Autologous patient-derived exhausted nano T-cells exploit tumor immune evasion to engage an effective cancer therapy.

BACKGROUND: Active targeting by surface-modified nanoplatforms enables a more precise and elevated accumulation of nanoparticles within the tumor, thereby enhancing drug delivery and efficacy for a successful cancer treatment. However, surface functionalization involves complex procedures that increase costs and timelines, presenting challenges for clinical implementation. Biomimetic nanoparticles (BNPs) have emerged as unique drug delivery platforms that overcome the limitations of actively targeted nanoparticles. Nevertheless, BNPs coated with unmodified cells show reduced functionalities such as specific tumor targeting, decreasing the therapeutic efficacy. Those challenges can be overcome by engineering non-patient-derived cells for BNP coating, but these are complex and cost-effective approaches that hinder their wider clinical application. Here we present an immune-driven strategy to improve nanotherapeutic delivery to tumors. Our unique perspective harnesses T-cell exhaustion and tumor immune evasion to develop a groundbreaking new class of BNPs crafted from exhausted T-cells (NExT) of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients by specific culture methods without sophisticated engineering. METHODS: NExT were generated by coating PLGA (poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)) nanoparticles with TNBC-derived T-cells exhausted in vitro by acute activation. Physicochemical characterization of NExT was made by dynamic light scattering, electrophoretic light scattering and transmission electron microscopy, and preservation and orientation of immune checkpoint receptors by flow cytometry. The efficacy of chemotherapy-loaded NExT was assessed in TNBC cell lines in vitro. In vivo toxicity was made in CD1 mice. Biodistribution and therapeutic activity of NExT were determined in cell-line- and autologous patient-derived xenografts in immunodeficient mice. RESULTS: We report a cost-effective approach with a good performance that provides NExT naturally endowed with immune checkpoint receptors (PD1, LAG3, TIM3), augmenting specific tumor targeting by engaging cognate ligands, enhancing the therapeutic efficacy of chemotherapy, and disrupting the PD1/PDL1 axis in an immunotherapy-like way. Autologous patient-derived NExT revealed exceptional intratumor accumulation, heightened chemotherapeutic index and efficiency, and targeted the tumor stroma in a PDL1+ patient-derived xenograft model of triple-negative breast cancer. CONCLUSIONS: These advantages underline the potential of autologous patient-derived NExT to revolutionize tailored adoptive cancer nanotherapy and chemoimmunotherapy, which endorses their widespread clinical application of autologous patient-derived NExT.

Cultural adaptation process of cancer-related interventions: A step-by-step guide.

INTRODUCTION: To contribute to the reduction and elimination of cancer-related local and global health disparities, interventions must be culturally adapted to reach diverse cultural groups and demonstrate success in improving clinical and psychosocial outcomes. We provide step-by-step information on the conceptual and methodological challenges involved in culturally adapting interventions and provide guidelines, suggestions, tools, and concrete steps for implementing the process. METHODS: This article provides information, guidelines, suggestions, tools, and concrete steps, based on three rigorous models of cultural adaptations, for implementing this process, followed with examples from the field, to illustrate the conceptual and methodological challenges involved in culturally adapting interventions. CONCLUSION: Our systematic step-by-step approach recommends (1) the guidance of well-established research models; (2) use of multiple data sources and input from various stakeholders (i.e., from patients and providers); (3) qualitative and quantitative data usage and integration; (4) a steering committee with multiple perspectives, stakeholders assessments, and qualitative analyses; (5) consensus meetings; and (6) diverse representation on the steering committee and/or research team.

Deep-diving beaked whales dive together but forage apart.

