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Traditional microbiological methodology is valuable and essential for microbiota composition description and microbe role assignations at different anatomical sites, including cervical and vaginal tissues; that, combined with molecular biology strategies and modern identification approaches, could give a better perspective of the microbiome under different circumstances. This pilot work aimed to describe the differences in microbiota composition in non-cancer women and women with cervical cancer through a culturomics approach combining culture techniques with Vitek mass spectrometry and 16S rDNA sequencing. To determine the possible differences, diverse statistical, diversity, and multivariate analyses were applied; the results indicated a different microbiota composition between non-cancer women and cervical cancer patients. The Firmicutes phylum dominated the non-cancer (NC) group, whereas the cervical cancer (CC) group was characterized by the predominance of Firmicutes and Proteobacteria phyla; there was a depletion of lactic acid bacteria, an increase in the diversity of anaerobes, and opportunistic and non-typical human microbiota isolates were present. In this context, we hypothesize and propose a model in which microbial composition and dynamics may be essential for maintaining the balance in the cervical microenvironment or can be pro-oncogenesis microenvironmental mediators in a process called Ying-Yang or have a protagonist/antagonist microbiota role.

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Dietary patterns (DPs) are conditioned by a large number of factors, including physical activity and sedentary lifestyle, however, there is limited information on their interaction. This study aimed to identify DPs and their associations with physical activity and sedentary behavior among university students from Mexico. We conducted a cross-sectional, observational and analytical study. The participants were university students from Southwest Mexico. A total of 419 participants who did not suffer from any disease that affects oral nutrition or that prevented them from performing physical activity were included. DPs were generated from a principal component analysis and associations were analyzed using a logistic regression model. Three DPs were identified: "western", "prudent" and "traditional". The traditional pattern was significantly associated with high physical activity (OR: 2.78; 95% CI: 1.34-5.75) and was a protective factor against sedentary lifestyle (OR: 0.35; 95% CI: 0.13-0.93). The results show that a high physical activity and a lower sedentary lifestyle were associated with a healthier dietary pattern in the study population. It is important to implement interventions towards nutrition, physical activity and sedentary behavior for the population being studied.

Los patrones dietéticos están condicionados por una gran cantidad de factores, entre ellos la actividad física y el sedentarismo, sin embargo, existe poca información sobre su interacción. Este estudio tuvo como objetivo identificar patrones dietéticos y sus asociaciones con la actividad física y el comportamiento sedentario entre estudiantes universitarios del suroeste de México. Se trata de un estudio transversal, observacional y analítico. Los participantes fueron estudiantes universitarios del suroeste de México. Se incluyeron un total de 419 participantes que no padecían alguna enfermedad que condicionara su nutrición oral, ni condición que les impidiera realizar actividad física. Se realizó un análisis de componentes principales para determinar los patrones dietéticos, mientras que se utilizó un modelo de regresión logística para verificar las asociaciones. Se identificaron tres patrones dietéticos: "occidental", "prudente" y "tradicional". El patrón tradicional se asoció significativamente con actividad física elevada (OR: 2,78; IC 95%: 1,34-5,75) y fue un factor protector contra el sedentarismo (OR: 0,35; IC 95%: 0,13-0,93). Los resultados muestran que una alta actividad física y un menor sedentarismo se asociaron con un patrón dietético más saludable en la población de estudio. Es importante implementar intervenciones hacia la nutrición, la actividad física y el sedentarismo para la población en estudio.

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Tuberculosis is a disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, representing the second leading cause of death by an infectious agent worldwide. The available vaccine against this disease has insufficient coverage and variable efficacy, accounting for a high number of cases worldwide. In fact, an estimated third of the world's population has a latent infection. Therefore, developing new vaccines is crucial to preventing it. In this study, the highly antigenic PE_PGRS49 and PE_PGRS56 proteins were analyzed. These proteins were used for predicting T- and B-cell epitopes and for human leukocyte antigen (HLA) protein binding efficiency. Epitopes GGAGGNGSLSS, FAGAGGQGGLGG, GIGGGTQSATGLG (PE_PGRS49), and GTGWNGGKGDTG (PE_PGRS56) were selected based on their best physicochemical, antigenic, non-allergenic, and non-toxic properties and coupled to HLA I and HLA II structures for in silico assays. A construct with an adjuvant (RS09) plus each epitope joined by GPGPG linkers was designed, and the stability of the HLA-coupled construct was further evaluated by molecular dynamics simulations. Although experimental and in vivo studies are still necessary to ensure its protective effect against the disease, this study shows that the vaccine construct is dynamically stable and potentially effective against tuberculosis.

