Guanine crystal formation by bacteria.

BACKGROUND: Guanine crystals are organic biogenic crystals found in many organisms. Due to their exceptionally high refractive index, they contribute to structural color and are responsible for the reflective effect in the skin and visual organs in animals such as fish, reptiles, and spiders. Occurrence of these crystals in animals has been known for many years, and they have also been observed in eukaryotic microorganisms, but not in prokaryotes. RESULTS: In this work, we report the discovery of extracellular crystals formed by bacteria and reveal that they are composed of guanine monohydrate. This composition differs from that of biogenic guanine crystals found in other organisms, mostly composed of ß anhydrous guanine. We demonstrate the formation of these crystals by Aeromonas and other bacteria and investigate the metabolic traits related to their synthesis. In all cases studied, the presence of the bacterial guanine crystals correlates with the absence of guanine deaminase, which could lead to guanine accumulation providing the substrate for crystal formation. CONCLUSIONS: Our finding of the hitherto unknown guanine crystal occurrence in prokaryotes extends the range of organisms that produce these crystals to a new domain of life. Bacteria constitute a novel and more accessible model to study the process of guanine crystal formation and assembly. This discovery opens countless chemical and biological questions, including those about the functional and adaptive significance of their production in these microorganisms. It also paves the road for the development of simple and convenient processes to obtain biogenic guanine crystals for diverse applications.

Spatial and Seasonal Variations in the Bacterial Community of an Anthropogenic Impacted Urban Stream.

Environmental changes and human activities can alter the structure and diversity of aquatic microbial communities. In this work, we analyzed the bacterial community dynamics of an urban stream to understand how these factors affect the composition of river microbial communities. Samples were taken from a stream situated in Buenos Aires, Argentina, which flows through residential, peri-urban horticultural, and industrial areas. For sampling, two stations were selected: one influenced by a series of industrial waste treatment plants and horticultural farms (PL), and the other influenced by residential areas (R). Microbial communities were analyzed by sequence analysis of 16S rRNA gene amplicons along an annual cycle. PL samples showed high nutrient content compared with R samples. The diversity and richness of the R site were more affected by seasonality than those of the PL site. At the amplicon sequence variants level, beta diversity analysis showed a differentiation between cool-season (fall and winter) and warm-season (spring and summer) samples, as well as between PL and R sites. This demonstrated that there is spatial and temporal heterogeneity in the composition of the bacterial community, which should be considered if a bioremediation strategy is applied. The taxonomic composition analysis also revealed a differential seasonal cycle of phototrophs and chemoheterotrophs between the sampling sites, as well as different taxa associated with each sampling site. This analysis, combined with a comparative analysis of global rivers, allowed us to determine the genera Arcobacter, Simplicispira, Vogesella, and Sphingomonas as potential bioindicators of anthropogenic disturbance.

Insights into the temperature responses of Pseudomonas species in beneficial and pathogenic host interactions.

Pseudomonas species are metabolically versatile bacteria able to exploit a wide range of ecological niches. Different Pseudomonas species can grow as free-living cells, biofilms, or associated with plants or animals, including humans, and their ecological success partially lies in their ability to grow and adapt to different temperatures. These bacteria are relevant for human activities, due to their clinical importance and their biotechnological potential for different applications such as bioremediation and the production of biopolymers, surfactants, secondary metabolites, and enzymes. In agriculture, some of them can act as plant growth promoters and are thus used as inoculants, whereas others, like P. syringae pathovars, can cause disease in commercial crops. This review aims to provide an overview of the temperature-response mechanisms in Pseudomonas species, looking for novel features or strategies based on techniques such as transcriptomics and proteomics. We focused on temperature-dependent traits mainly associated with virulence, host colonization, survival, and production of secondary metabolites. We analyzed human, animal, and plant pathogens and plant growth-promoting Pseudomonas species, including P. aeruginosa, P. plecoglossicida, several P. syringae pathovars, and P. protegens. Our aim was to provide a comprehensive view of the relevance of temperature-response traits in human and animal health and agricultural applications. Our analysis showed that features relevant to the bacterial-host interaction are adjusted to the environmental or host temperature regardless of the optimal growth temperature in the laboratory, and thus contribute to improving bacterial fitness. KEY POINTS: • In Pseudomonas species, temperature impacts the bacterial-host interaction. • Interaction traits are expressed at temperatures different from the optimal reported. • The bacterial-host interaction could be affected by climate change.

