and tranquilizer use (t=2.83; p <0.05; and t=2.37; p <0.05) had a significant independent relationship with suicidal behaviour. Aggression (t=2.59; p <0.05), components of depression (t=9.03; p <0.01) and borderline personality traits (t=4.12; p <0.01) also predicted suicidal behaviour., Conclusions: More longitudinal studies are needed in this area to identify the causal relations between the factors studied and the suicidal behaviour of young people in Sincelejo., (Copyright © 2021 Asociación Colombiana de Psiquiatría. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Leishmaniasis is an infectious disease that belongs to the top 10 neglected tropical diseases. It mainly affects the poor population from tropical and subtropical areas of the World, which lacks sufficient resources and means to fight against this disease. With this in mind, the European Commission has funded an international collaborative research project in which are participating various institutions from South America, North Africa and Europe. The main objective of this project is the development of a fast, less expensive, non-invasive and easy to use alternative method for leishmaniasis diagnosis in dogs, one of the main reservoirs of leishmaniasis spread to humans. In this perspective article, we present our personal insight and opinion regarding the challenges of realizing a joint international research project on leishmaniasis in Colombia, a country where leishmaniasis is endemic, as well as regarding the involvement of the Public Health institutions and the local population from this country., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Suschinel, Jaimes-Mogollón, Gutiérrez-Marín, Peña-Cortés, Mendoza-Ibarra, Flórez-Gélvez, Dumbravă, Uzunof, Simion and Ionescu.)

The present study aims to explore the neuropsychological performance and exposure to mercury (Hg) and arsenic (As) in Colombian children and adolescents considering biomarkers in hair and blood. The total sample consisted of 70 participants from the Mojana region, Colombia. A neuropsychological evaluation protocol was used, consisting of 11 internationally recognized tests, with evidence of national validation and use for measurement in neurotoxicology contexts. A 57.1% of the sample presented levels above the reference value according to the USEPA, the WHO, and the ATSDR for total mercury in hair (HgH), blood mercury (HgB), and/or blood arsenic (AsB). The mean values reported for HgH were 1.76 ± 3.1 μg/g (95% CI 1.02-2.50) with ranges between 0.23 and 17.20; for HgB: 4.11 ± 5.93 μg/l (CI 2.69-5.52), ranging between 0.25 and 25.80, and for AsB: 1.96 ± 2.73 (CI 1.31-2.61) ranging between 0.50 and 15.50. In the comparison of groups in relation to the level of exposure, a significant difference was found (p < 0.05) for the subtest The Boston Naming Test (BNT). Correlation analyses found, on the one hand, significant negative relationships in tests integrated within the verbal (CVB) and executive function (EF) components as well as evidence of positive relationships in the manifestation of errors in their performance with the levels of Hg and/or As transformed by biomarker (Log10). In the linear regression analyses it was found that for each increase in the concentration of HgH, HgB, and AsB it is estimated that, both for the models with and without data adjustment, there is a loss of scores in integrated measures within the CVB and EF for the transformed levels of HgH, HgB, and AsB; and an increase in the reported errors in their processing within these functions. According to these results, exposure to mercury and/or arsenic is related with performance in verbal neuropsychological skills and executive functioning., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The Atrato river basin is one of the world's most biodiverse areas; however, it is highly impacted by mercury gold mining, which generates air, water, and soil pollution. (1) Background: The concentrations of persistent heavy metal pollutants, mercury (Hg), lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), and arsenic (As) in the fish, fruits, and vegetables most consumed by the riverside inhabitants of the middle basin of the Atrato river represent a danger to public health; (2) Methods: A total of 154 samples of different fruits and vegetables and 440 samples of fish were analyzed by atomic absorption spectroscopy. A sample of 446 people were surveyed to evaluate food consumption and carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risk; (4) Conclusions: High concentrations of As, Hg, Pb, and Cd were identified in fish, fruits-tubers, and vegetables-stems commonly consumed by inhabitants of the middle basin of the Atrato River, which exceeded the Codex limits and the limits established by the WHO/FAO, especially for carnivorous fish species. A high carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risk was evidenced amongst inhabitants of the middle basin of the Atrato River due to the consumption of fish contaminated with high concentrations of As, MeHg, and THg. The risk due to the consumption of vegetables was very low.

