Metagenomic profiling of halites from the Atacama Desert: an extreme environment with natural perchlorate does not promote high diversity of perchlorate reducing microorganisms.

We surveyed the presence of perchlorate-reducing microorganisms in available metagenomic data of halite environments from the Atacama Desert, an extreme environment characterized by high perchlorate concentrations, intense ultraviolet radiation, saline and oxidizing soils, and severe desiccation. While the presence of perchlorate might suggest a broad community of perchlorate reducers or a high abundance of a dominant taxa, our search reveals a scarce presence. In fact, we identified only one halophilic species, Salinibacter sp003022435, carrying the pcrA and pcrC genes, represented in low abundance. Moreover, we also discovered some napA genes and organisms carrying the nitrate reductase nasB gene, which hints at the possibility of cryptic perchlorate reduction occurring in these ecosystems. Our findings contribute with the knowledge of perchlorate reduction metabolism potentially occurring in halites from Atacama Desert and point towards promising future research into the perchlorate-reducing mechanism in Salinibacter, a common halophilic bacterium found in hypersaline ecosystems, whose metabolic potential remains largely unknown.

In Quest of the Missing C2H6O2 Isomers in the Interstellar Medium: A Theoretical Search.

Ethylene glycol (C2H6O2), the only diol detected in the interstellar medium (ISM), is a key component in the synthesis of prebiotic sugars. Its structural isomer, methoxymethanol, has also been found in the ISM. Our results show that neither ethylene glycol (ethane-1,2-diol) nor methoxymethanol is the most stable isomer. Using high-level computational methods, we identified five isomers: two diols, one hydroxy ether, and two peroxides. The geminal diol 1,1-ethanediol (ethane-1,1-diol) is the most stable isomer, although it has not been detected in the ISM, whereas the two peroxides are less stable than the geminal diol by 60 kcal/mol. This study also provides the rotational constants and dipole moment for each conformer of every C2H6O2 isomer.

Thrombocytopaenia and COVID-19 infection during pregnancy increases the risk of preeclampsia: a multicentre study.

RESEARCH QUESTION: Is a low platelet count related to an increased risk of severe disease in pregnant women with active severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection? DESIGN: A cross-sectional multicentre study in pregnant women with COVID-19 confirmed by polymerase chain reaction, antigen test, antibody test, or all. RESULTS: A total of 153 pregnant women with COVID-19 were included in the study, of whom 12.4% had thrombocytopaenia. Pregnant women with thrombocytopaenia were on average 3.1 years older (95% CI 0.18 to 6.38) than women without thrombocytopaenia. Pregnant smokers had a higher risk of thrombocytopaenia than non-smokers (OR 6.55, CI 95% 1.29 to 33.13). B Rh negative (B Rh-) pregnant women had a much higher risk of thrombocytopaenia than pregnant women with other blood groups (OR 16.83, CI 95% 1.42 to 199.8). Pregnant women with thrombocytopaenia had a much higher risk of suffering from preeclampsia (OR 16.2, CI 95% 1.35 to 193.4). CONCLUSIONS: COVID-19 infection is not a risk factor for a low platelet count in pregnant women, although the risk is increased by smoking and in women with blood group B Rh-. In case of pregnancy with thrombocytopaenia, COVID-19 infection leads to an increased risk of preeclampsia.

Bacteria isolated from explosive contaminated environments transform pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN) under aerobic and anaerobic conditions.

Pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN) is a nitrate ester explosive that may be persistent with scarce reports on its environmental fate and impacts. Our main objective was to isolate and characterize bacteria that transform PETN under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Biotransformation of PETN (100 mg L-1) was evaluated using mineral medium with (M + C) and without (M - C) additional carbon sources under aerobic conditions and with additional carbon sources under anaerobic conditions. Here, we report on the isolation of 12 PETN-transforming cultures (4 pure and 8 co-cultures) from environmental samples collected at an explosive manufacturing plant. The highest transformation of PETN was observed for cultures in M + C under aerobic conditions, reaching up to 91% ± 2% in 2 d. Under this condition, PETN biotransformation was observed in conjunction with the release of nitrites and bacterial growth. No substantial transformation of PETN (<45%) was observed during 21 d in M - C under aerobic conditions. Under anaerobic conditions, five cultures could transform PETN (up to 52% ± 13%) as the sole nitrogen source, concurrent with the formation of two unidentified metabolites. PETN-transforming cultures belonged to Alphaproteobacteria, Betaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, and Actinobacteria. In conclusion, we isolated 12 PETN-transforming cultures belonging to diverse taxa, suggesting that PETN transformation is phylogenetically widespread.

Pediatric cutaneous mucormicosis.

A 9-year-old boy diagnosed with acute myeloblastic leukemia and undergoing chemotherapy, was admitted with febrile neutropenia. During his admission, several violaceous plaques appeared on the upper extremities and anterior left hemithorax, which worsened and acquired a necrotic center. We performed a biopsy and histology showed a cutaneous infarction at the dermoepidermal and subcutaneous level. We observed abundant wide hyphae with right-angled branching and a culture isolated Rhizopus oryzae. A plastic surgery consultant performed a surgical debridement of the lesions and treatment was started with intravenous amphotericin B. The patient did well on treatment and after almost a month of hospitalization, he was discharged with oral posaconazole. Mucormycosis is an opportunistic fungal infection associated with immunosuppression, particularly involving prematurity and hematological diseases in the pediatric age group. Multiple lesions, as in our case, are infrequent. The clinical presentation is variable. Direct smear or histological observation is the quickest diagnostic technique whereas culture is the most definitive. The combination of surgical debridement and amphotericin B is the treatment with the highest survival rates.

Severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection is linked to double-negative (CD27- IgD-) B cell subset numbers.

OBJECTIVES: The role of B cells in COVID-19, beyond the production of specific antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, is still not well understood. Here, we describe the novel landscape of circulating double-negative (DN) CD27- IgD- B cells in COVID-19 patients, representing a group of atypical and neglected subpopulations of this cell lineage. METHODS: Using multiparametric flow cytometry, we determined DN B cell subset amounts from 91 COVID-19 patients, correlated those with cytokines, clinical and laboratory parameters, and segregated them by principal components analysis. RESULTS: We detected significant increments in the DN2 and DN3 B cell subsets, while we found a relevant decrease in the DN1 B cell subpopulation, according to disease severity and patient outcomes. These DN cell numbers also appeared to correlate with pro- or anti-inflammatory signatures, respectively, and contributed to the segregation of the patients into disease severity groups. CONCLUSION: This study provides insights into DN B cell subsets' potential role in immune responses against SARS-CoV-2, particularly linked to the severity of COVID-19.

COVID-19 in children: clinical and epidemiological spectrum in the community.

Most publications on pediatric COVID-19 in Spain were performed at the beginning of the pandemic when some diagnostic tools were not widely available. This study aims to show the real spectrum of the infection based on wide detection of cases due to symptoms and contact tracing. A descriptive and analytical observational study was performed including pediatric cases (0 to 14 years) from the region of Aragón between May 12 and October 31, 2020. Diagnostics was by PCR detection of viral RNA, rapid antigen detection test, or positive IgG serology. There were 5933 positive children included. Of them, 49.03% were women. The mean age was 7.53 ± 4.28 years. The source of infection could not be determined in 17.8% of cases. As for the rest, was determined to be within the family environment in 67.8%. The percentage of asymptomatic patients was 50.3%. Among symptomatic patients, fever (58.1%) and cough (46.7%) were the most frequent symptoms. Hospitalization was required in 0.52% of infected, intensive care unit admission was on 0.05%, and there was one death (0.02%). Children under the age of one presented some symptoms more frequently (71.6% vs 48.5%; OR 2.68; 95% CI 2.08 to 3.45; p < 0.001) and required more hospitalizations (3.9% vs 0.34%; OR 11.52; 95% CI 5.65 to 23.52; p < 0.001).Conclusion: In our environment, SARS-CoV-2 infection is like other mild respiratory viral infections in the population under the age of 15. The contagion occurs mainly in the family environment, the number of asymptomatic is high, being the symptoms mild and the complications very infrequent. What is Known: • Pediatric infection produced by SARS-CoV-2 has manifested as a mild disease in relation to adult age, although with higher affectation at the youngest ages. • Nearly all studies on epidemiology and clinical spectrum of the disease were conducted with patients diagnosed at the beginning of the pandemic. By then, diagnostic tools were only available in hospitals and in emergency units. What is New: • Once diagnostic means were available in primary care medicine and were used not only for the diagnosis of clinical symptoms of the patient, but for the tracing of case contacts, a much more precise approach to the epidemiology and clinical manifestations of the disease was allowed, as described in this study.