[Induced biosynthesis of fengycin and surfactin in a strain of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens with oomyceticidal activity on zoospores of Phytophthora capsici]. / Biosíntesis inducida de fengicina y surfactina en una cepa de Bacillus amyloliquefaciens con actividad oomiceticida sobre zoosporas de Phytophthora capsica.

A potential alternative to the use of chemical products with oomyceticidal action for the control of Phytophthora capsici in vegetables is the use of antimicrobial metabolites, biosynthesized in Bacillus species. The objective of this study was to induce the biosynthesis of lipopeptides in Bacillus amyloliquefaciens KX953161.1 by using glutamic acid, iron, cellulose, chitin, or inactive Colletotrichum spp. cells. The in vitro oomyceticidal effect of the bacterial lipopeptides on zoospores of Phytophthora capsici was evaluated. The lipopeptides identified and quantified in the crude extracts by high performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC) were fengycin and surfactin. The bacterial culture with inactive fungal cells yielded the greatest biosynthesis of lipopeptides, at 1847.02± 11.8 and 2563.45± 18.4 µg/ml of fengycin and surfactin, respectively and the treatments that obtained lower production of these lipopeptides, were those to which iron and cellulose were added with 608.05 ± 22.6 and 903.74± 22.1; 563.31± 11.9 and 936.96± 41.1 µg/ml for fengicin and surfactin, respectively. The lipopeptide extracted showed 100% germination inhibition on zoospores of P. capsici, revealing encystment, malformations in the germ tube and cellular degradation. Lipopeptides have the potential to control P. capsici; however, the biosynthesis of these lipopeptides requires further study to determine their biological mode of action and optimize lipopeptide performance and profile.

Transplantation of hematopoietic progenitors in myelofibrosis.

The objective of this work is to generate recommendations on the management of allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) in primary myelofibrosis (PMF). A comprehensive systematic review of articles published between 1999 and 2015 (January) was used as a source of scientific evidence. The recommendations were produced through a Delphi process involving a panel of 23 experts appointed by the European LeukemiaNet and the European Blood and Marrow Transplantation Group. Key questions included patient selection, donor selection, pre-transplant management, conditioning regimen, post-transplant management, prevention, and management of post-transplant relapse. Patients with intermediate-2 or high-risk disease and age < 70 years should be considered candidates for allo-SCT. Patients with intermediate-risk 1 disease and age < 65 years should be considered candidates if they have refractory transfusion-dependent anemia, or a peripheral blood (PB) blast percentage > 2%, or adverse cytogenetics. Splenectomy before transplantation must be decided on a case-by-case basis. Patients with intermediate-2 or high-risk disease who lack a human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-matched sibling or unrelated donor should be enrolled in a protocol that uses HLA non-identical donors. PB was considered the most appropriate source of hematopoietic stem cells for transplants from HLA-matched unrelated donors and siblings. The optimal intensity of the conditioning regimen has yet to be defined. Strategies such as discontinuation of immunosuppressive drugs, infusion of donor lymphocytes, or both were considered adequate to prevent clinical relapse. In conclusion, we provide consensus-based recommendations aimed at optimizing allo-SCT in PMF. Unmet clinical needs were highlighted.