Competing Interests: The authors declare no funding or conflicts of interest.

The risk to human health from exposure to certain pollutants through the consumption of fruits, tubers, and fish were evaluated in a settlement located in a Colombian area highly impacted by gold mining activities. The concentrations of mercury (Hg) and arsenic (As) in edible food tissues and methylmercury (MeHg) in fish were determined for risk assessment. A questionnaire-based dietary survey was answered by 178 residents of three population groups: children (CHD), women of childbearing age (WCBA), and the rest of the population (RP). The estimated weekly intake (EWI) of MeHg presented values of 1.9 and 2.4 times higher than the provisional tolerable weekly intake (1.6 μg/kg BW/week) recommended by the FAO/WHO for CH and WCBA, respectively. The results of the HQ values of As and Hg for different food were above the safety level (HQ < 1) for most of the groups. For Hg, the highest HQ values correspond to fish, whereas for As in most of the food, but specially in fruits. The total target hazard quotients (HI) were higher than 1, in all the groups (except for CHD that consume tubers) indicating potential non-carcinogenic health risks. The values of carcinogenic risk (CR) for As through exposure to food ranged from 1.2·10 -4 to 7.7·10 -4 , well above than the safety level of US EPA risk (10 -4 -10 -6 ), suggesting the probability of carcinogenic risk for the entire population via ingestion. Therefore, safety control mechanisms and environmental education strategies should be applied to address food intake, associated with good agricultural practices to provide solutions to protect the health of the residents in areas affected by gold mining activities., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Introduction: The Hitnü indigenous people live in precarious sanitary conditions, with food insecurity and being victims of sociopolitical violence in Arauca, Colombia. In addition, it is possible that they may be affected by exposure to hydrocarbons found in oil. Objective: To identify the health outcomes of morbidity and mortality profiles of the Hitnü people that could be associated with the exposure to crude oil. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out with Hitnü indigenous people, during February and March, 2021, time of drought. A household questionnaire was applied, and one individual to collect data from the environment around the house, occupations and other activities, as well as data from sociodemographic, signs, symptoms, and findings of a medical examination. The potential association with hydrocarbons was explored considering three groups: inhabitants in Arauca city, Aspejaná reserve (not exposed), and San José del Lipa and La Vorágine reserves (exposed by the Ele river and tributaries). With free listings, causes of death were explored. The study incorporated a rigorous intercultural management in all its components. Results: A total of 576 indigenous people from 16 settlements participated. The water consumed could serve as means of exposure to hydrocarbons. Health problems were very varied, including infectious and chronic diseases, malnutrition, and trauma. The masses on the neck were associated with residing in the ancestral reserves (PR = 3.86; CI95% 1.77-8.39), territories with potential exposure to crude-oil. The most relevant causes of death were homicide, tumors, and tuberculosis. Conclusion: For its possible association with exposure to hydrocarbons, it is a priority to start the intercultural study of lymphadenopathies in indigenous communities potentially exposed to crude oil.