Measuring the Digital Skills of Catalan Health Care Professionals as a Key Step Toward a Strategic Training Plan: Digital Competence Test Validation Study.

BACKGROUND: Despite Catalonia being an advanced region in terms of digital health adoption, the "Forum for Professional Dialogue" identified the need to improve information and communication technology (ICT) competences as one of the present and future challenges for health care professionals (HPs). OBJECTIVE: We aimed to validate the digital competence test developed ad hoc for this study and to measure the digital competence level of Catalan HPs to establish their current level as the baseline for designing a strategic training plan. METHODS: An exploratory observational study was conducted based on a voluntary survey where sociodemographic, professional and digital tool knowledge, digital tool use, and training needs data were collected and based on the score obtained from a digital competence test developed ad hoc. The digital competence test consisted of 2 "real-life scenarios" with 7 and 11 questions. RESULTS: In total, 803 HPs, of whom 612 (76.2%) were women, completed the survey between June 28 and July 16, 2021. Most participants self-rated their digital competence level as either intermediate (384/803, 47.8%) or basic (357/803, 44.5%). The mean score in the digital competence test was 22.6 (SD 4.3). Therefore, most participants displayed a basic level of digital competence. The internal consistency of the digital competence test was 0.66, and the discrimination index of all questions was ≥0.2 for all items except for 1 question. CONCLUSIONS: This exploratory study highlights the need to improve the digital competence of HPs working in Catalonia, with special effort being made to provide training according to the specific needs of the different HP profiles. The results have informed the Health Plan for Catalonia 2021-2025 and lay the foundations for the development and deployment of a framework program for the digital competences of HPs. The developed digital competence test shows acceptable consistency for the objective pursued, although improvements are needed to fine-tune its accuracy.

GC/MS Analysis, Antioxidant Activity, and Antimicrobial Effect of Pelargonium peltatum (Geraniaceae).

