Pontificia Universidad Javeriana - Cali

Introduction A consensus is a general agreement among group members that is pivotal in gathering expert input for classification, diagnostic criteria, and guideline development. However, the absence of established methodological standards presents challenges in conducting and analyzing these studies. Objective This scoping review explored the evidence on essential elements in consensus studies to create a list of candidate items for a standardized reporting tool. This tool is intended to improve the critical appraisal and methodological rigor of consensus studies. Methods A systematic scoping review was conducted using predetermined criteria for study selecting studies and extracting data. A comprehensive literature search was performed without imposing date restrictions, covering multiple databases, including Medline, Embase, LILACS, SciELO, and up to March 2022. We included only English-language publications and excluded incomplete articles and conference reports. The risk of bias was assessed using the CASP checklist, and the study selection and data extraction were performed independently by two researchers in duplicate. Results We identified 8360 references; 20 publications were included for data extraction. The majority (70%) used the Delphi method, and the remainder (30%) employed the modified Delphi method. Inconsistencies in reporting conflicts of interest and consensus timing were observed. Other methodologies, such as RAND/UCLA and Nominal Group Technique were excluded due to methodological limitations. Most studies exhibited a low risk of bias. Discussion Our findings underscored the need for more standardization in definitions, methodology, and reporting within consensus studies. To address these gaps, we developed a checklist of key reporting items aimed at improving the planning, execution, and reporting consensus studies. Although the developed checklist requires validation, it offers a practical framework to enhance methodological transparency and reliability. Conclusion Deficiencies and variability in consensus methodologies reporting underscore the need for a standardized approach. We propose the adoption of a checklist to strengthen the robustness of consensus studies, supporting advances in classification, diagnostic criteria, and guideline development.

Objective With an increasing prevalence, Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia. However, a percentage of potentially modifiable cases have been reported. This article describes the prevalence of four of these potentially modifiable risk factors: hearing loss, diabetes mellitus (DM), obesity, and hypertension. Methods Descriptive cross‐sectional study with data from 2018 to 2022, using the Colombian health system database SISPRO. The population of this study consisted of all people within the age range 50–100 with a main diagnosis of AD according to the ICD‐10 codes. Subjects were divided by decades, and the prevalence ratio (PR) for the outcome of AD and each of its potentially modifiable risk factors was then calculated and adjusted by age using the Mantel‐Haenszel formula. Results 167,556 cases of AD were identified, with 66.4% being females. Peak age was in octogenarians, and the five‐years period prevalence for people older than 50 was 12.6 cases/1000 people. The PRs showed a positive association for all risk factors, except obesity. Following age correction, obesity's PR value shifted to positive in males and overall population but remained negative for females. The highest post‐correction PR in the overall population was hypertension (1.44), followed by DM (1.34), hearing loss (1.31) and obesity (1.12). Notably, PRs had a greater magnitude in younger and male age groups. Conclusion The results of this study are consistent with the fact that the prevalence of potentially modifiable risk factors is higher within the group of people with AD as their main diagnosis.

Background Co-infections associated with Immune Reconstitution Inflammatory Syndrome (IRIS) have been described in literature, however they constitute an uncommon finding in the medical community. Case presentation Here we report a rare case of a 55-year-old woman from Cuba with prior medical history of HIV/AIDS adherent to her antiretroviral therapy (ART) regimen, who was hospitalized in Miami, Florida because of fluid dysphagia, odynophagia and right-sided cervical lymphadenopathy. A prior biopsy of the right cervical lymph node performed in an outside hospital found evidence of non-caseating granulomas with budding yeast, which was later confirmed to be disseminated histoplasmosis by a positive (1-3) -β-glucan assay and histoplasmosis urine antigen in this admission. Furthermore, after multiple imaging testing due to her clinical condition, a brain MRI demonstrated findings concerning for cerebral toxoplasmosis, which was supported by serology findings. Treatment with liposomal amphotericin B and TMP-SMX led to clinical and radiological improvement of this patient’s conditions, and she was discharged with an appointment for follow-up in the clinic. Conclusion This case highlights the complexities and challenges in managing opportunistic infections (OIs) during immune recovery in HIV/AIDS patients on ART, and emphasizes the necessity of continuous, vigilant monitoring and having a broad differential diagnosis in this group of patients.