El objetivo de este trabajo es generar recomendaciones sobre el manejo del trasplante alogénico de células madre (alo-SCT) en la mielofibrosis primaria (MFP). Se utilizó una revisión sistemática integral de artículos publicados entre 1999 y 2015 (enero) como fuente de evidencia científica. Las recomendaciones se produjeron mediante un proceso Delphi en el que participó un panel de 23 expertos designados por la European LeukemiaNet y el European Blood and Marrow Transplantation Group. Las preguntas clave incluyeron la selección de pacientes, la selección de donantes, el manejo previo al trasplante, el régimen de acondicionamiento, el manejo posterior al trasplante, la prevención y el manejo de la recaída después del trasplante. Los pacientes con enfermedad de riesgo intermedio 2 o alto y edad < 70 años deben ser considerados candidatos para alo-SCT. Los pacientes con enfermedad de riesgo intermedio 1 y edad < 65 años deben ser considerados candidatos si presentan anemia refractaria dependiente de transfusiones, o un porcentaje de blastos en sangre periférica > 2%, o citogenética adversa. La esplenectomía previa al trasplante debe decidirse caso por caso. Los pacientes con enfermedad de riesgo intermedio 2 o alto que carecen de un hermano compatible con el antígeno leucocitario humano (HLA) o de un donante no emparentado deben inscribirse en un protocolo que utilice donantes no idénticos de HLA. PB se consideró la fuente más apropiada de células madre hematopoyéticas para trasplantes de hermanos y donantes no emparentados compatibles con HLA. La intensidad óptima del régimen de acondicionamiento aún debe definirse. Se consideraron adecuadas estrategias como la suspensión de los fármacos inmunosupresores, la infusión de linfocitos del donante o ambas para evitar la recaída clínica. En conclusión, proporcionamos recomendaciones basadas en consenso destinadas a optimizar el alo-SCT en MFP. Se destacaron las necesidades clínicas insatisfechas.

Essential thrombocythaemia.

Essential thrombocythemia (ET) is a chronic Philadelphia-negative myeloproliferative neoplasm that has its main involvement in the megakaryopoietic lineage, generating sustained thrombocytosis in peripheral blood and an increase in the number of mature megakaryocytes in the bone marrow. In addition to marked thrombocytosis, it is characterized by increased thrombotic or hemorrhagic risk and the presence of constitutional symptoms. Patients with ET have a low but known risk of disease progression to myelofibrosis and/or acute leukemia. The diagnosis is made based on the 2016 WHO criteria. At present, available treatments for patients with ET are mainly aimed at minimizing the risk of thrombosis and/or bleeding.

La trombocitemia esencial (TE) es una neoplasia mieloproliferativa crónica Filadelfia negativa que tiene su principal involucro en la línea megacariopoyética, generando trombocitosis sostenida en la sangre periférica y un incremento en el número de megacariocitos maduros en médula ósea. Además de una marcada trombocitosis, se caracteriza por un mayor riesgo trombótico o hemorrágico y la presencia de síntomas constitucionales. Los pacientes con TE tienen un riesgo bajo, pero conocido, de evolución de la enfermedad a mielofibrosis y/o leucemia aguda. El diagnóstico se realiza con base en los criterios de la Organización Mundial de la Salud del 2016. Los tratamientos actualmente disponibles para los pacientes con TE están dirigidos principalmente a minimizar el riesgo de trombosis y/o hemorragia.

Pregnancy in myeloproliferative neoplasms.

Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) are associated with a significant risk of thrombosis and the hypercoagulable environment of pregnancy increases this risk. The most frequent gestational complications consist of spontaneous abortion, thrombosis, bleeding, and hypertensive disease of pregnancy. Treatment depends on thrombotic risk, gestational trimester, and myeloproliferative neoplasm.

Las neoplasias mieloproliferativas (NMP) están asociadas a un riesgo notable de trombosis y el entorno de hipercoagulabilidad propio del embarazo aumenta este riesgo. Las complicaciones gestacionales más frecuentes consisten en: aborto espontáneo, trombosis, sangrado y enfermedad hipertensiva del embarazo. El tratamiento depende del riesgo trombótico, trimestre gestacional y neoplasia mieloproliferativa.

Polycythemia vera.