Echolocating animals that forage in social groups can potentially benefit from eavesdropping on other group members, cooperative foraging or social defence, but may also face problems of acoustic interference and intra-group competition for prey. Here, we investigate these potential trade-offs of sociality for extreme deep-diving Blainville's and Cuvier's beaked whales. These species perform highly synchronous group dives as a presumed predator-avoidance behaviour, but the benefits and costs of this on foraging have not been investigated. We show that group members could hear their companions for a median of at least 91% of the vocal foraging phase of their dives. This enables whales to coordinate their mean travel direction despite differing individual headings as they pursue prey on a minute-by-minute basis. While beaked whales coordinate their echolocation-based foraging periods tightly, individual click and buzz rates are both independent of the number of whales in the group. Thus, their foraging performance is not affected by intra-group competition or interference from group members, and they do not seem to capitalize directly on eavesdropping on the echoes produced by the echolocation clicks of their companions. We conclude that the close diving and vocal synchronization of beaked whale groups that quantitatively reduces predation risk has little impact on foraging performance.

Working memory deficits in schizophrenia are associated with the rs34884856 variant and expression levels of the NR4A2 gene in a sample Mexican population: a case control study.

BACKGROUND: Cognitive functions represent useful endophenotypes to identify the association between genetic variants and schizophrenia. In this sense, the NR4A2 gene has been implicated in schizophrenia and cognition in different animal models and clinical trials. We hypothesized that the NR4A2 gene is associated with working memory performance in schizophrenia. This study aimed to analyze two variants and the expression levels of the NR4A2 gene with susceptibility to schizophrenia, as well as to evaluate whether possession of NR4A2 variants influence the possible correlation between gene expression and working memory performance in schizophrenia. METHODS: The current study included 187 schizophrenia patients and 227 controls genotyped for two of the most studied NR4A2 genetic variants in neurological and neuropsychiatric diseases. Genotyping was performed using High Resolution Melt and sequencing techniques. In addition, mRNA expression of NR4A2 was performed in peripheral mononuclear cells of 112 patients and 118 controls. A group of these participants, 54 patients and 87 controls, performed the working memory index of the WAIS III test. RESULTS: Both genotypic frequencies of the two variants and expression levels of the NR4A2 gene showed no significant difference when in patients versus controls. However, patients homozygous for the rs34884856 promoter variant showed a positive correlation between expression levels and auditory working memory. CONCLUSIONS: Our finding suggested that changes in expression levels of the NR4A2 gene could be associated with working memory in schizophrenia depending on patients' genotype in a sample from a Mexican population.

NanoDJ: a Dockerized Jupyter notebook for interactive Oxford Nanopore MinION sequence manipulation and genome assembly.

BACKGROUND: The Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) MinION portable sequencer makes it possible to use cutting-edge genomic technologies in the field and the academic classroom. RESULTS: We present NanoDJ, a Jupyter notebook integration of tools for simplified manipulation and assembly of DNA sequences produced by ONT devices. It integrates basecalling, read trimming and quality control, simulation and plotting routines with a variety of widely used aligners and assemblers, including procedures for hybrid assembly. CONCLUSIONS: With the use of Jupyter-facilitated access to self-explanatory contents of applications and the interactive visualization of results, as well as by its distribution into a Docker software container, NanoDJ is aimed to simplify and make more reproducible ONT DNA sequence analysis. The NanoDJ package code, documentation and installation instructions are freely available at https://github.com/genomicsITER/NanoDJ .

[Decrease of HCV seroprevalence in Mexico: Results from the National Health and Nutrition Survey 2012]. / Disminución de la seroprevalencia de hepatitis C en México: resultados de la Ensanut 2012.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate seroprevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) among 15-49 years old Mexicans living in households and to describe the profile of seroreactive individuals. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cross-sectional study implemented in 2012 using a national probabilistic sample with behavioral data from face-to-face interviews at households and HCV antibodies screening using capillary blood from same individuals. RESULTS: HCV seroprevalence in Mexico was estimated at 0.27% (IC95% 0.12-0.60), representing 161 000 persons. Seroprevalence was significantly higher among males (0.45% CI95% 0.01-0.89) than females (0.10% CI95% 0.00-0.22). Multivariate analysis suggests a higher possibility of HCV reactivity among men, increasing with age and higher among those sexually active, and lower for higher socioeconomic level. CONCLUSION: HCV seroprevalence in Mexico by 2012 seems significantly lower than the estimation from 2000 of 1.2% for the same age-group. Evidence of infection among individuals 15-19 years old suggests the need to strength preventive actions, particularly in subjects with risky behaviors.

