Two new corticolous lichen species are described, Lepraria nothofagi Elix & Kukwa (atranorin, strepsilin, porphyrilic acid) from Argentina and L. stephaniana Elix, Flakus & Kukwa (4-O-methylleprolomin, zeorin, salazinic acid, unknown terpenoid) from pre-Andean Amazon forest of Bolivia. In addition, the paper presents new records of 16 species of Lepraria from South America. Lepraria adhaerens, and L. diffusa are new to the Southern Hemisphere; L. borealis is new to South America; L. alpina is new to Chile, Colombia, Peru and Venezuela; L. caesioalba (chemotype I) is new to Venezuela, L. lobificans new to Argentina, L. pallida new to Peru, and L. sipmaniana new to Bolivia and Chile. The Chilean records of L. membranacea appeared to belong to L. sipmaniana. Therefore, the number of Lepraria spp. known at present from South America is enlarged to 27 species. 4-O-methylleprolomin is reported for the second time from lichens.

Current diagnostic standards involve severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) detection in nasopharyngeal swabs (NPS), but saliva is an attractive and noninvasive option for diagnosis. The objectives were to determine the performance of saliva in comparison with NPS for detecting SARS-CoV-2 and to compare the optimized home brew reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) with a commercial RT-PCR. Paired NPS and saliva specimens were prospectively collected and tested by RT-PCR from patients presenting at an emergency room with signs and symptoms compatible with coronavirus disease-2019. A total of 348 samples from 174 patients were tested by RT-PCR assays. Among 174 patients with symptoms, 63 (36%) were SARS-CoV-2 positive in NPS using the optimized home-brew PCR. Of these 63 patients, 61 (98%) were also positive in saliva. An additional positive SARS-CoV-2 saliva was detected in a patient with pneumonia. Kappa Cohen's coefficient agreement between NPS and saliva was 0.96 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.90-0.99). Median Ct values in NPS versus saliva

This study sought to establish the relevance of mothers' epistemic beliefs to their parenting style and preferred academic goals for their child. College mothers (N = 163) from primarily working class families completed a variety of self-report measures including a modified version of Schommer's [(1990). Journal of Educational Psychology, 82, 498-504] Epistemological Beliefs Questionnaire, the Parental Attitudes Questionnaire-Revised [Reitman, Rhode, Hupp, & Altobello (2002). Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 24 (2), 119-127], and several goal orientation scales. Results indicated that a view of learning as effortful and under the learner's control and a view of knowledge as actively constructed were associated with an authoritative parenting style and with a preference for their child to focus on learning, improvement, and effort in approaching academic tasks. By contrast, a view of learning as quick, straightforward, relatively passive and as based in innate constraints and a view of knowledge as consisting of discreet, unambiguous facts were associated with authoritarian and permissive styles and the adoption of performance goals for one's child.

Vaccines have been produced in record time for SARS-CoV-2, offering the possibility of halting the global pandemic. However, inequalities in vaccine accessibility in different regions of the world create a need to increase international cooperation.