Polycythemia vera (PV) is mainly characterized by erythrocytosis, thrombotic and hemorrhagic predisposition, a variety of symptoms, and cumulative risks of fibrotic progression and/or leukemic evolution over time. The diagnosis is made based on the 2016 WHO criteria. The treatment of PV focuses on rapidly reducing the erythrocyte mass, either by means of phlebotomies or with cytoreductive treatment, and the reduction of thrombotic risk by correcting cardiovascular risk factors and the use of platelet antiaggregants.

La policitemia vera (PV) se caracteriza principalmente por eritrocitosis, predisposición trombótica y hemorrágica, una variedad de síntomas y riesgos acumulativos de progresión fibrótica y/o evolución leucémica a lo largo del tiempo. El diagnóstico se realiza con base en los criterios de la Organización Mundial de la Salud del 2016. El tratamiento de la PV se centra en reducir rápidamente la masa eritrocitaria, ya sea por medio de flebotomías o con tratamiento citorreductor, y la disminución del riesgo trombótico mediante la corrección de factores de riesgo cardiovascular y el uso de antiagregantes plaquetarios.

Risks in invasive procedures.

Patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms have an increased risk of thrombosis and bleeding. This risk must be identified, as well as individualizing the therapeutic strategy before invasive procedures; adequate cytoreduction reduces the risk of complications.

Los pacientes con neoplasias mieloproliferativas tienen un riesgo incrementado de trombosis y sangrado. Se debe identificar dicho riesgo, así como individualizar la estrategia terapéutica previo a los procedimientos invasivos; una adecuada citorreducción disminuye el riesgo de complicaciones.

Symptom control.

In addition to symptoms secondary to splenomegaly, microvascular abnormalities, and thrombohemorrhagic complications, patients with MPN may experience a significant symptom burden attributed to an increase in circulating inflammatory cytokines. These symptoms can be severe and limit quality of life. Therefore, in addition to the prevention of complications, one of the objectives of the treatment of MPN is the control of symptoms.

Además de la sintomatología secundaria a la esplenomegalia, a las alteraciones microvasculares y a las complicaciones trombohemorrágicas, los pacientes con neoplasias mieloproliferativas (NMP) pueden experimentar una importante carga sintomática atribuida a un aumento de citocinas inflamatorias circulantes. Estos síntomas pueden ser severos y limitar la calidad de vida. Por ello, además de la prevención de las complicaciones, uno de los objetivos del tratamiento de las NMP es el control de los síntomas.

Thrombotic events.

Major thrombotic complications in myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) represent an important clinical problem due to their high morbidity, the complexity of their management, and their associated mortality. The appearance of a thrombosis implies a high thrombotic risk stratification of the MPN and determines the initiation or optimization of cytoreductive treatment and the use of antiplatelet or anticoagulant therapy as secondary prophylaxis. The incidence of thrombosis at the time of diagnosis is higher than during the course of the disease, being located in the arterial territory in 60-70% of cases. Once thrombosis has occurred, up to 20-33% of patients experience thrombotic recurrence in the same initial vascular territory.

Las complicaciones trombóticas mayores en las neoplasias mieloproliferativas (NMP) representan un importante problema clínico debido a su elevada morbilidad, la complejidad de su manejo y su mortalidad asociada. La aparición de una trombosis comporta una estratificación de alto riesgo trombótico de la NMP y determina el inicio o la optimización del tratamiento citorreductor y el uso de terapia antiplaquetaria o anticoagulante como profilaxis secundaria. La incidencia de trombosis en el momento del diagnóstico es mayor que durante la evolución de la enfermedad, localizándose en territorio arterial en el 60-70% casos. Una vez se ha producido una trombosis, hasta el 20-33% de los pacientes sufre una recurrencia trombótica en el mismo territorio vascular inicial.

First inter-institutional consensus on Chronic Myeloproliferative Neoplasms.

The objective of the consensus is to make available to the professionals of the different public health institutions in our country, who are in charge of these diseases, the most relevant and up-to-date information about their diagnosis and treatment in clinical practice. With this inter-institutional consensus we hope to contribute to improving the quality of care for patients with chronic myeloproliferative neoplasms throughout the Mexican Republic, to unify criteria in both diagnosis and treatment of the different myeloproliferative diseases.