Introduction: Pregnant women continue to be vulnerable to COVID-19, and their immunosuppressed state could put them at greater risk of developing more severe forms of the disease. In Colombia and Latin America, there are few studies on the immune response of the newborn against SARS-CoV-2., Aim: To determine the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in umbilical cord blood in two hospital centers in Córdoba and Sucre., Methods: Between March and June 2021, a prospective descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out. Two hospitals from the departments of Córdoba and Sucre, located in the Northwest Caribbean area of Colombia, participated. Three hundred sixty umbilical cord blood samples were taken at the two hospitals. A commercial ELISA was performed to detect total IgG, IgM, and IgA antibodies against the N protein of SARS-CoV-2. The ethics committee approved the study of the participating institutions., Results: Of 3.291 women who gave birth in the hospital centers included in the study, 360 (11%) participated. Complete clinical data were obtained for 223 women. The mean age of the women was 24 years (range, 15-42). 29.4% (106/360) of the umbilical cord samples had total antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. Pregnant women did not have blood samples taken. 58% of the women were asymptomatic. There was no association between umbilical cord samples, clinical, epidemiological characteristics, and serological response to antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 (p > 0.05)., Conclusions: The prevalence of umbilical cord blood samples was 29.4% for total SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. The study provides essential aspects for the epidemiological approach to neonates infected with SARS-CoV-2., Competing Interests: Competing interests All authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: By 2021, the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) published the last version of their secondary findings (SF) reporting recommendations for cases in which a person receives a genetic test., Objective: To determine in a sample of the Colombian population the prevalence of SF for the 59 genes on the ACMG SF v2.0 list associated with 27 genetic diseases., Materials and Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study was developed by examining the sequences of 160 exomes. Based on the ACMG guidelines, a variant classification algorithm was designed to filter and select reportable SF., Results: Eleven pathogenic variants were identified in 13/160 (8.13%) patients in genes APOB, BRCA2, CACNA1S, COL3A1, LDLR, MYBPC3, PCSK9, PKP2, PMS2 and RYR2. No association was found between the sociodemographic variables and the SF to report (P > 0,05)., Conclusion: We reported the first approach of actionable pathogenic variants spectrum in the Colombian population. Given the frequency found in this study and the clinical impact of genomic variants on health, it is essential to actively search for SF having the opportunity to receive genetic counselling, prevention and clinical management., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The Atrato River basin is one of the most biodiverse areas worldwide, and paradoxically, it is one of the sites in Colombia with the highest environmental impact from gold mining. This study assessed the distribution of Hg, As, Pb, and Cd in 47 fish species (n = 1372) and the accumulative human health risk in inhabitants (n = 2325) from 13 municipalities located along the Atrato River basin. The results revealed that Hg and As in fish present a high potential human health risk based on their mean concentrations. Estimated daily intake (EDI) calculations showed that humans could present detrimental health effects, while that target hazard quotient (THQ) above 1 showed that the exposed population might experience noncarcinogenic health risks, mainly from the accumulative effects of Hg (80.4%) and As (18.2%). The species that would most affect the health of the inhabitants are carnivorous H. malabaricus, A. pardalis, P. schultzi, R. quelen, and C. kraussii, which are among the fourteen most consumed in the region. These species had values of estimated weekly intake (EWI) above the provisional tolerable weekly intake thresholds for MeHg (PTWI of 1.6 and 3.2 μg/kg bw/week for adults and children, respectively) in 7 of the 13 localities evaluated. According to the surveys, the calculated weekly allowable fish amount (MFW) showed that carnivorous fish may generate adverse effects on the consumers because the allowed MeHg is about 2 times higher than the upper reference