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Driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol and other drugs is a common occurrence in Western societies. Alcohol consumption is related to 15% of fatal injuries in traffic accidents worldwide, with those DUI of alcohol being up to 18 times more likely to be involved in a fatal accident. Evidence for DUI of alcohol or marijuana among the college population in Mexico is scarce. This research estimates the proportion of use of alcohol and marijuana, describes the risk perception of DUI, and evaluates the relationship between risk perception and DUI behaviors in a sample of Mexican college students aged 18 to 29. The study was cross-sectional with a non-probabilistic sample. Risk perception of suffering traffic accidents when DUI or riding with someone DUI of alcohol, marijuana, or both, was high, unlike the risk perception of being detected or sanctioned for a DUI of marijuana. The study provided valuable information on the risk perception of engaging in behaviors related to DUI of alcohol and/or marijuana. It is necessary to undertake research on the subject with probabilistic and representative samples of this population of Mexico.

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BACKGROUND: Identification of cognitive impairment is based traditionally on the neuropsychological tests and biomarkers that are not available widely. This study aimed to establish the association between motor function (gait speed and handgrip strength) and cognitive performance in the Mini-Mental State Examination, globally and by domains. A secondary goal was calculating a cut-off point for gait speed and handgrip strength to classify older adults as cognitively impaired. METHODS: This is a secondary analysis of SABE Colombia (Salud, Bienestar & Envejecimiento), a survey that was conducted in 2015 on health, wellbeing, and aging in Colombia. This study used linear regression models to search for an association between motor function and cognitive performance. The accuracy of motor function measurements in identifying cognitive impairment was assessed with receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. This study also analyzed other clinical and sociodemographical variables. RESULTS: Gait speed was associated with orientation (r 2 = 0.16), language (r 2 = 0.15), recall memory (r 2 = 0.14), and counting (r 2 = 0.08). Similarly, handgrip strength was associated with orientation (r 2 = 0.175), language (r 2 = 0.164), recall memory (r 2 = 0.137), and counting (r 2 = 0.08). To differentiate older adults with and without cognitive impairment, a gait speed cut-off point of 0.59 m/s had an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.629 (0.613-0.646), and a weak handgrip (strength below 17.5 kg) had an AUC of 0.653 (0.645-0.661). The cut-off points for handgrip strength and gait speed were significantly higher in male participants. CONCLUSIONS: Gait speed and handgrip strength are similarly associated with the cognitive performance, exhibiting the most extensive association with orientation and language domains of the Mini-Mental State Examination. Gait speed and handgrip strength can easily be measured by any clinician, and they prove to be useful screening tools to detect cognitive impairment.

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Suicidal behavior is a serious health issue that affects the adolescent population and that may be prevented through evidence-based approaches. There are many risk factors involved in suicidal behavior, but there are few studies encompassing the complex relationships between them. This study tested the similarity between two latent class models from two different epidemiological samples of middle-school students and evaluated if the multinomial regression model replicated the associations between the classes and the psychosocial variables. Data of 4013 adolescents from the Mexican states of Campeche and Querétaro were included in LCA to characterize suicide behavior and associated factors. The most likely latent class membership was used as the outcome in multinomial regression models. The model with data from Querétaro was consistent with the previous LC model from Campeche. The four latent classes were nearly identical for both populations and can be defined as follows: 1) "No Problems," included 73% of the adolescents; 2) "Drug Use Only," comprised 7% of the adolescents; 3) "Suicidal Behavior, No Depression," captured 8% of the adolescents (25% reported binge drinking in the past month, 50% self-inflicted injuries, and 43% low-lethality suicide attempt); 4) "Depression and Suicidal Behavior," comprised 12% of the sample (66% met criteria for Major Depressive Episode, 28% reported binge drinking in the past month, and 11% had a high-lethality suicide attempt). The congruence between the models and the consistency with identified factors highlight the need for appropriate and effective prevention strategies to minimize risk factors and reinforce protective factors in the adolescent population.