OBJETIVO: El objetivo del consenso es poner a disposición de los profesionales de las diferentes instituciones de salud pública en nuestro país, quienes se encuentran a cargo de estas enfermedades, la información más relevante y actualizada acerca de su diagnóstico y tratamiento en la práctica clínica. Con este consenso interinstitucional esperamos contribuir a mejorar la calidad de la atención de los pacientes con neoplasias mieloproliferativas crónicas a todo lo ancho y largo de la República Mexicana, con el fin de unificar criterios tanto en diagnóstico como en tratamiento de las diferentes enfermedades mieloproliferativas.

Myelofibrosis: diagnosis and treatment.

Myelofibrosis (MF) is a BCR-ABL1-negative myeloproliferative neoplasm characterized by clonal myeloproliferation, dysregulated kinase signaling, and release of abnormal cytokines. In recent years, important progress has been made in the knowledge of the molecular biology and the prognostic assessment of MF. Conventional treatment has limited impact on the patients' survival; it includes a wait-and-see approach for asymptomatic patients, erythropoiesis-stimulating agents, androgens, or immunomodulatory agents for anemia, cytoreductive drugs such as hydroxyurea for the splenomegaly and constitutional symptoms, and splenectomy or radiotherapy in selected patients. The discovery of the Janus kinase (JAK) 2 mutation triggered the development of molecular targeted therapy of MF. The JAK inhibitors are effective in both JAK2-positive and JAK2-negative MF; one of them, ruxolitinib, is the current best available therapy for MF splenomegaly and constitutional symptoms. Although ruxolitinib has changed the therapeutic scenario of MF, there is no clear indication of a disease-modifying effect. Allogeneic stem cell transplantation remains the only curative therapy of MF, but due to its associated morbidity and mortality, it is usually restricted to eligible high- and intermediate-2-risk MF patients. To improve current therapeutic results, the combination of JAK inhibitors with other agents is currently being tested, and newer drugs are being investigated.

La mielofibrosis (MF) es una neoplasia mieloproliferativa negativa para BCR-ABL1 caracterizada por mieloproliferación clonal, señalización de cinasa desregulada y liberación de citocinas anormales. En los últimos años se han realizado importantes avances en el conocimiento de la biología molecular y la valoración pronóstica de la MF. El tratamiento convencional tiene un impacto limitado en la supervivencia de los pacientes; incluye un enfoque de espera para pacientes asintomáticos, agentes estimulantes de la eritropoyesis, andrógenos o agentes inmunomoduladores para la anemia, fármacos citorreductores como la hidroxiurea para la esplenomegalia y los síntomas constitucionales, y esplenectomía o radioterapia en pacientes seleccionados. El descubrimiento de la mutación Janus cinasa (JAK) 2 desencadenó el desarrollo de la terapia dirigida molecular de la MF. Los inhibidores de JAK son efectivos tanto en MF con JAK2 positivo como con JAK2 negativo; uno de ellos, el ruxolitinib, es la mejor terapia disponible actualmente para la esplenomegalia y los síntomas constitucionales de la MF. Sin embargo, aunque el ruxolitinib ha cambiado el escenario terapéutico de la MF, no hay indicios claros de un efecto modificador de la enfermedad. El alotrasplante de células madre sigue siendo la única terapia curativa de la MF, pero debido a su morbilidad y mortalidad asociadas, generalmente se restringe a pacientes elegibles con MF de riesgo alto e intermedio 2. Para mejorar los resultados terapéuticos actuales, actualmente se está probando la combinación de inhibidores de JAK con otros agentes y se están investigando fármacos más nuevos.

Response to lethal UVA radiation in the Antarctic bacterium Pseudomonas extremaustralis: polyhydroxybutyrate and cold adaptation as protective factors.