limit. Other results indicate a significant carcinogenic health risk, mainly from As, in 8 of the 13 localities evaluated. Due to the high rates of unsatisfied basic needs and the monetary poverty in the region, the possibility that inhabitants can replace fish as the principal source of protein is low. Therefore, a food guidance is required to avoid risks, obtain nutritional benefits, and sustain fish populations., (Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: Our study compares two national COVID-19 vaccination plan strategies-high-risk prioritization and no prioritization-and estimates their cost-effectiveness compared with no vaccination, to generate possible recommendations for future vaccination plans., Methods: We developed a Markov discrete-time, compartmental, deterministic model stratified by Colombian departments, healthcare workers, comorbidities, and age groups and calibrated to seroprevalence, cases, and deaths. The model simulates three scenarios: no vaccination, no prioritization of vaccination, and prioritization of high-risk population. The study presents the perspective of the health system of Colombia, including the direct health costs financed by the government and the direct health outcomes related to the infection. We measured symptomatic cases, deaths, and costs for each of the three scenarios from the start of the vaccination rollout to February 20, 2023., Results: Both for the base-case and across multiple sensitivity analyses, the high-risk prioritization proves to be the most cost-effective of the considered strategies. An increment of US$255 million results in an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of US$3339 per disability-adjusted life-year avoided. The simulations show that prioritization of high-risk population reduces symptomatic cases by 3.4% and deaths by 20.1% compared with no vaccination. The no-prioritization strategy is still cost-effective, with an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of US$5223.66, but the sensitivity analysis the show potential risks of losing cost-effectiveness under the cost-effectiveness threshold (one gross domestic product per averted disability-adjusted life-year)., Conclusions: The high-risk prioritization strategy is consistently more cost-effective than the no-prioritization strategy across multiple scenarios. High-risk prioritization is the recommended strategy in low-resource settings to reduce the burden of disease., (Copyright © 2022 International Society for Health Economics and Outcomes Research. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Research on public health interventions to improve hypertension care and control in low-income and middle-income countries remains scarce. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness and assess the process and fidelity of implementation of a multi-component intervention to reduce the gaps in hypertension care and control at a population level in low-income communes of Medellin, Colombia., Methods and Analysis: A multi-component intervention was designed based on international guidelines, cross-sectional population survey results and consultation with the community and institutional stakeholders. Three main intervention components integrate activities related to (1) health services redesign, (2) clinical staff training and (3) patient and community engagement. The effectiveness of the intervention will be evaluated in a controlled before-after quasi-experimental study, with two deprived communes of the city selected as intervention and control arms. We will conduct a baseline and an endline survey 2 years after the start of the intervention. The primary outcomes will be the gaps in hypertension diagnosis, treatment, follow-up and control. Effectiveness will be evaluated with the difference-in-difference measures. Generalised estimation equation models will be fitted considering the clustered nature of data and adjusting for potential confounding variables. The implementation process will be studied with mixed methods. Implementation fidelity will be documented to assess to which degree the intervention components were implemented as intended., Ethics and Dissemination: The study protocol has been approved by the Ethics Research Committee of Metrosalud in Colombia (reference 1400/5.2), the Medical Ethics Committee of the Antwerp University Hospital (reference 18/40/424) and the Institutional Review Board of the Antwerp Institute of Tropical Medicine (reference 1294/19). We will share and discuss the study results with the community, institutional stakeholders and national health policymakers. We will publish them in national and international peer-reviewed scientific journals., Trial Registration Number: NCT05011838., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2022. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Microplastics are emerging pollutants that have been found in different environmental matrices of marine and coastal ecosystems, where they can generate harmful ecological impacts. Little is known about the current state of microplastic pollution in fragile tropical lagoon ecosystems, such as Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta (CGSM) in the Caribbean coast of Colombia. This study assesses microplastic pollution in surface waters and sediments, and the occurrence of microplastic ingestion in commercially important fish species from CGSM. In waters, microplastic abundances ranged from 0.0 to 0.3 items L -1 while in sediments they varied from 0.0 to 3.1 items kg -1 . The most abundant types of microplastics are fibers and fragments, with polypropylene, polyethylene and high-density polyethylene as the most abundant polymers. Also, 100 (i.e. 21.1%) out of 474 individuals from nine fish species had microplastics in their digestive tracts. Microplastics present in water and sediments and in the digestive tract of the analyzed fish species have similar characteristics, also showing a moderate and statistically significant association. Microplastic abundances are higher near river mouths and in urban areas with a high density of fishing activities and aquaculture infrastructures, which are important sources of contaminants. Microplastic pollution in CGSM represents a threat to the lagoon ecosystem and to local people depending on artisanal fishing. Consequently, effective actions to reduce pollution and its socio-environmental impacts are urgently required., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS) is a rare and genetically mediated systemic disease most often caused by uncontrolled and chronic complement activation that leads to systemic thrombotic microangiopathy, renal and extra-renal damage., Materials and Methods: This is descriptive, retrospective and multicenter study, which reports demographic, clinical, laboratory, and genetic characteristics, as well as their treatment response and outcome of 20 aHUS patients diagnosed between 2014 and 2018., Results: Most patients were female adults (75%) and 30% were associated to pregnancy/postpartum, 15% to autoimmune disease, and 65% to infections. Gastrointestinal involvement (75%) was the most frequent extra-renal organ damage. Antenatal mortality and mortality rate were 5% and 10%, respectively. 25% of the patients progressed to end-stage renal disease. In 4/8 of patients treated within 1 week of presentation, eculizumab treatment restored multi-organ function after 4 weeks of treatment. CFH (37%) and CFI (25%) mutations were the most frequent., Conclusion: This is the first series of aHUS cases of Colombian Caribbean region which reports the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of this condition in this region., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Megafauna paintings have accompanied the earliest archaeological contexts across the continents, revealing a fundamental inter-relationship between early humans and megafauna during the global human expansion as unfamiliar landscapes were humanized and identities built into new territories. However, the identification of extinct megafauna from rock art is controversial. Here, we examine potential megafauna depictions in the rock art of Serranía de la Lindosa, Colombian Amazon, that includes a giant sloth, a gomphothere, a camelid, horses and three-toed ungulates with trunks. We argue that they are Ice Age rock art based on the (i) naturalistic appearance and diagnostic morphological features of the animal images, (ii) late Pleistocene archaeological dates from La Lindosa confirming the contemporaneity of humans and megafauna, (iii) recovery of ochre pigments in late Pleistocene archaeological strata, (iv) the presence of most megafauna identified in the region during the late Pleistocene as attested by archaeological and palaeontological records, and (v) widespread depiction of extinct megafauna in rock art across the Americas. Our findings contribute to the emerging picture of considerable geographical and stylistic variation of geometric and figurative rock art from early human occupations across South America. Lastly, we discuss the implications of our findings for understanding the early human history of tropical South America. This article is part of the theme issue 'Tropical forests in the deep human past'.