[HIV seroprevalence among Mexicans age 15 to 49: results from the National Health & Nutrition Survey 2012]. / Seroprevalencia de VIH en población mexicana de entre 15 y 49 años: resultados de la Ensanut 2012.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the HIV seroprevalence among Mexicans aged 15 to 49 years old and living in households, and to describe the profile of serorreactive individuals. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cross-sectional study with a national probabilistic sample of individuals aged 15 to 49 years with behavioral data from direct interview (face-to-face) at households and HIV screening using capillary blood collected from the same individuals. RESULTS: A seroprevalence of 0.15% (95%CI 0.09-0.21) was estimated for Mexicans aged 15 to 49; seroprevalence among women was 0.07% (95%CI 0.03-0.11) and 0.24% (95%CI 0.11-0.36) for men. HIV serorreactive population is composed of younger men, with a higher socioeconomic level compared to the general population, and with a higher insurance coverage-social protection on health in general and social security in particular. Only 50% of the serorreactive individuals may be aware of their status as living with HIV. CONCLUSIONS: The estimated HIV seroprevalence in the NHNS 2012 suggests a stable pattern since 2000. The estimated prevalence among individuals 15 to 49 years was adjusted both for selection bias correction and to include MSM estimations (under the assumption that MSM is a population hard to reach in a household survey), resulting in a total seroprevalence of 0.23% and an estimated number of people with HIV of 140,000.

Beyond translation: Transcreation of a clinicians' guide to structure discussions about health-related values with Latinx patients throughout cancer.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to ensure accurate translation and cultural appropriateness of a guide designed to help oncology clinicians provide person-centered care to Spanish-speaking Latinx patients with cancer. METHODS: Initial translation of a clinician-patient values discussion guide in open-ended question format ("Guide") was pretested in interviews with 27 Spanish-speaking individuals, followed by national expert panel review. At three sites, semi-structured, in-depth, audio-recorded interviews in the participant's preferred language (Spanish/English) were then conducted with Latinx patients receiving systemic treatment for a solid tumor malignancy and family joining them at clinic. RESULTS: Interviews of 43 patient/family participants representing diverse Latinx communities addressed the Guide's understandability, acceptability, relevance and responsiveness. Rapid analysis of interviews contributed to cultural adaptation/transcreation of the Guide for a pilot interventional trial. CONCLUSION: Moving beyond translation to transcreation can help promote inclusion, equity, and cultural sensitivity in oncologic care/communication. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Clinicians now have a linguistically- and culturally-adapted guide including questions and prompts to help structure discussions in Spanish or English of health-related values with Latinx patients receiving oncologic care.

High-resolution characterization of intertidal areas and lowest astronomical tidal surface by use of Sentinel-2 multispectral imagery and hydrodynamic modeling: Case-study in Cadiz Bay (Spain).

In intertidal areas, the zonation is determined by factors such as sea-level and topography. For this reason, a mixed methodology for the characterization (topography, extension, and zonation) of maximum intertidal areas is presented, based upon multispectral satellite imagery, hydrodynamic modeling, and in situ measurements. The methodology is applied and validated in the inner Cadiz Bay (SW Spain) as a case study. Satellite-derived waterlines were vertically referenced by tide-gauge measurements of sea-level; the resulting partial topography of intertidal areas was integrated into available hydrographic/topographic data to elaborate a high-resolution (10 m) model grid from which hydrodynamic simulations were conducted. Model results for lowest and highest tidal level situations were used to characterize the maximum intertidal areas within the inner Cadiz Bay, as well as the lowest astronomical tidal surface (LAT). The obtained LAT, referenced with respect the chosen geoid and/or ellipsoid, was identified with the vertical reference surface for Hydrography (VRSH) in this environment, complementing and improving the official VRSH presently being developed for Spanish waters. Obtained results show errors of the order of 1 cm for sea-level amplitudes and <1 min for the main tidal lags when comparing with tide-gauge data. Further applications of this exportable, relatively fast, low-cost, and accurate methodology are outlined.

Multi-component Reliability Inference in Modified Weibull Extension Distribution and Progressive Censoring Scheme.