This article offers new evidence to aid the discussion on the economic consequences of easing or tightening sanctions, with Cuba serving as a case study. Even with the persistent sanction regime, a level of trade, remittances and visitors has been sustained between the United States and Cuba, notably since the 1990s, fluctuating with the political climate. This study consolidates data from various sources to gauge the magnitude of this exchange relative to Cuba's GDP and calculates the susceptibility of economic indicators to shifts in sanctions (either easing or tightening) over the past three decades. Econometric findings demonstrate the impact of sanctions on Cuban economic growth. The findings suggest that tight sanctions negatively impact household consumption and Cuba's private sector. However, the data do not show a decline in the value of Cuban government consumption.

This paper builds on intersectionality theory to provide a novel analytical approach for examining the inclusion of disability in the United Nations human rights monitoring processes. Notably, it develops the concept of additive entanglement to provide a lens for understanding the emergence of identity catalogues in human rights governance. To explain the effects of this type of entanglement, the article codes and analyses the references to disability in 2111 concluding observations of eight core United Nations Human Rights monitoring bodies from 2000 until 2018. By studying these types of discursive constructions, the article provides a conceptual approach to exploring the configuration of lists of identity categories in human rights governance. It offers an innovative technique for analysing how United Nations bodies form population clusters by privileging specific category combinations such as disability with age and gender when observing the human rights of persons with disabilities.

Objective Adolescents frequently experience mental distress. However, there is little research on community activities that help adolescents recover from depression and anxiety. This study investigated the outcomes and experiences of music workshops for helping adolescents overcome anxiety and/or depression. Results Thirty-four participants aged 15 and 16 years were recruited from a cohort study of adolescents with symptoms of anxiety and/or depression and invited to participate in a musical education and practice workshop consisting of five weekly sessions. At the beginning and end of the workshops, symptoms of anxiety and depression were self-rated on the GAD-7 and PHQ-8. Experiences were assessed on a brief questionnaire with open-ended questions. The average attendance of groups was 86%, but only 56% of participants attended all five sessions of the workshops. The symptom levels did not significantly change during the intervention. Experiences were largely positive. Participants appreciated the interactions in the group and the learning of new skills. Some criticized the workshops as too short and found the logistics of attending difficult. Trial registration Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN50583823. Date Applied 18/03/2022.

In order to organize the multiple actions the Universidad Javeriana had been developing for the sustainable management of its campus, a strategic plan was structured. The plan is structured in five major programs: water resources, energy, biodiversity, recycling and reduction of CO2 emissions. For the definition of these five programs we were inspired by the contributions of the thematic structure of Green Metrics, the recommendations of the Encyclical Laudato Si and the SDGs. In turn, each program is broken down into sub-programs, projects and sub-projects. Each program also includes cross-cutting strategies articulated in sub-programs which are broken down into research projects, semester projects, graduate work and theses. Also, sub-programs for disseminating initiatives and entrepreneurship are considered. The planning instrument is taken to the detail of operational planning, using the Gantt Chart. A team coordinates the coordination of the different programs and meets weekly to review its progress. The plan was presented and approved to the University's Steering Committee, and the document has been incorporated into the University's Strategic Plan. It is also being used to link professors from civil engineering, electronics and architecture careers who invite students to carry out semester or degree work on topics that strengthen campus execution.