In recent years, the increase in antibiotic resistance demands searching for new compounds with antimicrobial activity. Phytochemicals found in plants offer an alternative to this problem. The genus Pelargonium contains several species; some have commercial use in traditional medicine such as P. sinoides, and others such as P. peltatum are little studied but have promising potential for various applications such as phytopharmaceuticals. In this work, we characterized the freeze-dried extracts (FDEs) of five tissues (root, stem, leaf, and two types of flowers) and the ethyl acetate fractions from leaf (Lf-EtOAc) and flower (Fwr-EtOAc) of P. peltatum through the analysis by thin-layer chromatography (T.L.C.), gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS), phytochemicals quantification, antioxidant capacity, and antimicrobial activity. After the first round of analysis, it was observed that the FDE-Leaf and FDE-Flower showed higher antioxidant and antimicrobial activities compared to the other FDEs, for which FDE-Leaf and FDE-Flower were fractionated and analyzed in a second round. The antioxidant activity determined by ABTS showed that Lf-EtOAc and Fwr-EtOAc had the lowest IC50 values with 27.15 ± 1.04 and 28.11 ± 1.3 µg/mL, respectively. The content of total polyphenols was 264.57 ± 7.73 for Lf-EtOAc and 105.39 ± 4.04 mg G.A./g FDE for Fwr-EtOAc. Regarding the content of flavonoid, Lf-EtOAc and Fw-EtOAc had the highest concentration with 34.4 ± 1.06 and 29.45 ± 1.09 mg Q.E./g FDE. In addition, the minimum inhibitory concentration (M.I.C.) of antimicrobial activity was evaluated: Lf-EtOAc and Fwr-EtOAc were effective at 31.2 µg/mL for Staphylococcus aureus and 62.5 µg/mL for Salmonella enterica, while for the Enterococcus feacalis strain, Fwr-EtOAc presented 31.2 µg/mL of M.I.C. According to the GC-MS analysis, the main compounds were 1,2,3-Benzenetriol (Pyrogallol), with 77.38% of relative abundance in the Lf-EtOAc and 71.24% in the Fwr-EtOAc, followed by ethyl gallate (13.10%) in the Fwr-EtOAc and (Z)-9-Octadecenamide (13.63% and 6.75%) in both Lf-EtOAc and Fwr-EtOAc, respectively.

Chronic wound healing by controlled release of chitosan hydrogels loaded with silver nanoparticles and calendula extract.

As the skin is the main protective organ of the body, it is exposed to wounds or injuries which carry out a healing process during a period of approximately 15 days depending on the severity of the injury. In the present research, the development of chitosan-based hydrogels loaded with silver nanoparticles and calendula extract (Ch-AgNPs-Ce) was proposed. This can be used to fulfill the hemostatic, anti-infective, antibacterial, healing and anti-inflammatory functions through controlled release of the nanoparticles and calendula extract in substitution of commonly used drugs. The physical properties of the silver nanoparticles were analyzed by UV-visible spectroscopy, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, showing a size between 50 and 100 nm. The antibacterial properties were evaluated by the agar well diffusion method. Antimicrobial testing of the hydrogels showed that the inclusion of silver nanoparticles provides concentration-dependent antibacterial behavior against E. coli and S. aureus. The healing properties of the system were tested in two diabetic patients to whom said hydrogels were placed, obtaining a positive curative result after a few weeks. Therefore, it can be concluded that Ch-AgNPs-Ce hydrogels can achieve healing in chronic or exposed wounds after a period of time which can be used in alternative treatments in patients with poor healing capacity.

Airborne particulate matter upregulates expression of early and late adhesion molecules and their receptors in a lung adenocarcinoma cell line.

BACKGROUND: Epidemiological evidence associates chronic exposure to particulate matter (PM) with respiratory damage and lung cancer. Inhaled PM may induce systemic effects including inflammation and metastasis. This study evaluated whether PM induces expression of adhesion molecules in lung cancer cells promoting interaction with monocytes. METHODS: The expression of early and late adhesion molecules and their receptors was evaluated in A549 (human lung adenocarcinoma) cells using a wide range of concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10. Then we evaluated cellular adhesion between A549 cells and U937 (human monocytes) cells after PM exposure. RESULTS: We found higher expression of both early and late adhesion molecules and their ligands in lung adenocarcinoma cells exposed to PM2.5 and PM10 particles present in the air pollution at Mexico City from 0.03 µg/cm2 with a statistically significant difference (p ≤ 0.05). PM10 had stronger effect than PM2.5. Both PM also stimulated cellular adhesion between tumor cells and monocytes. CONCLUSIONS: This study reveals a comprehensive expression profile of adhesion molecules and their ligands upregulated by PM2.5 and PM10 in A549 cells. Additionally these particles induced cellular adhesion of lung cancer cells to monocytes. This highlights possible implications of PM in two cancer hallmarks i.e. inflammation and metastasis, underlying the high cancer mortality associated with air pollution.

