Background Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) has changed our lives. The scientific community has been investigating re-purposed treatments to prevent disease progression in coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients. Objective To determine whether ivermectin treatment can prevent hospitalization in individuals with early COVID-19. Design, setting and participants: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was conducted in non-hospitalized individuals with COVID-19 in Corrientes, Argentina. Patients with SARS-CoV-2 positive nasal swabs were contacted within 48 h by telephone to invite them to participate. The trial randomized 501 patients between August 19th 2020 and February 22nd 2021. Intervention Patients were randomized to ivermectin (N = 250) or placebo (N = 251) arms in a staggered dose, according to the patient’s weight, for 2 days. Main outcomes and measures The efficacy of ivermectin to prevent hospitalizations was evaluated as primary outcome. We evaluated secondary outcomes in relationship to safety and other efficacy end points. Results The mean age was 42 years (SD ± 15.5) and the median time since symptom onset to the inclusion was 4 days [interquartile range 3–6]. The primary outcome of hospitalization was met in 14/250 (5.6%) individuals in ivermectin group and 21/251 (8.4%) in placebo group (odds ratio 0.65; 95% confidence interval, 0.32–1.31; p = 0.227). Time to hospitalization was not statistically different between groups. The mean time from study enrollment to invasive mechanical ventilatory support (MVS) was 5.25 days (SD ± 1.71) in ivermectin group and 10 days (SD ± 2) in placebo group, (p = 0.019). There were no statistically significant differences in the other secondary outcomes including polymerase chain reaction test negativity and safety outcomes. Limitations Low percentage of hospitalization events, dose of ivermectin and not including only high-risk population. Conclusion Ivermectin had no significant effect on preventing hospitalization of patients with COVID-19. Patients who received ivermectin required invasive MVS earlier in their treatment. No significant differences were observed in any of the other secondary outcomes. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04529525.

African snake-eyed skinks are relatively small lizards of the genera Panaspis and Afroablepharus. Species allocation of these genera frequently changed during the 20th century based on morphology, ecology, and biogeography. Members of these genera occur primarily in savanna habitats throughout sub-Saharan Africa and include species whose highly conserved morphology poses challenges for taxonomic studies. We sequenced two mitochondrial (16S and cyt b) and two nuclear genes (PDC and RAG1) from 95 Panaspis and Afroablepharus samples from across eastern, central, and southern Africa. Concatenated gene-tree and divergence-dating analyses were conducted to infer phylogenies and biogeographic patterns. Molecular data sets revealed several cryptic lineages, with most radiations occurring during the mid-Miocene to Pliocene. We infer that rifting processes (including the formation of the East African Rift System) and climatic oscillations contributed to the expansion and contraction of savannas, and caused cladogenesis in snake-eyed skinks. Species in Panaspis and Afroablepharus used in this study, including type species for both genera, formed a monophyletic group. As a result, the latter genus should be synonymized with the former, which has priority. Conservatively, we continue to include the West African species P. breviceps and P. togoensis within an expanded Panaspis, but note that they occur in relatively divergent clades, and their taxonomic status may change with improved taxon sampling. Divergence estimates and cryptic speciation patterns of snake-eyed skinks were consistent with previous studies of other savanna vertebrate lineages from the same areas examined in this study.