Background: Serological evaluation of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is an alternative that allows us to determine the prevalence and dynamics of this infection in populations. The goal of this study was to determine the clinical and sociodemographic dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 infection in a region of the Colombian Caribbean., Methods: Between July and November 2020, a cross-sectional observational study was carried out in Córdoba, located in northeast Colombia in the Caribbean area. Eight municipalities with the largest populations were chosen and 2564 blood samples were taken. A commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used with the recombinant protein antigen N of SARS-CoV-2. The people included in the study were asked for sociodemographic and clinical data, which were analysed by statistical methods., Results: A seroprevalence of 40.8% was obtained for SARS-CoV-2 in the Córdoba region. In the bivariate analysis, no differences were observed in seropositivity against SARS-CoV-2 for gender or age range (p>0.05). Higher seropositivity was found in low socio-economic status and symptomatic patients (p<0.0001). A total of 30.7% of the asymptomatic patients were seropositive for SARS-CoV-2, which could be linked to the spread of this infection. In the multivariate analysis, seroconversion was related to poverty and clinical manifestations such as anosmia and ageusia (p<0.05)., Conclusions: The high seropositivity in Córdoba is due to widespread SARS-CoV-2 in this population. The relationship between seropositivity and socio-economic status suggests a higher exposure risk to the virus caused by informal economic activities in low-income groups. Clinical manifestations such as anosmia and ageusia could be clinical predictors of infection by the new emergent coronavirus., (© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.)

Background: A range of safe and effective vaccines against SARS CoV 2 are needed to address the COVID 19 pandemic. We aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine SCB-2019., Methods: This ongoing phase 2 and 3 double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was done in adults aged 18 years and older who were in good health or with a stable chronic health condition, at 31 sites in five countries (Belgium, Brazil, Colombia, Philippines, and South Africa). The participants were randomly assigned 1:1 using a centralised internet randomisation system to receive two 0·5 mL intramuscular doses of SCB-2019 (30 μg, adjuvanted with 1·50 mg CpG-1018 and 0·75 mg alum) or placebo (0·9% sodium chloride for injection supplied in 10 mL ampoules) 21 days apart. All study staff and participants were masked, but vaccine administrators were not. Primary endpoints were vaccine efficacy, measured by RT-PCR-confirmed COVID-19 of any severity with onset from 14 days after the second dose in baseline SARS-CoV-2 seronegative participants (the per-protocol population), and the safety and solicited local and systemic adverse events in the phase 2 subset. This study is registered on EudraCT (2020-004272-17) and ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04672395)., Findings: 30 174 participants were enrolled from March 24, 2021, until the cutoff date of Aug 10, 2021, of whom 30 128 received their first assigned vaccine (n=15 064) or a placebo injection (n=15 064). The per-protocol population consisted of 12 355 baseline SARS-CoV-2-naive participants (6251 vaccinees and 6104 placebo recipients). Most exclusions (13 389 [44·4%]) were because of seropositivity at baseline. There were 207 confirmed per-protocol cases of COVID-19 at 14 days after the second dose, 52 vaccinees versus 155 placebo recipients, and an overall vaccine efficacy against any severity COVID-19 of 67·2% (95·72% CI 54·3-76·8), 83·7% (97·86% CI 55·9-95·4) against moderate-to-severe COVID-19, and 100% (97·86% CI 25·3-100·0) against severe COVID-19. All COVID-19 cases were due to virus variants; vaccine efficacy against any severity COVID-19 due to the three predominant variants was 78·7% (95% CI 57·3-90·4) for delta, 91·8% (44·9-99·8) for gamma, and 58·6% (13·3-81·5) for mu. No safety issues emerged in the follow-up period for the efficacy analysis (median of 82 days [IQR 63-103]). The vaccine elicited higher rates of mainly mild-to-moderate injection site pain than the placebo after the first (35·7% [287 of 803] vs 10·3% [81 of 786]) and second (26·9% [189 of 702] vs 7·4% [52 of 699]) doses, but the rates of other solicited local and systemic adverse events were similar between the groups., Interpretation: Two doses of SCB-2019 vaccine plus CpG and alum provides notable protection against the entire severity spectrum of COVID-19 caused by circulating SAR-CoV-2 viruses, including the predominating delta variant., Funding: Clover Biopharmaceuticals and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests IS, HHH, PLi, RH, CB, BH, and JL are full-time employees of Clover Biopharmaceuticals. FR is a statistical adviser for Clover Biopharmaceuticals. RC, DA, PR, and GS are scientific advisers for Clover Biopharmaceuticals. All other authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Introduction: physical growth patterns and nutritional status of children and adolescents living at a moderate altitude are not applicable for clinical assessment of growth for diverse populations around the world. Objective: a) to compare weight, height and body mass index (BMI) variables with CDC-2012 references; b) to verify if BMI and/or ponderal index (PI) are applicable to children living at a moderate altitude; and c) to propose percentiles to assess physical growth by age and sex. Methods: a total of 5,377 students, ranging in age from 6.0 to 17.9 years, were evaluated. The students were from two geographic regions of moderate altitude in Peru (2,320 meters) and Colombia (2,640 meters). Weight and height were measured. BMI and PI were calculated. Weight, height and BMI were compared with CDC-2012 references. Results: males showed lower weight and height from age 11 to 17.9 years compared to CDC-2012. Females weighed less than the reference from 9.0 to 17.9 years. Female height was lower from 6.0 to 14.9 years; however, from 15.0 to 17.9 years, values were similar to the reference. As for BMI, there were differences in both sexes (in males, from 15.0 to 17.9 years, and in females, from 12.0 to 17.9 years). Age, weight and height explained BMI: between R2 = 17 and 83 % in males, and in females between R2 = 24 and 85 %. These same variables influenced PI in a lower percentage in both sexes: for males (R2 = 0.01 to 49 %) and for females (R2 = 0.01 to 18 %). Conclusions: children and adolescents living at a moderate altitude in Peru and Colombia diverge from the CDC-2012 physical growth patterns. In addition, PI is a new alternative for estimating weight in relation to BMI. The proposed curves for weight, height, and PI by age and sex could have greater implications in the control of child health programs and in clinical and epidemiological practices.