Pseudomonas extremaustralis is an Antarctic bacterium with high stress resistance, able to grow under cold conditions. It is capable to produce polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) mainly as polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) and, to a lesser extent, medium-chain length polyhydroxyalkanoates (mclPHAs). In this work, we analyzed the role of PHAs and cold adaptation in the survival of P. extremaustralis after lethal UVA exposure. P. extremaustralis presented higher radiation resistance under polymer accumulation conditions. This result was also observed in the derivative mutant strain PHA-, deficient for mclPHAs production. On the contrary, the PHB- derivative mutant, deficient for PHB production, showed high sensitivity to UVA exposure. Complementation of the PHB- strain restored the wild-type resistance level, indicating that the UVA-sensitive phenotype is due to the lack of PHB. All strains exhibited high sensitivity to radiation when cultured under PHAs non-accumulation conditions. A slight decrease in PHB content was observed after UVA exposure in association with increased survival. The scattering of UVA radiation by intracellular PHAs granules could also result in bacterial cell protection. In addition, cold conditions improved UVA tolerance, probably depending on PHB mobilization. Results showed that PHB accumulation is crucial in the resistance to UVA in P. extremaustralis. Mechanisms involved probably entail depolymerization and light scattering acting as a screen, both conferring protection against oxidative stress.

Redox Potential Tuning of Dimolybdenum Systems through Systematic Substitution by Guanidinate Ligands.

We report the synthesis and characterization of a series of dimolybdenum paddlewheel complexes of the type Mo2(DAniF)4-n(hpp)n (n = 1-3), where DAniF is the anion of N,N'-di-p-anisyl-formamidine and hpp is the anion of 1,3,4,6,7,8-hexahydro-2H-pyrimido[1,2-a]pyrimidine. The effect on the electronic structure of these tetragonal paddlewheel dimolybdenum compounds was studied upon systematic substitution of formamidinate ligands by the more basic guanidinates. Mo-Mo distances in the paddlewheel structures decreased upon guanidinate ligand substitution, and were found to be 2.0844(6) and 2.0784(6), for Mo2(DAniF)3(hpp) (1) and trans-Mo2(DAniF)2(hpp)2 (2), respectively. Electrochemical studies show that the half-wave potential of the Mo25+/Mo24+ couple shifts cathodically upon ancillary ligand substitution ranging from -0.286 V for the tetraformamidinate complex to -1.795 V for the tetraguanidinate analogue and with redox potentials of -0.75, -1.07, and -1.14 V for 1, 2, and 3 (Mo2(DAniF)(hpp)3), respectively. The presence of a second redox event assigned to the Mo26+/Mo25+ couple was not observed until two guanidinate ligands were introduced. Raman spectroscopy shows that the v(M-M) stretch gets systematically strengthened upon formamidinate ligand substitution by the guanidinate ligand hpp. The induced delta bond destabilization by the basic hpp ligand was measured using DFT calculations by tracking the energy of the frontier orbitals. The decrease in the HOMO-LUMO energy gap was supported by the red shift in the UV-vis spectra of the compounds: 412, 442, and 450 nm for 1, 2, and 3, respectively.

Correction to: Melanin biosynthesis in bacteria, regulation and production perspectives.

The original version of this article contains error for some of the authors corrections were not included during correction stage especially for Table 1.

Melanin biosynthesis in bacteria, regulation and production perspectives.

The production of black pigments in bacteria was discovered more than a century ago and related to tyrosine metabolism. However, their diverse biological roles and the control of melanin synthesis in different bacteria have only recently been investigated. The broad distribution of these pigments suggests that they have an important role in a variety of organisms. Melanins protect microorganisms from many environmental stress conditions, ranging from ultraviolet radiation and toxic heavy metals to oxidative stress. Melanins can also affect bacterial interactions with other organisms and are important in pathogenesis and survival in many environments. Bacteria produce several types of melanin through dedicated pathways or as a result of enzymatic imbalances in altered metabolic routes. The control of the melanin synthesis in bacteria involves metabolic and transcriptional regulation, but many aspects remain still largely unknown. The diverse properties of melanins have spurred a large number of applications, and recent efforts have been done to produce the pigment at biotechnologically relevant scales.