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Influenza is a relevant problem for public and animal health, with a significant economic impact. In recent years, outbreaks of avian influenza virus have resulted in devastating losses in the poultry industry worldwide, and although its transmission to humans is very rare, there is always a potential risk for an even more severe outbreak. Currently, vaccination is considered the most effective tool for the control and prevention of influenza infections in both humans and animals. The maintenance of animal welfare and the successful implementation of animal health programs depend on the timely administration of vaccines, which must comply with quality specifications indicated by health authorities; for example, the capability to ensure a minimum antibody titer. The production of viral antigens used in these tests can pose a biosafety risk, and some viral strains can be difficult to grow. Therefore, new biotechnological alternatives are required to overcome these disadvantages. In this study, we produced pseudotypes carrying H5 and H7 hemagglutinins from lowly and highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses. These pseudotypes were used in neutralization assays to detect neutralizing antibodies in avian sera, which were confirmed positive by inhibition of the hemagglutination test. Our results showed that the pseudotype neutralization assay is a viable alternative for the detection of neutralizing antibodies, by demonstrating subtype specificity and requiring reduced biosafety requirements. Therefore, it represents a versatile platform that can facilitate technology transfer protocols between laboratories, and an immediate application in serological tools for quality control of veterinary vaccines against avian influenza.

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Among the diseases transmitted by vectors, there are those caused by viruses named arboviruses (arthropod-borne viruses). In past years, viruses transmitted by mosquitoes have been of relevance in global health, such as Chikungunya (CHIKV), Dengue (DENV), and Zika (ZIKV), which have Aedes aegypti as a common vector, thus raising the possibility of multi-infection. Previous reports have described the general structure of RNA-dependent RNA polymerases termed right-hand fold, which is conserved in positive single-stranded RNA viruses. Here, we report a comparison between sequences and the computational structure of RNA-dependent RNA polymerases from CHIKV, DENV, and ZIKV and the conserved sites to be considered for the design of an antiviral drug against the three viruses. We show that the sequential identity between consensus sequences from CHIKV and DENV is 8.1% and the similarity is 15.1%; the identity between CHIKV and ZIKV is 9.3%, and the similarity is 16.6%; and the identity between DENV and ZIKV is 68.6%, and the similarity is 79.2%. Nevertheless, the structural alignment shows that the root-mean-square deviation (RMSD) measurement value in general structure comparison between CHIKV RdRp and ZIKV RdRp was 1.248 Å, RMSD between CHIKV RdRp and DENV RdRp was 1.070 Å, and RMSD between ZIKV RdRp and DENV RdRp was 1.106 Å. Despite the low identity and similarity of CHIKV sequence with DENV and ZIKV, we show that A, B, C, and E motifs are structurally well conserved. These structural similarities offer a window into drug design against these arboviruses giving clues about critical target sites.

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BACKGROUND: With this study, we aim to determine the associations of the different categories of the body mass index (BMI) with activities of daily living (ADL) and cognitive performance in two different populations living in the community; Colombian and South Korean older adults. METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional analysis of two surveys separately; The Survey on Health, Well-Being, and Aging in Colombia (SABE) (n = 23,343) and the Korean Longitudinal Study of aging (KLoSA) (n = 4556). Participants older than 50 years were selected from rural and urban areas achieving a representative sample. Here we investigated the association between BMI categories with function using zero-inflated negative binomial regressions, and with cognition using logistic regression models. RESULTS: After adjustment, in Colombia, underweight was associated with an impaired score on the Mini-mental State Examination (MMSE) and worse performance in the instrumental activities of daily living (IADL). Also, being overweight was associated with a better score on the MMSE and the IADL. For both outcomes education level significantly influenced the predictions. In South Korea, there were no significant associations for cognition, IADL, or basic activities of daily living (BADL). CONCLUSIONS: In the Colombian population, underweight, was associated with reduced cognitive performance and daily functioning. Additionally, being overweight but not obese was associated with better cognition and daily functioning. In South Korea, there were no significant associations between BMI and cognition, IADL, or BADL.