The statistical inference of multi-component reliability stress-strength system with nonidentical-component strengths is considered for the modified Weibull extension distribution in the presence of progressive censoring samples. For this aim, we study the estimation of multi-component reliability parameter in classical and Bayesian inference. So we derive some point and interval estimates such as maximum likelihood estimation, asymptotic confidence intervals, uniformly minimum variance unbiased estimation, approximate and exact Bayes estimation and highest posterior density intervals. Comparing of different estimates is provided by employing the Monte Carlo simulation, the mean squared error and coverage probabilities. Finally, one real data is utilized to illustrate the applicability of this new model.

[Guideline for interpretation and report of the antibody to hepatitis C virus. Grupo de Desarrollo de la Guía ]. / Guía de interpretación y reporte del anticuerpo a hepatitis C.

Patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection are detected by testing for the presence of antibodies to HCV (Anti-HCV). A positive Anti-HCV test represents a true positive result only in a variable proportion of subjects (35 to 95%). The qualitative interpretation as positive or negative Anti-HCV report is associated with a general lack of understanding regarding the interpretation of results, when more specific testing should be performed, and which tests should be considered for this purpose. Therefore, a substantial variation in supplemental testing practices exists among laboratories and physicians. This guideline was developed on the basis of the best available evidence to classify positive antibody in two (low and high) or three levels (very low, low and high) according to the signal to cutoff (S/CO) ratio: the very low level of the Anti-HCV identifies false-positive results and further diagnostic testing is not necessary. The low antibody level is frequently related with false-positive results and testing with Immunoblot is recommended; only Immunoblot-positive subjects require HCV RNA testing because of a low possibility of being viremic. The high Anti-HCV level is an accurate serological marker for predicting viremia and denotes the need of routine HCV RNA testing in order to efficiently confirm hepatitis C. Cost-effectiveness analysis, based on the Anti-HCV level, recommends the use of the two or three-levels to choose the confirmatory test of positive antibody. This approach can be implemented without increasing test costs because the S/CO ratio is automatically generated in most laboratory analyzers and would provide health care professionals with useful information for counseling and evaluating patients, to eliminate unwarranted notifications in cases of false antibody reactivity, and correctly identifying those Anti-HCV-positive patients who are infected and need antiviral treatment. The written report should include the antibody level (S/CO ratio), the type of the immunoassay applied and interpretation guideline. Anti-HCV testing is performed in multiple settings including blood banks or health department facilities; adoption of this Guideline for interpretation and report of the antibody to hepatitis C virus by laboratories and its implementation by clinicians will improve the accuracy for interpreting antibody result to determine the next step on hepatitis C diagnosis.

Hepatitis C seroprevalence and correlation between viral load and viral genotype among primary care clients in Mexico.

OBJECTIVE: To measure hepatitis C virus (HCV) sero-prevalence, prevalence, hepatitis risk characteristics frequency, and genotype correlation with viral load among clients attending health care clinics. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Venous blood samples from l12 226 consecutive consenting adults were collected from January 2006 through December 2009. HCV antibodies were detected by immunoassay. HCV RNA was detected by qRT-PCR and viral genotype was performed by PCR and LIPA test. RESULTS: The HCV seroprevalence observed was l.5 % (C.I. 95% l.3-l.7), from seropositive individuals 60.9 % reported previous blood transfusion, 28.3% declared to have relatives with cirrhosis, 25.2% had tattoos or piercings, and 6.9% referred to have used drugs. Male gender and transfusion (p<0.001) were the most frequent hepatitis risk characteristics in the HCV seropositive group. Among seropositive subjects 48.3% presented HCV RNA.The most frequent genotype detected in all geographic areas of Mexico was l (subtype lA, 33%; subtype lB, 21.4%) followed by genotype 2 (subtype 2A, 8.50%). Subjects with genotype 1 had a significant correlation with the highest viral load. CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that nearly half of seropositive individuals are chronically infected. HCV infection has been shown in this study to be an emerging health problem in Mexico.

Prevalence of the metabolic syndrome in a psychiatric hospital in Mexico.