Experiences with health care and health-related quality of life of patients with hematologic malignancies in Mexico.

BACKGROUND: In Mexico, patients with hematologic malignancies (HMs) are characterized by being at high risk and advanced stages at diagnosis and by having a low cure rate; yet information on their experiences with health care and health-related quality of life (HRQL) is scarce. We aimed to evaluate experiences with health care and HRQL of patients with HMs and the association between these patient-reported measures. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional survey in two public oncology hospitals in Mexico City. The study included outpatient cancer patients aged ≥18 years with a diagnosis of leukemia, lymphoma, or multiple myeloma. We used a patient-centered quality of cancer care questionnaire to assess patient experiences with receiving 1) timely care; 2) clear information; 3) information for treatment decision-making; 4) care to address biopsychosocial needs; and 5) respectful and coordinated care. We applied the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30) to measure HRQL. We performed a multiple linear regression to evaluate the association between patient-reported experiences (independent variables) and the QLQ-C30 summary score (dependent variable). RESULTS: Of the 515 participating HM patients, 46.6% had lymphoma, 34% leukemia, and 19.4% multiple myeloma; 70.9% were at advanced stages or at high risk. Additionally, 15.1% had anxiety and 12.8% had depression. Over one third (35.9%) reported receiving clear information, 28.5% timely care, 20.6% information for treatment decision-making, 23.7% care that addressed their biopsychosocial needs, and 31% respectful and coordinated care. The mean QLQ-C30 summary score was 71.9 points. Timely care, clear information, and care that addresses biopsychosocial needs were associated with higher HRQL. CONCLUSIONS: Health care services for HM patients at public oncology hospitals in Mexico need improvement. Notably, providing timely care, clear information, and care that addresses patients' biopsychosocial needs can increase the likelihood of better HRQL. Health care providers should measure and improve the experiences of HM patients with health care.

Assessing racial differences in lifetime and current smoking status & menthol consumption among Latinos in a nationally representative sample.

Objective: To examine the relationship between race and smoking behaviors among Latinos/Hispanics. Design: Using data from the National Adult Tobacco Survey (NATS), we implemented Log-Poisson regression models for each dependent variable (smoking pattern and menthol cigarette use). Each analysis adjusted for age, gender, marital status, employment status, and socioeconomic status (SES). Final pooled cross-sectional sample included 505 Black-Latinos and 9078 White-Latinos. Results: While no racial differences were found in lifetime smoking status among Latinos, Black-Latinos had a 16.6% (95% CI: 0.274, 0.057) increased risk of menthol smoking compared to White-Latinos. Conclusions: The results indicate that menthol consumption is influenced by race among Hispanics/Latinos. To comprehensively address racial disparities among Latinos/Hispanics, further attention needs to be given to racial differences in smoking-related risks among Latinos/Hispanics.

Effect of copper on diesel degradation in Pseudomonas extremaustralis.

Environments co-contaminated with heavy metals and hydrocarbons have become an important problem worldwide, especially due to the effect of metals on hydrocarbon degrading microorganisms. Pseudomonas extremaustralis, a bacterium isolated from a pristine pond in Antarctica, showed high capabilities to cope with environmental stress and a very versatile metabolism that includes alkane degradation under microaerobic conditions. In this work, we analyzed P. extremaustralis' capability to resist high copper concentrations and the effect of copper presence in diesel biodegradation. We observed that P. extremaustralis resisted up to 4 mM CuSO4 in a rich medium such as LB. This copper resistance is sustained by the presence of the cus and cop operons together with other efflux systems and porins located in a single region in P. extremaustralis genome. When copper was present, diesel degradation was negatively affected, even though copper enhanced bacterial attachment to hydrocarbons. However, when a small amount of glucose (0.05% w/v) was added, the presence of CuSO4 enhanced alkane degradation. In addition, atomic force microscopy analysis showed that the presence of glucose decreased the negative effects produced by copper and diesel on the cell envelopes.