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PURPOSE: The present study aims to explore the association between the quality of life (QoL) score and the clinical and sociodemographic variables in patients with the PSEN1-E280A mutation. We also seek to evaluate the differences between the QoL reported by the patients (P-QoL) and the scores reported by the caregivers (C-QoL). METHODS: An analysis of 75 patients with the PSEN1-E280A mutation with mild cognitive impairment and dementia was performed. We used the Quality of Life in Alzheimer Disease (QoL-AD) survey to evaluate QoL as an outcome and evaluated its association with sociodemographic, lifestyle, clinical, and past medical history variables. RESULTS: The largest difference in the median of the QoL-AD score was in those who needed help to eat, those with moderate or severe dementia, those classified as frail or pre-frail, those with moderate social risk, and those with depression. Also, C-QoL was lower than the P-QoL, and the QoL-AD of individuals with severe dementia was lower than for milder forms of the disease. Not needing help to eat, not having a stressful situation in the past 3 months, and the years of education were positively correlated with QoL-AD in the linear model. CONCLUSION: As studies in similar populations with AD, factors with more impact on QoL are those related to loss of functionality and independence. These factors are also associated with variables related to the current literature with the burden of the disease for the caregivers.

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Suicide rates in Mexico have increased and have more than doubled in the state of Aguascalientes over the past 10 years. Few studies have been able to control for family, neighborhood, and occupational environment factors that may confound the association between psychosocial characteristics and suicidal behavior. We study suicidal behavior among adolescents and young adults in Mexico utilizing epidemiologic research strategies to overcome prior research deficiencies. In a case-control study with youth and adults 14-42 years of age, recent cases of severe suicidal behavior (n = 150) were individually matched with up to three controls who had never had a suicidal attempt by age and sex, as well as within familial, neighborhood, and occupational contexts (n = 353). Data were collected through standardized face-to-face interviews to measure suicidal behavior and several covariates, including family relations, psychological resources, hopelessness, depression, self-esteem, stress, impulsivity, anxiety, and substance use. All measures demonstrated good to excellent precision and accuracy. Compared with their matched controls, cases perceived life events as more stressful and had worse depression and familial relationships; poorer development of affective, religious, and social resources; higher levels of hopelessness and impulsive behavior; and lower self-esteem. Evidence from multivariate analysis suggests highly probable MDE combined with low self-esteem and the use of two or more drugs in the past month more clearly differentiate cases and controls and, therefore, may best predict suicidal attempt among adolescents and young adults in Aguascalientes, Mexico.

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Retroviral pseudotypes are broadly used as safe instruments to mimic the structure and surface of highly pathogenic viruses. They have been employed for the discovery of new drugs, as diagnostic tools in vaccine studies, and part of serological assays. Because of their widespread use in research and their potential as tools for quality control, it is important to know their shelf life, stability, and best storage conditions. In this study, we produced pseudotypes carrying the lacZ reporter gene and the hemagglutinin (HA) of avian influenza virus subtypes H5 and H7 to investigate their stability under various storage conditions. We produced pseudotypes with titers of approximately 106 RLU/mL, which decreased to 105-106 RLU/mL after short-term storage at 4 °C (up to 4 weeks). Stability was maintained after long-term storage at -20 °C (up to 12 months), even under storage variations such as freeze-thaw cycles. We conclude that, although the titers decreased by 1 log10 under the different storage conditions, the remaining titers can be readily applicable in many techniques, such as neutralization assays. These findings show that large quantities of retroviral pseudotypes can be safely stored for short- or long-term use, allowing standardization and reduced variation in assays involving retroviral pseudotypes.