INTRODUCTION: The metabolic syndrome (MS) is formed by elevated blood pressure, hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemía, hyperglycemia and abdominal obesity. Mexico occupies the second place worldwide in prevalence of obesity. It has been reported that the use of psychopharmaceuticals increase the risk of MS. OBJECTIVE: To detect prevalence of MS in patients with a psychiatric diagnosis with or without psychopharmaceutical treatment. MATERIAL AND METHODS: An observational, descriptive study was designed. Informed consent was obtained, enrolling a sample of 216 patients in the six-month period, all of them over 18 years of age. The following variables were measured: blood pressure, weight, height, waist circumference, triglyceride, glucose and high-density lipoprotein serum levels, by colorimetric enzyme assay in Roche analyzer. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Student's t-test, and Cochran-Mantel- Haenszel and Fisher's exact test. RESULTS: A total of 50% of the sample had a waist circumference >88 cm; 10% glycemia superior to 110 mg/dl, 30% triglycerides >150 mg/dl; 14% met the MS criteria. When patients with and without MS were grouped, and glucose and triglycerides were compared, a p 0.0001 was obtained. With a 93.4% confidence interval, the relationship between sedentary life and MS was accepted. Women, aged 40-59 years tended to have MS, with 98.4% CI. The only family background associated to MS was obesity (97.7% CI). There is a positive relationship between MS and the use of typical or atypical antipsychotics. SSRIs are significantly related with MS: p 0.072 and 91.5% confidence interval, benzodiazepines with p 0.073 and 92.7% confidence interval. CONCLUSIONS: Only 14% of the sample had MS. Psychopharmaceuticals were associated to MS, women between 40 to 59 years having a greater risk.

The influence of natural vs anthropogenic factors on trace metal(loid) levels in the Mussel Watch programme: Two decades of monitoring in the Spanish Mediterranean sea.

The spatial distribution and temporal trends of trace metals (i.e. Cd, Cu, Hg, Pb and Zn) and a metalloid (i.e. As) along the Spanish Mediterranean coast from 1993 to 2013 are presented with a new estimation of their background levels monitored using wild mussels. Over a 20 years period, yearly mussel monitoring was undertaken with a rigorous field sampling protocol using 3 pooled samples strategy (3 x n = 80, with 8 mussels in the 3.0 to 3.9 size categories at each site), obtained in the pre-spawning period (May-June) to minimize biological factors and seasonal variability, which is a fundamental element of the international programme. Spatial distribution was characterized every 5 years and temporal trends were determined in 11 locations. The main aims of the present long term study are to evaluate the environmental status of different coastal locations regarding trace metal levels and follow the evolution of these levels over time after the implementation of regulatory measures. Regarding spatial distribution, the highest values for Cd, Cu, Hg and Pb were found close to known highly anthopogenic cities or shipyard areas. However, As and Zn did not strictly follow this pattern, showing natural increased concentrations in the Levantine Balearic and Strait of Gibraltar-Alboran Sea demarcations respectively. These distributions are associated with the conjunction of two geological formation inputs (Massif Central in France and Iberian Pyritic Belt in Spain) and the oceanographic conditions in the adjacent coastal area. In the case of temporal trends, metal concentrations decreased significantly over time in most stations, confirming the effectiveness of the regulatory measures and prohibitions established under European legislation. Concentrations of Pb were above the established thresholds for human consumption in only 12-14% of the sampling areas. With the information obtained for this study, we estimate background concentrations and propose new Background Assesment Criteria (BAC) for the Spanish Mediterranean coast as a threshold criterion: 1.62 mg/kg d.w. for Cd, 8.75 mg/kg d.w. for Cu, 0.202 mg/kg d.w. for Hg and 2.83 mg/kg d.w. for Pb. Exceptions should exist for As and Zn, for which there should be different levels in each demarcation, due to the geological, hydrological and oceanographic peculiarities of the Spanish coast. For the Levantine-Balearic demarcation, the proposed background concentrations are 117 mg/kg d.w. for As and 200 mg/kg d.w. for Zn., whereas in the Strait of Gibraltar-Alboran Sea demarcation, they are 27.5 mg/kg d.w. for As, and 471 mg/kg d.w. for Zn. This work demonstrates the vital importance of defining the background levels of metal(loid)s at a regional or subregional level because, for areas not affected by anthropogenic causes which have high values as the result of natural processes, this would avoid the risk of constantly surpassing the levels proposed in directives.

