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Our findings indicate distinct differences in the epidemics in pregnant women across Europe. The evolution of the MTCT epidemic in Ukraine does not appear to be following the same pattern as that in Western Europe in the 1980s and 1990s. Although uptake of preventive MTCT prophylaxis has been rapid in both Western Europe and Ukraine, substantial challenges remain in the more resource-constrained setting in Eastern Europe.

BackgroundCongenital malaria has been considered a rare event; however, recent reports have shown frequencies ranging from 3% to 54.2% among newborns of mothers who had suffered malaria during pregnancy. There are only a few references concerning the epidemiological impact of this entity in Latin-America and Colombia.ObjectiveThe aim of the study was to measure the prevalence of congenital malaria in an endemic Colombian region and to determine some of its characteristics.MethodsA prospective, descriptive study was carried out in the mothers who suffered malaria during pregnancy and their newborns. Neonates were clinically evaluated at birth and screened for Plasmodium spp. infection by thick smear from the umbilical cord and peripheral blood, and followed-up weekly during the first 21 days of postnatal life through clinical examinations and thick smears.Results116 newborns were included in the study and 80 umbilical cord samples were obtained. Five cases of congenital infection were identified (four caused by P. vivax and one by P. falciparum), two in umbilical cord blood and three in newborn peripheral blood. One case was diagnosed at birth and the others during follow-up. Prevalence of congenital infection was 4.3%. One of the infected newborns was severely ill, while the others were asymptomatic and apparently healthy. The mothers of the newborns with congenital malaria had been diagnosed with malaria in the last trimester of pregnancy or during delivery, and also presented placental infection.ConclusionsCongenital malaria may be a frequent event in newborns of mothers who have suffered malaria during pregnancy in Colombia. An association was found between congenital malaria and the diagnosis of malaria in the mother during the last trimester of pregnancy or during delivery, and the presence of placental infection.

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An important component of malaria control programs is the ability to assess the effectiveness of the insecticide in insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) during normal usage. The standard technique to measure insecticidal activity is the World Health Organization (WHO) cone test, which in many circumstances, may be difficult to implement. We have evaluated an alternative technique, the colorimetric field test (CFT) on a group of 24-month-old Permanet 2.0 (Vestergaard-Frandsen, Denmark) nets collected in Colombia. The CFT, which measures surface levels (SL) of deltamethrin is compared with standard high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and the WHO cone test. Effective concentrations of deltamethrin for 80% mortality (EC) were determined from the CFT and HPLC results. Distribution of insecticide SL after 24 months of use reveal that sampling of the midsection best represents the condition of the entire net. We conclude that the CFT is a practical alternative to the WHO cone test for assessing ITN efficacy.