Multivariate Time Series Analysis of Temperatures in the Archaeological Museum of L'Almoina (Valencia, Spain).

An earlier study carried out in 2010 at the archaeological site of L'Almoina (Valencia, Spain) found marked daily fluctuations of temperature, especially in summer. Such pronounced gradient is due to the design of the museum, which includes a skylight as a ceiling, covering part of the remains in the museum. In this study, it was found that the thermal conditions are not homogeneous and vary at different points of the museum and along the year. According to the European Standard EN10829, it is necessary to define a plan for long-term monitoring, elaboration and study of the microclimatic data, in order to preserve the artifacts. With the aforementioned goal of extending the study and offering a tool to monitor the microclimate, a new statistical methodology is proposed. For this propose, during one year (October 2019-October 2020), a set of 27 data-loggers was installed, aimed at recording the temperature inside the museum. By applying principal component analysis and k-means, three different microclimates were established. In order to characterize the differences among the three zones, two statistical techniques were put forward. Firstly, Sparse Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis (sPLS-DA) was applied to a set of 671 variables extracted from the time series. The second approach consisted of using a random forest algorithm, based on the same functions and variables employed by the first methodology. Both approaches allowed the identification of the main variables that best explain the differences between zones. According to the results, it is possible to establish a representative subset of sensors recommended for the long-term monitoring of temperatures at the museum. The statistical approach proposed here is very effective for discriminant time series analysis and for explaining the differences in microclimate when a net of sensors is installed in historical buildings or museums.

Characterization of Temperature Gradients According to Height in a Baroque Church by Means of Wireless Sensors.

The baroque church of Saint Thomas and Saint Philip Neri (Valencia, Spain), which was built between 1727 and 1736, contains valuable paintings by renowned Spanish artists. Due to the considerable height of the central nave, the church can experience vertical temperature gradients. In order to investigate this issue, temperatures were recorded between August 2017 and February 2018 from a wireless monitoring system composed of 21 sensor nodes, which were located at different heights in the church from 2 to 13 m from the floor level. For characterizing the temperature at high, medium and low altitude heights, a novel methodology is proposed based on sparse Partial Least Squares regression (sPLS), Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA), and the Holt-Winters method, among others, which were applied to a time series of temperature. This approach is helpful to discriminate temperature profiles according to sensor height. Once the vertical thermal gradients for each month were characterized, it was found that temperature reached the maximum correlation with sensor height in the period between August 10th and September 9th. Furthermore, the most important features from the time series that explain this correlation are the mean temperature and the mean of moving range. In the period mentioned, the vertical thermal gradient was estimated to be about 0.043 ∘C/m, which implies a difference of 0.47 ∘C on average between sensor nodes at 2 m from the floor with respect to the upper ones located at 13 m from the floor level. The gradient was estimated as the slope from a linear regression model using height and hourly mean temperature as the predictor and response, respectively. This gradient is consistent with similar reported studies. The fact that such gradient was only found in one month suggests that the mechanisms of dust deposition on walls involved in vertical thermal gradients are not important in this case regarding the preventive conservation of artworks. Furthermore, the methodology proposed here was useful to discriminate the time series at high, medium and low altitude levels. This approach can be useful when a set of sensors is installed for microclimate monitoring in churches, cathedrals, and other historical buildings, at different levels and positions.

A Methodology for Discriminant Time Series Analysis Applied to Microclimate Monitoring of Fresco Paintings.