Patchy global data on belowground litter decomposition dynamics limit our capacity to discern the drivers of carbon preservation and storage across inland and coastal wetlands. We performed a global, multiyear study in over 180 wetlands across 28 countries and 8 macroclimates using standardized litter as measures of “recalcitrant” (rooibos tea) and “labile” (green tea) organic matter (OM) decomposition. Freshwater wetlands and tidal marshes had the highest tea mass remaining, indicating a greater potential for carbon preservation in these ecosystems. Recalcitrant OM decomposition increased with elevated temperatures throughout the decay period, e.g., increase from 10 to 20 °C corresponded to a 1.46-fold increase in the recalcitrant OM decay rate constant. The effect of elevated temperature on labile OM breakdown was ecosystem-dependent, with tidally influenced wetlands showing limited effects of temperature compared with freshwater wetlands. Based on climatic projections, by 2050 wetland decay constants will increase by 1.8% for labile and 3.1% for recalcitrant OM. Our study highlights the potential for reduction in belowground OM in coastal and inland wetlands under increased warming, but the extent and direction of this effect at a large scale is dependent on ecosystem and OM characteristics. Understanding local versus global drivers is necessary to resolve ecosystem influences on carbon preservation in wetlands.

Major depressive disorder is a complex and multifactorial condition, increasingly linked to neuroinflammation and astrocytic dysfunction. Astrocytes, along with other glial cells, beyond their classic functions in maintaining brain homeostasis, play a crucial role in regulating neuroinflammation and neuroplasticity, key processes in the pathophysiology of depression. This mini-review explores the involvement of astrocytes in depression emphasizing their mediation in neuroinflammation processes, the impact of astrocytic dysfunction on neuroplasticity, and the effect of some antidepressants on astrocyte reactivity. Recent evidence suggests that targeting astrocyte-related signaling pathways, particularly the balance between different astrocytic phenotypes, could offer promising evidence for therapeutic strategies for affective disorders. Therefore, a deeper understanding of astrocyte biology may open the way to innovative treatments aimed at mitigating depressive symptoms by impacting both neuroinflammation and imbalances in neuroplasticity.

Preprocessing Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data is a crucial initial stage in leveraging SAR data for remote sensing applications. Terrain correction, both radiometric and geometric, and the detection of layover/shadow areas hold significant importance when SAR data are collected over mountainous regions. This study aims at investigating the impact of the Digital Elevation Model (DEM) used for terrain correction (radiometric and geometric) and for mapping layover/shadow areas on windthrow detection using COSMO SkyMed SAR images. The terrain correction was done using a radiometric and geometric terrain correction algorithm. Specifically, we evaluated five different DEMs: (i–ii) a digital terrain model and a digital surface model derived from airborne LiDAR flights; (iii) the ALOS Global Digital Surface Model; (iv) the Copernicus global DEM; and (v) the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) DEM. All five DEMs were resampled at 2 m and 30 m pixel spacing, obtaining a total of 10 DEMs. The terrain-corrected COSMO SkyMed SAR images were employed for windthrow detection in a forested area in the north of Italy. The findings revealed significant variations in windthrow detection across the ten corrections. The detailed LiDAR-derived terrain model (i.e., DTM at 2 m pixel spacing) emerged as the optimal choice for both pixel spacings considered.

Vanilla is an economically important crop for low-lying humid tropicalregions, but cultivated plants face serious phytosanitary problems. Fusariumwilt is a devastating disease affecting vanilla crops, caused by the fungalpathogens Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. vanillae (Fov) and F. oxysporumf. sp. radicis-vanillae (Forv), part of the F. oxysporum species complex(FOSC). We characterized 29 fungal isolates from a vanilla crop and cropwild relatives (CWR) using molecular (EF1-α and ITS-rRNA loci) and mor-phological traits. Fusarium was the predominant genus, followed by Colleto-trichum and Clonostachys. Four Fusarium species were identified:F. oxysporum (37.9%), Fusarium solani (20.7%), Fusarium pseudocircina-tum (13.8%) and Fusarium concentricum (10.3%). The latter three specieswere isolated only from CWR and may represent latent pathogens. Fov wasisolated from both the crop and CWR, while a Forv-affiliated isolate was alsofound in a vanilla crop, marking the first report in the neotropical region. TheEF1-α locus provided greater genotype resolution, as well as having refer-ence sequences for Forv. However, the fungal barcode ITS locus is widelyapplied. We recommend the continued use of both loci for Fusarium diagno-sis in vanilla to facilitate early detection and the development of effectiveintegrated crop management strategies