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Resumen Objetivo: Determinar la ingesta promedio de macronutrientes y su adecuación con las recomendaciones en pacientes con diabetes mellitus tipo 2. Métodos: Estudio transversal en 131 pacientes con diabetes mellitus tipo 2. La estimación de la ingesta de macronutrientes se realizó a través de un cuestionario semicuantitativo de frecuencia de consumo de alimentos. La adecuación se efectuó de acuerdo con las recomendaciones de la para población mexicana. Se realizó comparación de diferencias significativas para medias y medianas para dos y más de dos muestras independientes. Resultados: 70.2 y 29.8 % fueron mujeres y hombres, respectivamente. El 87 % de los sujetos presentaron exceso de peso. El aporte calórico de cada nutriente fue: HC (58 %), proteína (14.8 %) y lípidos (29 %); únicamente se encontró consumo adecuado por parte de los participantes de HC en el 49.6 %, AGS 35.9 % y fibra 23.8 %. Además los hombres consumen mayor cantidad de colesterol que las mujeres (p = 0.003); las mujeres se adecuaron más a las recomendaciones en comparación para el consumo de este nutriente (p = 0.010). Conclusiones: Debido a la baja proporción de sujetos que presentaron adecuada ingesta de fibra, y tomando en cuenta que el consumo de esta mejora el control metabólico, es necesario mejorar el seguimiento de la terapia nutricional, ya que de esta depende en gran medida el control glucémico, y con esto evitar o retrasar la aparición de complicaciones en los pacientes con diabetes mellitus tipo 2.

Abstract Objective: To determine the average daily intake of macronutrients and their adequacy with recommendations in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Methods: Cross-sectional study in 131 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. To determine the macronutrient intake was performed through a semiquantitative questionnaire offrequency of food consumption. The adjustment was made according to the recommendations of the mexican population. A comparison of means, medians, for two and for more than two independent samples was made. Results: 70.2 % and 29.8 % were women and men respectively. 87 % of the subjects were overweight. The energy intake of each nutrient was HC (58 %), protein (14.8 %) and lipids (29 %), there was only adequate consumption by the participants of: HC in 49.6 %, AGS 35.9 %, and fiber 23.8 %. In addition, men consume more cholesterol than women (p = 0.003), as well as women were more compliant with recommendations than men for consumption of this nutrient (p = 0.010). Conclusions: Due to the low proportion of subjects who presented adequate fiber intake, and taking into account that the consumption of this improved metabolic control, it is necessary to improve the follow-up of nutritional therapy, since this depends largely on glycemic control, and with this to prevent or delay the appearance of complications in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

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The aim of this work was to evaluate wood chips from vineyard prunings (VPs) as a potential substrate in cultures of Ganoderma spp. Biological efficiency (BE), production rate (PR), yield, and protein and fat contents of basidiomes increased when the wild strains G. oerstedii and G. subincrustatum, which were isolated from the Sonoran Desert, were cultivated on VPs. The mineral content of the basidiomes varied depending on the strain and substrate. The carbohydrate and phenol contents of the different substrate combinations and of the basidiomes were similar among strains. However, the carbohydrate and phenol contents of the substrates did not correlate with an increase in BE. Conversely, the high availability of protein, fat, and hemicellulose in VPs positively correlated with increases in BE, in yield, and in the protein and fat contents of the basidiomes of the wild strains. Our results clearly demonstrate that, in comparison with the traditional substrate of oak wood, VPs improve the production and biochemical composition of basidiomes. Therefore, cultivation of Ganoderma spp. on VPs is an environmentally friendly strategy for increasing their nutritional value and for cultivating these mushrooms for other biotechnological applications.

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Suicide is an important public health problem that requires a preventive approach. The present study aimed at assessing suicidal behaviors and their relations with other psychosocial factors in Campeche, Mexico, in order to inform the design of potential preventive interventions. A multistage probability sample of 2386 students representative of all middle schools of the state of Campeche, Mexico, took a standardized, paper-and-pencil survey covering selected psychosocial constructs including suicide behavior, depression, drug use, familial relationships, locus of control, impulsivity, and self-esteem, among others. Latent classes were identified and multinomial logistic regression was used to analyze associations between class membership and psychosocial covariates. An estimated 8% of the middle school population in Campeche had three or more psychosocial problems in the past month including drug use, major depression episode symptoms, as well as suicidal problems like attempts and self-inflicted injuries. Four latent classes were identified, one with lowest risk and three with varying characteristics in terms of binge alcohol and other drug use, depression, and suicide behaviors. Associations between psychosocial covariates and latent class were observed, as predicted based on a multi-dimensional theoretical framework. Heterogeneity across "High-Risk" groups and their potential determinants highlight the need for differentiated, specialized efforts ranging from universal to indicated interventions. Given the high level of risk factors in this population, universal preventive interventions should aim at building resiliency among youth by helping them develop an array of coping resources, as well as by creating a more nurturing psychosocial environment.