The famous Renaissance frescoes in Valencia's Cathedral (Spain) have been kept under confined temperature and relative humidity (RH) conditions for about 300 years, until the removal of the baroque vault covering them, carried out in 2006. In the interest of longer-term preservation and in order to maintain these frescoes in good condition, a unique monitoring system was implemented to record both air temperature and RH. Sensors were installed in different points at the vault of the apse, during the restoration process. The present study proposes a statistical methodology for analyzing a subset of RH data recorded in 2008 and 2010, from the sensors. This methodology is based on fitting different functions and models to the time series, in order to classify the sensors. The methodology proposed, computes classification variables and applies a discriminant technique to them. The classification variables correspond to estimates of parameters of the models and features such as mean and maximum, among others. These features are computed using values of the functions such as spectral density, sample autocorrelation (sample ACF), sample partial autocorrelation (sample PACF), and moving range (MR). The classification variables computed were structured as a matrix. Next, Sparse Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis (sPLS-DA) was applied in order to discriminate sensors according to their position in the vault. It was found that the classification of sensors derived from Seasonal ARIMA-TGARCH showed the best performance (i.e., lowest classification error rate). Based on these results, the methodology applied here can be useful for characterizing the differences in RH, measured at different positions in a historical building.

Complementary Dynamics of Banana Root Colonization by the Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria Bacillus amyloliquefaciens Bs006 and Pseudomonas palleroniana Ps006 at Spatial and Temporal Scales.

Banana (Musa acuminata) growth for commercial purposes requires high amounts of chemical fertilizers, generating high costs and deleterious effects on the environment. In a previous study, we demonstrated that two plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), Bacillus amyloliquefaciens Bs006 and Pseudomonas palleroniana Ps006, isolated in Colombia, could partially replace chemical fertilizers for banana seedling growth. In a second work, the effects of the two inoculants on banana transcripts were found to occur at different times, earlier for Bs006 and later for Ps006. This leads to the hypothesis that the two rhizobacteria have different colonization dynamics. Accordingly, the aim of this work was to analyze the dynamics of root colonization of the two PGPR, Bs006 and Ps006, on banana growth over a time frame of 30 days. We used fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), followed by three-dimensional reconstruction and quantitative image analysis. Bacillus amyloliquefaciens Bs006 abundantly colonized banana roots earlier (from 1 to 48 h), ectophytically on the rhizoplane, and then decreased. Pseudomonas palleroniana Ps006 was initially scarce, but after 96 h it increased dramatically and became clearly endophytic. Here we identify and discuss the potential genetic factors responsible for this complementary behavior. This information is crucial for optimizing the formulation of an effective biofertilizer for banana and its inoculation strategy.

Banana (Musa acuminata) transcriptome profiling in response to rhizobacteria: Bacillus amyloliquefaciens Bs006 and Pseudomonas fluorescens Ps006.

BACKGROUND: Banana is one of the most important crops in tropical and sub-tropical regions. To meet the demands of international markets, banana plantations require high amounts of chemical fertilizers which translate into high farming costs and are hazardous to the environment when used excessively. Beneficial free-living soil bacteria that colonize the rhizosphere are known as plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR). PGPR affect plant growth in direct or indirect ways and hold great promise for sustainable agriculture. RESULTS: PGPR of the genera Bacillus and Pseudomonas in banana cv. Williams were evaluated. These plants were produced through in vitro culture and inoculated individually with two rhizobacteria, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain Bs006 and Pseudomonas fluorescens strain Ps006. Control plants without microbial inoculum were also evaluated. These plants were kept in a controlled climate growth room with conditions required to favor plant-microorganism interactions. These interactions were evaluated at 1-, 48- and 96-h using transcriptome sequencing after inoculation to establish differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in plants elicited by the interaction with the two rhizobacteria. Additionally, droplet digital PCR was performed at 1, 48, 96 h, and also at 15 and 30 days to validate the expression patterns of selected DEGs. The banana cv. Williams transcriptome reported differential expression in a large number of genes of which 22 were experimentally validated. Genes validated experimentally correspond to growth promotion and regulation of specific functions (flowering, photosynthesis, glucose catabolism and root growth) as well as plant defense genes. This study focused on the analysis of 18 genes involved in growth promotion, defense and response to biotic or abiotic stress. CONCLUSIONS: Differences in banana gene expression profiles in response to the rhizobacteria evaluated here (Bacillus amyloliquefaciens Bs006 and Pseudomonas fluorescens Ps006) are influenced by separate bacterial colonization processes and levels that stimulate distinct groups of genes at various points in time.