This study aimed to assess COVID-19 vaccination-related AEs in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), in the COVID-19 Vaccination in Autoimmune Diseases (COVAD)-2 study. An online international cross-sectional survey captured self-reported data on COVID-19 vaccination-related adverse events (AEs) in people with RA, autoimmune diseases (AIDs; rheumatic [r] and non-rheumatic [nr]) and healthy controls (HCs). The survey was circulated by the COVAD study group, comprising 157 collaborators across 106 countries, from February to June 2022. Delayed AEs among RA were compared with other rAIDs, nrAIDs and HCs using multivariable binary regression. A total of 7203 participants were included (1423 [19.7%] RA, 2620 [36.4%] rAIDs, 426 [5.9%] nrAIDs, 2734 [38%] HCs), with 75% female. Compared to HCs, individuals with RA reported higher overall major AEs [OR 1.3 (1.0–1.7)], and an increased number of several minor AEs. Compared to nrAIDs, people with RA had several increased reported minor AEs including myalgia and joint pain. People with active RA had increased major AEs [OR 1.8 (1.1–3.0)] and hospitalisation [OR 4.1 (1.3 – 13.3)] compared to inactive RA. RA patients without autoimmune comorbidities had significantly fewer major and minor AEs than those with other rAIDs. A decreased incidence of hospitalisation was seen in patients taking methotrexate or TNF inhibitors compared to patients not taking these medications. COVID-19 vaccination is associated with minimal to no risks of delayed AEs in patients with RA compared to HCs, and fewer compared to other rAIDs. Active RA and presence of co-existing rAIDs were associated with an increased risk of delayed AEs.

Our knowledge of the fossil avifauna from the Middle Miocene La Venta locality in Colombia is limited almost entirely to aquatic birds. Phorusrhacidae, popularly known as ‘terror birds’, are a group of highly diversified cursorial birds that played the role of apex predators during most of the Cenozoic. Here we present the first record of a phorusrhacid from the La Venta locality. This terror bird can be assigned to the ‘Phorusrhacinae’, a subfamily for which the monophyly is under debate. The fragment of left distal tibiotarsus represents the most northern record of this group for South America and may correspond to the largest terror bird that ever existed. This suggests that terror birds might also have inhabited more tropical ecosystems, providing evidence that they were apex predators in tropical palaeocommunities. Additionally, our research contributes to an understanding of the biogeographical patterns of the Phorusrhacidae lineage dispersal into northern South America and subsequent colonization of North America.

Background Advances in neonatal care have increased survival rates for premature or low birth weight (LBW) infants but raised concerns about long-term neurosensory and psychomotor challenges. Objective: to investigate perinatal factors linked to visual and auditory problems in ex-preterm or LBW young adults, assessing their long-term quality of life. Methods Participants from a 20-year-old randomised controlled trial comparing Kangaroo-Mother Care (KMC) to conventional care were re-enrolled. A group of 50 at term individuals without risk factors was assessed as a reference group. Findings 5.9% of participants had functional visual issues and 8.1% experienced hearing problems. Those with hearing or visual impairments had longer hospital stays and more neonatal complications. Correlations were found between Griffiths auditory sub-scale results at 6 months and long-term auditory outcomes. Only 27.5% of those with deafness had access to cochlear implants or hearing aids, resulting in lower IQ scores, learning difficulties, and increased risk of depression and self-harm. Participants with visual impairments exhibited lower IQ scores, self-esteem, and HOME test acceptance. However, they did not differ from the group with normal vision in terms of quality of life, depression, or attachment scores. All participants, whether they had issues or not, rated their quality of life higher than their parents did. Interpretation Preterm or LBW infants with visual and hearing deficits are more likely to face cognitive and emotional challenges in adulthood. This study underscores the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to promptly address these vulnerabilities, reducing the risk of long-term neurodevelopmental and functional issues. Funding The Grand Challenge Canada, Fulbright Colciencias and Colombia Cientifica – Alianza, 10.13039/100004421The World Bank, managed by the Colombian Administrative Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (COLCIENCIAS).