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The transformation of primary forestlands into lands under cultivation exerts an impact on the physical and chemical properties of the soils, leading to loss of carbon from the soil. The aims of this study were (1) to estimate the impact of different land use on organic carbon stock (OC-stock) and (2) to determine the clay percentage, the dispersion factor, and bulk density with regard to soil management. Thirty soil profiles were sampled as follows: four under primary forests with 80-100 years (old growth); two under secondary wood forests with 45-50 years; eight under secondary young forests with 15-25 years; four under pasture land with 15-20 years; and 12 under continuous cultivation for > 50 years. We determined the changes in OC-stock in the soils under different land-use conditions in relation to the primary forest variant. There was a difference in the OC-stock of the continuous cultivation variant compared to the remaining land-use variants for all soil-thickness layers. The greatest loss of cultivated soil was in the 0-20 cm layer of the primary forest OC-stock. In the 50-100 cm layer, the OC-stock of the cultivated soils diminished significantly. As regards physical properties, such as clay percentage, dispersion factor, and bulk density, we observed significant differences between the cultivated soils compared to the remaining land-use variants.(AU)

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The transformation of primary forestlands into lands under cultivation exerts an impact on the physical and chemical properties of the soils, leading to loss of carbon from the soil. The aims of this study were (1) to estimate the impact of different land use on organic carbon stock (OC-stock) and (2) to determine the clay percentage, the dispersion factor, and bulk density with regard to soil management. Thirty soil profiles were sampled as follows: four under primary forests with 80-100 years (old growth); two under secondary wood forests with 45-50 years; eight under secondary young forests with 15-25 years; four under pasture land with 15-20 years; and 12 under continuous cultivation for > 50 years. We determined the changes in OC-stock in the soils under different land-use conditions in relation to the primary forest variant. There was a difference in the OC-stock of the continuous cultivation variant compared to the remaining land-use variants for all soil-thickness layers. The greatest loss of cultivated soil was in the 0-20 cm layer of the primary forest OC-stock. In the 50-100 cm layer, the OC-stock of the cultivated soils diminished significantly. As regards physical properties, such as clay percentage, dispersion factor, and bulk density, we observed significant differences between the cultivated soils compared to the remaining land-use variants.

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BACKGROUND AND AIMS: In April 2009, a new strain of influenza A(H1N1) was identified in Mexico and in the U.S. In June 2009, WHO declared this a pandemic. Health care workers constituted a risk group for their close contact with infected individuals. The aim was to estimate seropositivity for A(H1N1)pdm09 in health staff at the Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social. METHODS: A two-stage cross-sectional study, before and after vaccination in the same workers, was performed on a random sample of health-care workers. A socio-occupational questionnaire was applied and serum antibodies against influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 were determined through neutralization of retroviral pseudotypes; two logistic regression models for both were constructed. RESULTS: The average (median/mean) age of 1378 participants from 13 work centers was 41.7 years and 68.7% (947) were women. Seroprevalence for the first stage was 26.5% (365) (7.4-43%) vs. 20.8% (11) in a control group from the blood bank; for the second stage, the vaccinated group was 33% (215) (18.2-47%) and 27% (196) (11.6-50%) for the unvaccinated group. In regression models, seropositivity was associated with occupational exposure to suspected influenza infected patients, being physicians, and being vaccinated. CONCLUSIONS: Seropositivity against pandemic virus is similar to what was reported, both for vaccinated (2.8-40.9%) and unvaccinated (18.8-64.7%). Low seroprevalence in the vaccinated group indicates that between 67% and 73% were susceptible to infection. Given the relatively low vaccine-induced seropositivity, it is imperative to increase, hygiene and safety for health staff and at-risk populations, and strengthen epidemiological surveillance.

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