Resource-oriented interventions for patients with severe mental illnesses in low- and middle-income countries: trials in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Colombia and Uganda.

BACKGROUND: Severe mental illness (SMI) presents a major burden to societies worldwide. Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) often do not have sufficient financial resources and qualified staff to provide extensive specialised services for outpatients with SMI. Our research therefore aims to explore and test low-cost interventions that use existing resources in routine patient-clinician meetings, families and communities. METHODS: In Bosnia-Herzegovina, Colombia and Uganda, three psychosocial interventions will be tested, i.e. making patient-clinician meetings therapeutically effective through DIALOG+, family involvement in multi-family group meetings, and support for patients in befriending schemes with volunteers. All interventions will be provided to patients with SMI, delivered over a six-month period and evaluated with assessments at baseline and after six and 12 months. We will conduct nine trials including non-controlled trials, non-randomised controlled trials and randomised controlled trials (RCTs). Core outcome criteria will be used across all studies. However, details of study delivery and additional outcome criteria vary to accommodate local contexts, interests and priorities. The studies will be analysed separately, but with the option to compare and combine findings. DISCUSSION: The approach provides the opportunity to learn from commonalities and differences in the results and experiences across the three resource-oriented approaches and the three countries. If successfully implemented the studies can lead to more extensive research and are expected to inform health policies and clinical practice of community care for patients with SMI in the three participating countries and other LMICs. TRIAL REGISTRATION: All RCTs were registered prospectively and non-randomised trials retrospectively within the ISRCTN Registry. DIALOG+ in Uganda: ISRCTN25146122 (Date of Registration: 20/11/2018, prospective); DIALOG+ in Colombia: ISRCTN83333181 (Date of Registration: 20/11/2018, prospective); DIALOG+ in Bosnia-Herzegovina: ISRCTN13347129 (Date of Registration: 20/11/2018, prospective); Volunteer Support in Uganda: ISRCTN86689958 (Date of Registration: 04/03/2019, retrospective); Volunteer Support in Colombia: ISRCTN72241383 (Date of Registration: 04/03/2019, retrospective);Volunteer Support in Bosnia-Herzegovina: ISRCTN51290984 (Date of Registration: 20/11/2018, prospective); Family Involvement in Uganda: ISRCTN78948497 (Date of Registration: 04/03/2019, retrospective); Family Involvement in Colombia: ISRCTN11440755 (Date of Registration: 04/03/2019, retrospective); Family Involvement in Bosnia-Herzegovina: ISRCTN13347355 (Date of Registration: 20/11/2018, prospective).

Brief Intervention Among Mexican-Origin Young Adults in the Emergency Department at the USA-Mexico Border: Examining the Role of Patient's Preferred Language of Intervention in Predicting Drinking Outcomes.

AIMS: Determine if the language in which brief intervention (BI) is delivered influences drinking outcomes among Mexican-origin young adults in the emergency department when controlling for ethnic matching. SHORT SUMMARY: Aim of study was to determine if a patient's preferred language of intervention influences drinking outcomes among Mexican-origin young adults in the emergency department. Results indicate no significant differences in drinking outcomes among those who received BI in Spanish and BI in English. METHODS: This is a secondary data analysis on data from 310 patients randomized to receive a BI completed in Spanish (BI-S) or English (BI-E), with 3- and 12-month follow-up. Outcome measures of interest were drinking days per week, drinks per drinking day, maximum drinks in a day and negative consequences of drinking. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in drinking outcomes among those who received BI in Spanish and BI in English. CONCLUSIONS: Reduced drinking outcomes following BI among Mexican-origin young adults in the emergency department may not have been due to the language used to deliver intervention. Thus, our results provide evidence that language of intervention is not a crucial factor to achieve cultural congruence. In addition, our findings suggest that receiving the intervention is beneficial regardless of language, thus, facilitating real-world implementation.