The fate of Guadalquivir River discharges in the coastal strip of the Gulf of Cádiz. A study based on the linking of watershed catchment and hydrodynamic models.

A catchment model for river basins and a hydrodynamic model were combined in order to simulate the spreading of the turbidity plume produced by sediment discharges from the Guadalquivir River basin within the Gulf of Cádiz under different meteorological conditions. The current fields provided by the hydrodynamic model and a transport-diffusion scheme based on tracking virtual particles tracking released at the river mouth have enabled us to simulate turbidity plumes that show great similarity with the plumes observed in satellite images. The most relevant results of the study show that in the absence of winds, the plume tends to spread very slowly, gradually progressing northwards; this is because of the symmetry between the filling and draining flows at the mouth of the Guadalquivir and low intensity of the tidal currents beyond the mouth. In addition, the transport of the plume towards the Strait of Gibraltar requires wind conditions with a northerly, north-westerly or westerly component. Westwards transport, however, requires winds with an easterly, southerly, or south-easterly component. The periods of heaviest rainfall in the Guadalquivir River basin coincide with winds mainly from the west; therefore, the times of maximum discharge at the mouth of the river occur when there are wind conditions that favour the transport of the matter suspended in the plume, southwards along the coast, towards the Strait of Gibraltar and the Alboran Sea. Linking the watershed catchment and hydrodynamic models has proved its suitability to predict the evolution and reaching of the sediment plumes from the Guadalquivir River discharges and the experience encourages the use of that methodology to be applied in a future prediction system for the creation and evolution of those sediment plumes.

Airborne Bacterial Community Composition According to Their Origin in Tenerife, Canary Islands.

Microorganisms are ubiquitous in the environment, and the atmosphere is no exception. However, airborne bacterial communities are some of the least studied. Increasing our knowledge about these communities and how environmental factors shape them is key to understanding disease outbreaks and transmission routes. We describe airborne bacterial communities at two different sites in Tenerife, La Laguna (urban, 600 m.a.s.l.) and Izaña (high mountain, 2,400 m.a.s.l.), and how they change throughout the year. Illumina MiSeq sequencing was used to target 16S rRNA genes in 293 samples. Results indicated a predominance of Proteobacteria at both sites (>65%), followed by Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, and Firmicutes. Gammaproteobacteria were the most frequent within the Proteobacteria phylum during spring and winter, while Alphaproteobacteria dominated in the fall and summer. Within the 519 genera identified, Cellvibrio was the most frequent during spring (35.75%) and winter (30.73%); Limnobacter (24.49%) and Blastomonas (19.88%) dominated in the summer; and Sediminibacterium represented 10.26 and 12.41% of fall and winter samples, respectively. Sphingomonas was also identified in 17.15% of the fall samples. These five genera were more abundant at the high mountain site, while other common airborne bacteria were more frequent at the urban site (Kocuria, Delftia, Mesorhizobium, and Methylobacterium). Diversity values showed different patterns for both sites, with higher values during the cooler seasons in Izaña, whereas the opposite was observed in La Laguna. Regarding wind back trajectories, Tropical air masses were significantly different from African ones at both sites, showing the highest diversity and characterized by genera regularly associated with humans (Pseudomonas, Sphingomonas, and Cloacibacterium), as well as others related to extreme conditions (Alicyclobacillus) or typically associated with animals (Lachnospiraceae). Marine and African air masses were consistent and very similar in their microbial composition. By contrast, European trajectories were dominated by Cellvibrio, Pseudomonas, Pseudoxanthomonas, and Sediminibacterium. These data contribute to our current state of knowledge in the field of atmospheric microbiology. However, future studies are needed to increase our understanding of the influence of different environmental factors on atmospheric microbial dispersion and the potential impact of airborne microorganisms on ecosystems and public health.