RESUMENObjetivos. Determinar los conocimientos sobre malaria y prácticas del uso de mosquiteros tratados con insecticidas en los departamentos de Antioquia y Chocó en Colombia, 2013. Materiales y métodos. Estudio transversal y descriptivo con muestreo probabilístico de conglomerados, estratificado y bietápico. La encuesta dirigida a jefes de hogar se elaboró usando diez preguntas sobre conocimientos, transmisión, síntomas y medidas preventivas contra la malaria, utilizado en los cuestionarios de la Encuesta Nacional de Salud en Colombia 2007, e involucrando 13 preguntas sobre los mosquiteros insecticidas de larga duración (MILD), tenencia, uso, motivos de no uso, efectos secundarios sobre la salud a corto plazo, lavado y secado. Resultados. 2078 residentes respondieron la encuesta. El 89% (IC 95%: 87,5-89,9) en Antioquia y el 94% (IC 95%: 93,0-94,0) en Chocó reconoce las causas, síntomas, tratamiento y métodos de prevención. En Antioquia el 86% (IC 95%: 84,9-87,3) tuvo al menos un mosquitero y 72% (IC 95%: 70,0-73,4) lo usó diariamente, y para el departamento de Chocó fue de 93% (IC 95%: 92,2-94,4) y 73% (IC 95%: 72,0-74,4) respectivamente. Conclusiones. Hay altos niveles de conocimiento sobre malaria; sin embargo, el cuidado de los mosquiteros no está de acuerdo a lo recomendado para aumentar su vida útil, por lo tanto, se requieren estrategias sociales propias para cada departamento.Palabras clave: Mosquiteros tratados con insecticida; Control de enfermedades transmisibles; Malaria (fuente: DeCS BIREME). ABSTRACT Objectives.To determine the knowledge about malaria and use practice of insecticide-treated mosquito nets in the departments of Antioquia and Chocó in Colombia, 2013. Materials and Methods. Cross-sectional and descriptive study with probability sampling of clusters, stratified and two-staged. The head of household survey was developed using ten questions on knowledge, transmission, symptoms and preventive measures against malaria, used in the questionnaires of the 2007 National Health Survey in Colombia, as well as 13 questions on long-lasting insecticidal nets, tenure, use, reasons for non-use, short-term health side effects, washing and drying. Results. 2078 residents responded to the survey. 89% (95% CI: 87.5-89.9) in Antioquia and 94% (95% CI: 93.0-94.0) in Chocó recognized the causes, symptoms, treatment and prevention methods. In Antioquia, 86% (95% CI: 84.9-87.3) had at least one mosquito net and 72% (95% CI: 70.0-73.4) used it daily; and for the department of Chocó, it was 93% (95% CI: 92.2-94.4) and 73% (95% CI: 72.0-74.4), respectively. Conclusions. There are high levels of knowledge about malaria; however, the care of the mosquito nets does not follow the recommendations to increase their useful life, therefore, specific social strategies are required for each department.

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Resumen En el marco del Proyecto Atalaya se ha procedido a la digitalización exhaustiva de diversos elementos del patrimonio cultural de las universidades andaluzas. En una primera fase se han digitalizado a escala submilimétrica 24 esculturas de las universidades de Sevilla y de Granada IntroducciónLas técnicas digitales en 3D son una herramienta cada vez más habitual en la documentación del Patrimonio Histórico y Cultural, y hoy en día estos datos son utilizados por diversos actores del sector, no sólo por los investigadores y restauradores, sino también como elementos para la difusión de las obras de arte, los yacimientos arqueológicos y los monumentos históricos al público general.Los recientes avances en la visualización 3D a través de WebGL y la potencia del estándar HTML5 para la interacción y generación de contenido dinámico en la web permiten a los museos y a los gestores de patrimonio resolver de forma relativamente sencilla alguna de las inquietudes y objetivos que se plantean en su labor, a saber:Llegar a público lo más diverso posible. El contenido del portal debe permitir satisfacer las necesidades de conocimiento de la mayor parte de los visitantes, teniendo en cuenta que procederán de niveles educativos, culturales y económicos muy distintos y que sus intereses, disponibilidad temporal y capacidad serán tan diversos como en los museos físicos.Ofrecer contenido de calidad, incluyendo contenido multimedia, de forma que los visitantes virtuales reciban una experiencia complementaria a la visita real.Facilitar la actualización de contenidos, de forma que la web se actualice por el propio personal de la institución, de forma que periódicamente se actualicen los contenidos.Con la idea de desarrollar estos objetivos se ha comenzado el trabajo en el e-Portal de Patrimonio de las Universidades Andaluzas. Además de la creación de una web accesible y autogestionable por los responsables de patrimonio mueble e inmueble de las universidades implicadas, se ha procedido en una primera fase a la digitalización de veinticuatro obras de arte que datan desde el s. XV hasta mediados del s. XX, así como de varias salas históricas que servirán, además de como contenido multimedia per se, para la creación de escenarios para la realización de exposiciones temporales virtuales, lo que supone sin duda una novedad en la difusión del patrimonio cultural en España.