Maple urine syrup disease (MSUD) is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by deficient activity of the branched-chain alpha ketoacid dehydrogenase (BCKAD) enzymatic complex due to biallelic variants in the alpha (BCKDHA) or beta (BCKDHB) subunits or the acyltransferase component (DBT). Treatment consists in leucine (LEU), isoleucine (ILE), and valine (VAL) (branched-chain amino acids) dietary restriction and strict metabolic control. to determine the characteristics of the Chilean cohort with MSUD currently in follow-up at Instituto de Nutrici on y Tecnología de los Alimentos, during the 1990-2017 period Retrospective analytical study in 45 MSUD cases. Measured: biochemical parameters (LEU, ILE, and VAL), anthropometric evaluation, and neurocognitive development. In 18 cases undergoing genetic study were analyzed according to the gene and protein location, number of affected alleles, and type of posttranslational modification affected. Then, 45 patients with MSUD diagnosis were identified during the period: 37 were alive at the time of the study. Average diagnosis age was 71 ± 231 days. Average serum diagnosis LEU concentrations: 1.463 ± 854.1 μmol/L, VAL 550 ± 598 μmol/L and ILE 454 ± 458 μmol/L. BCKDHB variants explain 89% cases, while BCKDHA and DBT variants explain 5.5% of cases each. Variants p.Thr338Ile in BCKDHA, p.Pro240Thr and p.Ser342Asn in BCKDHB have not been previously reported in literature. Average serum follow-up LEU concentrations were 252.7 ± 16.9 μmol/L in the <5 years group and 299 ± 123.2 μmol/L in ≥5 years. Most cases presented some degree of developmental delay. Early diagnosis and treatment is essential to improve the long-term prognosis. Frequent blood LEU measurements are required to optimize metabolic control and to establish relationships between different aspects analyzed.

La hierba kikuyu es una planta con alto potencial para integrar carbono en materia orgánica porque utiliza la ruta fotosintética C4, se cree que esta hierba tiene la capacidad de contribuir a la mitigación del calentamiento global. Esto es posible, bajo buenas prácticas de manejo tanto durante el pastoreo como en el período de recuperación de los pastizales. El objetivo del trabajo fue identificar las reservas de carbono en el pasto kikuyu ( Cenchrus clandestinus).(ex Hochst. Chiov.) Morrone) en sus diferentes compartimentos, biomasa aérea (AB) (hojas, tallos y tallos rastreros) y biomasa subterránea (BB) (raíces finas y raíces gruesas o "Stolons") a 20 y 40 cm de profundidad del suelo. Se realizaron seis muestreos sucesivos de acuerdo con el período de descanso del pasto, el sistema de pastoreo (sistema tradicional y silvopastoril) y de acuerdo con la geoforma del terreno (flanco cóncavo (CCF), flanco convexo (CXF), flanco rectilíneo (RF) y relieve plano (FR)). La biomasa aérea se muestreó con cuadros de medición y la biomasa subterránea se muestreó con barrena de raíz. Este experimento se llevó a cabo entre junio de 2016 y junio de 2017 en San Pedro de los Milagros, Antioquia, Colombia. Los resultados obtenidos nos permitieron determinar que las raíces stoloniferous a 20 cm de profundidad, los tallos rastreros muertos y las hojas fueron los compartimentos con las mayores reservas de carbono, que contenían 4,52, 3,58 y 1,9 toneladas de C ha-1, respectivamente. Se encontraron diferencias significativas (p <0.05) entre el relieve plano y las geoformas de flanco rectilíneo para la biomasa de las hojas, y entre el relieve plano y los otros relieves evaluados para las raíces gruesas variables a 20 cm de profundidad. Concluimos que la hierba kikuyu contribuye a mantener reservas de carbono en los pastos. La biomasa producida en cada compartimento por la planta es proporcional al carbono incorporado. La biomasa para raíces finas y gruesas contribuye a la captura de carbono, se obtuvieron alrededor de 2820 kg y 655 kg de carbono por hectárea a profundidades de 20 y 40 cm respectivamente. Debido a la alta producción de biomasa subterránea, de tallos rastreros y su alta capacidad de rebrote bajo condiciones adversas, la hierba kikuyu puede ayudar a reducir la erosión de los suelos de las laderas y mejorar la contribución del carbono al aportar 3.475 kg de carbono por hectárea a 40 cm de profundidad. Lo anterior indica que juega un papel importante en la mitigación de los gases de efecto invernadero, ayudando a conservar los suelos tropicales altos en sistemas de producción de lácteos especializados.

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