Effect of Agave Fructans as Carrier on the Encapsulation of Blue Corn Anthocyanins by Spray Drying.

Effects of agave fructans as carrier agents on the encapsulation of blue corn anthocyanins using spray-drying were evaluated. Blue corn extract was mixed with 6%, 8%, 10%, and 12% (w/v) of agave fructans in duplicate and dried at 150 °C. The extract showed good contents of anthocyanins, polyphenols, and antioxidant activity. The increase of agave fructans in the encapsulated powders caused a significant increase (p < 0.05) in the humidity, water activity (aw), pH, bulk density, water solubility index (WSI), and color L* values. On the contrary, the agave fructan addition decreased the hygroscopicity, water absorption index (WAI), antioxidant activity, total anthocyanin, total polyphenol, and individual anthocyanin contents. The encapsulation of blue corn extract with 6% agave fructans (w/v) resulted in good physical, thermal, morphological, and high antioxidant properties. The results suggest that the use of agave fructans as wall material represents advantages in the conservation of anthocyanins and other bioactive compounds from blue corn extract during their encapsulation. The application of blue corn anthocyanin encapsulated powders as a food ingredient is promising for food pigmentation, representing additional advantages for their contribution as a soluble fiber that can benefit the health of consumers.

Herpes simplex virus type 2 among Mexican high school adolescents: prevalence and association with community characteristics.

BACKGROUND: We undertook this study to estimate the prevalence and correlates of herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) among Mexican adolescents in high school. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional analysis using data that had been collected to evaluate a school-based HIV prevention intervention. As part of the final round of evaluation, capillary blood samples were taken from volunteers to test for antibodies to HSV-2. The effect of each school's seroprevalence on the probability of an individual being seropositive was estimated, and the results were grouped by town to evaluate the association between characteristics of the locality and student HSV-2 seroprevalence. RESULTS: Dried blood spots were collected for 80% of the 1607 participants in the survey who reported that they were sexually active. Of these samples, 21% tested positive for HSV-2 antibodies, with no significant difference in prevalence between men and women. Seroprevalence among schools ranged from 0 to 57%. The number of sex workers registered in the locality was the most important covariate of seroprevalence, with each additional female sex worker (FSW) per 1000 women between 18 and 45 years of age in the town associated with an increase of 1% in the seroprevalence of HSV-2. CONCLUSIONS: Characteristics of adolescents' micro-environments that influence their pool of potential sexual partners and the likelihood that these partners are HSV-2 positive may be more important predictors of the risk of STI infection than self-reported condom use.

[Maternal and congenital syphilis in two Mexican hospitals: evaluation of a rapid diagnostic test]. / Sífilis matema y congénita en dos hospitales mexicanos: evaluación de una prueba diagnóstica rápida.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence of maternal and neonatal syphilis, to assess the usefulness of a rapid treponemic diagnostic test, and to evaluate the frequency of screening for syphilis during prenatal care in Mexican women. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study that included 1,322 women interviewed in two hospitals (Hospital General in Cuernavaca, Morelos, and Hospital de la Mujer in Mexico City). Women answered a questionnaire on reproductive background, exposure to sexually transmitted infections and prenatal care. In order to diagnose syphilis, a rapid Determine TP test and a latex-VDRL test were used among all participating women. Positive cases were confirmed using FTA-ABS test. RESULTS: Prevalence of serologically active syphilis was 0.3% (4/1322). Using as comparison standard a combination of VDRL and FTA-ABS tests, the Determine TP test had a sensitivity and specificity of 100%. Two newborns with positive FTA-ABS IgM, one negative with FTA-ABS IgM and one first-trimester abortion were found from seropositive women. Prenatal serum screening for syphilis was conducted in only 6.9% of women included in the study. CONCLUSIONS: Although the prevalence of maternal syphilis is relatively low, results show that if the situation found in the hospitals studied is shared by other hospitals in Mexico, a systematic screening for maternal syphilis would help to diagnose more cases of this infection than the number reported in official figures. Screening of syphilis in pregnant women using rapid tests may help in the prevention of congenital syphilis.