Wildlife animals have been affected by human activities and the diminution of the areas needed to develop wildlife. In Colombia, artisanal and industrial mining focuses on gold extraction, which uses mercury and causes contamination in water sources. Bats may be susceptible to chemical contamination and primarily to bioaccumulated heavy metal contaminants in the food chain. The primary source of exposure is contaminated food and water ingest, followed by dermic exposition and inhalation. The objective was to evaluategenotoxic damage and mercury concentration in bats. Forty-five samples of blood and organs of bats captured in Ayapel and Majagual were collected. Erythrocytes were searched for micronuclei by peripheral blood smear. Mercury concentration in 45 liver and spleen samples was determined by atomic absorption spectroscopy (DMA80 TRICELL, Milestone Inc, Italy). Bats from four families were studied: Phyllostomidae (6 species), Molossidae (3 species), Vespertilionidae (1 species), and Emballonuridae (1 species). Mercury was found in all bat species from the different dietary guilds. Insectivores had the highest concentration of mercury in the liver (0,23 µg/g) and spleen (0,25 µg/g) and the highest number of micronuclei (260 micronuclei/10,000). The specimens captured in Majagual had the highest frequency of micronuclei (677 micronuclei/10,000), and those captured in Ayapel had the highest mercury concentration (0,833 µg/g). This is the first study in Colombia to report that bats could act as sentinels to the environment's genotoxic chemical agents. Mercury and a high frequency of micronuclei were found in the tissues of captured bats. In addition to mercury contamination, there could also be other contaminants affecting Chiroptera., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Multimorbidity (MM) prevalence among older adults is increasing worldwide. Variations regarding the socioeconomic characteristics of the individuals and their context have been described, mostly in high-income settings. However, further research is needed to understand the effect of the coexistence of infectious diseases along with socioeconomic factors regarding MM. This study aims to examine the variation of MM regarding infectious diseases mortality after adjusting for socioeconomic factors. A cross-sectional multilevel study with a nationally representative sample of 17,571 Colombian adults of 60 years of age or older was conducted. Individual socioeconomic, demographic, childhood and health related characteristics, as well as group level variables (multidimensional poverty index and infectious diseases mortality rate) were analyzed. A two-level stepwise structural equation model was used to simultaneously adjust for the individual and contextual effects. Multimorbidity prevalence was 62.3% (95% CI 61.7-62.9). In the multilevel adjusted models, age, female sex, having functional limitations, non-white ethnicity, high body mass index, higher income, physical inactivity and living in urban areas were associated with multimorbidity among the sample for this study. The median odds ratio for multidimensional poverty was 1.18 (1.16-1.19; p = 0.008) and for infectious diseases was 1.25 (1.22-1.28; p = 0.014). This paper demonstrates that MM varies regarding the mortality of infectious diseases and shows a strong association between MM and poverty in a low-middle income country. Differences in the factors involved in the etiology of multimorbidity are expected among wealthy and poor countries regarding availability and prioritization of health services., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Introduction: More than 90% of children infected with COVID-19 worldwide developed mild to moderate disease. In Colombia, during 2020, COVID-19 infections in children stayed below 9.2% of the total cases, with no trends for age group or sex., Objective: To estimate the incidence of acute respiratory symptoms and COVID-19 in children from public schools in Bogotá, Colombia during the second semester of 2020., Material and Methods: A telephone survey was conducted in over 5,000 scholar children. Antecedents and use of health services were informed. Descriptive statistics were used., Results: A total of 151.470 persons per day accounting for an IR of 157,8 per 100,000 people; almost three times the rate reported by the official surveillance system in the city., Conclusion: A lack of diagnosis and consultation in children was found compared to the general population. Further research is needed to elucidate the true burden of the disease in children.

Objectives: Millions of Venezuelans have left their country in search of safety and stability in the United States (U.S.) and Colombia, two countries where recent increases in anti-immigrant rhetoric and sentiment have occurred. The Perceived Negative Context of Reception Scale captures the degree to which immigrants report feeling that people from their country are unwanted/marginalized within their new receiving context. In the present study, we examine the psychometric properties of the Perceived Negative Context of Reception Scale with recent Venezuelan immigrant adolescents and adults in the U.S. and Colombia., Method: We conducted confirmatory factor analysis using data from the Colombia and Miami's Newest Arrivals (CAMINAR) Study, which collected data from Venezuelan adults in Bogotá, Colombia, and South Florida in October-November 2017, and the Venezolanos en Nuevos Entornos (VENE) Youth Project which surveyed Venezuelan youth living in Florida between November 2018 and July 2019., Results: We found that the negative context of reception evidenced strong psychometric properties among immigrants in both the U.S. and in Colombia, among adolescents and adults, and among male and female respondents. We also found that negative context of reception scores was associated with elevated scores on criterion-related factors-that is, perceived discrimination and depressive symptoms-in ways that are theoretically coherent and support measure validity., Conclusion: We provide new evidence that the Perceived Negative Context of Reception scale is reliable and valid for use with Venezuelan immigrants in the U.S. and Colombia. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).