Background Different antigens are needed to characterize Plasmodium falciparum infection in terms of seroreactivity and targets for invasion inhibition, in order to guide and identify the proper use of such proteins as tools for the development of serological markers and/or as vaccine candidates. Methods IgG responses in 84 serum samples from individuals with P. falciparum infection [classified as symptomatic (Sym) or asymptomatic (Asym)], or acute Plasmodium vivax infection, from the Peruvian Amazon region, were evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays specific for a baculovirus-produced recombinant protein P. falciparum Merozoite Surface Protein 10 (rMSP10) and for non-EGF region selected peptides of PfMSP10 selected by a bioinformatics tool (PfMSP10-1, PfMSP10-2 and PfMSP10-3). Monoclonal antibodies against the selected peptides were evaluated by western blotting, confocal microscopy and inhibition invasion assays. Results Seroreactivity analysis of the P. falciparum Sym- and Asym-infected individuals against rMSP10 showed a higher response as compared to the individuals with P. vivax acute infection. IgG responses against peptide PfMSP10-1 were weak. Interestingly high IgG response was found against peptide PfMSP10-2 and the combination of peptides PfMSP10-1 + PfMSP10-2. Monoclonal antibodies were capable of detecting native PfMSP10 on purified schizonts by western blot and confocal microscopy. A low percentage of inhibition of merozoite invasion of erythrocytes in vitro was observed when the monoclonal antibodies were compared with the control antibody against AMA-1 antigen. Further studies are needed to evaluate the role of PfMSP10 in the merozoite invasion. Conclusions The rMSP10 and the PfMSP10-2 peptide synthesized for this study may be useful antigens for evaluation of P. falciparum malaria exposure in Sym and Asym individuals from the Peruvian Amazon region. Moreover, these antigens can be used for further investigation of the role of this protein in other malaria-endemic areas.

The measurement of recent malaria exposure can support malaria control efforts. This study evaluated serological responses to an in-house Plasmodium vivax Merozoite Surface Protein 8 (PvMSP8) expressed in a Baculovirus system as sero-marker of recent exposure to P. vivax (Pv) in the Peruvian Amazon. In a first evaluation, IgGs against PvMSP8 and PvMSP10 proteins were measured by Luminex in a cohort of 422 Amazonian individuals with known history of Pv exposure (monthly data of infection status by qPCR and/or microscopy over five months). Both serological responses were able to discriminate between exposed and non-exposed individuals in a good manner, with slightly higher performance of anti-PvMSP10 IgGs (area under the curve AUC = 0.78 [95% CI = 0.72–0.83]) than anti-PvMSP8 IgGs (AUC = 0.72 [95% CI = 0.67–0.78]) (p = 0.01). In a second evaluation, the analysis by ELISA of 1251 plasma samples, collected during a population-based cross-sectional survey, confirmed the good performance of anti-PvMSP8 IgGs for discriminating between individuals with Pv infection at the time of survey and/or with antecedent of Pv in the past month (AUC = 0.79 [95% CI = 0.74–0.83]). Anti-PvMSP8 IgG antibodies can be considered as a good biomarker of recent Pv exposure in low-moderate transmission settings of the Peruvian Amazon.

This is the first study of respiratory infections in Córdoba, Argentina, caused by endemic human coronavirus (HCoV)-OC43 and HCOV-229E, which circulated during 2011-2012 at a 3% rate, either as single or multiple infections. They were detected mainly in children, but HCoV-229E was also found in adults. HCoV-229E was detected in five out of 631 samples (0.8%), and HCoV-OC43 was found in 14 out of 631 (2.2%) samples. Clinical manifestations ranged from fever to respiratory distress, and a significant association of HCoV-229E with asthma was observed. Further studies and surveillance are needed to provide better clinical insights, early diagnosis, and medical care of patients, as well as to contribute to epidemiology modeling and prevention.

Recent studies have shown a temporal increase in the neutralizing antibody potency and breadth to SARS-CoV-2 variants in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID- 19) convalescent individuals. Here, we observed a similar process after Sputnik V vaccination. We examined the longitudinal antibody responses and viral neutralizing capacity to variants of concern (VOCs: Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta) and a broadly spread variant of interest (VOI: Lambda) in volunteers up to 6 months after receiving the Sputnik V vaccine in Argentina. A collection of 1,800 serum samples obtained between January and August 2021 was used. The analysis indicates that while anti-spike IgG levels significantly wane over time, the neutralizing potency to the first-wave linages of SARS-CoV-2 and VOC increases within four months of vaccination, suggesting that antibody maturation occurs. This increase was more evident for the Beta and Gamma variants, which showed the highest propensity for neutralization escape. Our observations suggest that protection increases over the six months following vaccination as a consequence of antibody maturation, resulting in improved potency of antibodies to viral escape mutations.