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The Mexican long‐nosed bat (Leptonycteris nivalis) is a nectar‐feeding bat distributed seasonally between Mexico and the United States, and it has been declared an endangered species in both countries. Here, we describe for the first time the movement patterns and locations of foraging areas used by lactating females from the only known maternity roost in central Mexico. GPS loggers were placed on 29 lactating females, adhered to the interscapular area with short‐term surgical glue. We obtained movement tracks of at least one night for 21 different individuals. Movement patterns were identified using the first passage time segmentation method and classified into commutative and foraging flights. Bats made up to three trips on the same night, visiting between one and three foraging areas. On average, the total distance traveled was 61.72 km per night (minimum 23.11 km, maximum 160.55 km), and 37 foraging areas were identified, located between 13 and 40 km north of the roost, mainly in desert shrublands, followed by agricultural areas and temperate forests. In these places, they spent most of their time outside the roost (2.16 h mean ± 1.14 h SD), feeding on the resources available in an average area of 0.38 km2. Bats traveled long distances each night, using areas with abundant wild and human‐cultivated floral resources, reflecting the importance of integrating movement ecology for the design of conservation and habitat management strategies that ensure the availability of necessary resources for this species. RESUMEN El Murciélago Magueyero Mayor (Leptonycteris nivalis), es un murciélago nectarívoro que se distribuye estacionalmente entre México y Estados Unidos, la especie está declarada en peligro en ambos países. En este trabajo, describimos por primera vez los patrones de movimiento y las ubicaciones de las áreas de forrajeo de hembras lactantes en el único refugio de maternidad conocido en el centro de México. Se colocaron dispositivos GPS en 29 hembras lactantes, adheridos al área interescapular con pegamento quirúrgico de corta de duración. Se obtuvieron rutas de movimiento de al menos una noche para 21 individuos diferentes. Los patrones de movimiento se idenfiticaron utilizando el método de segmentación pasaje de primer tiempo y se clasificaron como vuelos conmutativos y de forrajeo. Los murciélagos realizaron hasta tres viajes en la misma noche y visitaron entre una a tres áreas de forrajeo. En promedio, la distancia total recorrida fue de 61.72 km por noche (mínimo 23.11 km, máximo 160.55 km). Se identificaron 37 áreas de forrajeo localizadas entre 13 y 40 km hacia el norte del refugio, principalmente en matorrales xerófilos, seguido de áreas agrícolas y bosques templados. En estos lugares, los murciélagos pasaron la mayor parte de su tiempo fuera del refugio (2.16 h mean ± 1.14 h SD), aliméntadose de los recursos disponibles en un área promedio de 0.38 km2. Los murciélagos recorren grandes distancias cada noche, utilizando áreas con abundantes recursos florales silvestres y cultivados, reflejando la importancia de integrar la ecología del movimiento en el diseño de estrategias de conservación y manejo de hábitat que aseguren la disponibilidad de los rercusos necesarios para la especie. We tracked 21 lactating females of a migratory and endangered nectar‐feeding bat using GPS devices, and analyzed their foraging movements in one of the most important maternity roosts for the conservation of the species. Bats foraged within 50 km from the roost, made up to three foraging trips on the same night, and visited multiple foraging grounds with an average area of 0.38 km2.

Selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) are gaining importance in the food and medical fields due to their antibacterial properties. The microbial inhibition of these kinds of particles has been tested in a wide range of Gram (+) and Gram (−) pathogenic bacteria. When SeNPs are synthesized by biological methods, they are called biogenic SeNPs, which have a negative charge caused by their interaction between surface and capping layer (bioorganic material), producing their high stability. This review is focused on SeNPs synthesis by bacteria and summarizes the main factors that influence their main characteristics: shape, size and surface charge, considering the bacteria growth conditions for their synthesis. The different mechanisms of antimicrobial activity are revised, and this review describes several biosynthesis hypotheses that have been proposed due to the fact that the biological mechanism of SeNP synthesis is not fully known.

Breast cancer (BC) metastasis represents the main physiopathology leading to poor prognosis and death. Bisphenol A (BPA) is a pollutant, classified as an endocrine-disrupting chemical compound with estrogenic properties, their exposure in the early stages of neonatal life leads to an increase in the size and weight of breast tumors and induces cellular changes in the tumoral immune microenvironment where cytokines play a key role. Thus, we used female BALB/c mice exposed neonatally to a single dose of BPA. Once mice reached sexual maturity, a mammary tumor was induced, injecting 4T1 cells in situ. After 25 days of injection, we evaluated endocrine alterations, cytokine expression, tissue alterations denoted by macro or micro-metastasis in the lung, and cell infiltration induced by metastasis. We found that BPA neonatal treatment did not show significant endocrine alterations. Noteworthy, BPA led to an augmented rate of metastasis to the lung associated with higher intratumoral expression of IL-1β, IL-6, IFN-γ, TNF-α, and VEGF. Our data suggest that cytokines are key players in the induction of BC metastasis and that BPA (an environmental pollutant) should be considered as a risk factor in the clinical history of patients as a possible inductor of BC metastasis.

Identification of the emerging multidrug-resistant yeast Candida auris is challenging. Here, we describe the role of the Mexico national reference laboratory Instituto de Diagnóstico y Referencia Epidemiológicos Dr. Manuel Martínez Báez (InDRE) and the Mexican national laboratory network in the identification of C. auris. Reference identification of six suspected isolates was done based on phenotypic and molecular laboratory methods, including growth in special media, evaluation of isolate micromorphology, and species-specific PCR and pan-fungal PCR and sequencing. The four C. auris isolates identified were able to grow on modified Sabouraud agar with 10% NaCl incubated at 42 °C. With one exception, isolates of C. auris were spherical to ovoid yeast-like cells and blastoconidia, with no hyphae or pseudohyphae on cornmeal agar. C. auris isolates were resistant to fluconazole. Species-specific and pan-fungal PCR confirmed isolates as C. auris. Sequence analysis revealed the presence of two different C. auris clades in Mexico, clade I (South Asia) and clade IV (South America).

The Nurses' Health Study II, a large cohort study that evaluated breast cancer risk across a broad age range, found an elevated risk of breast cancer in long-duration night workers,3 which was also seen in a Swedish cohort study. The largest case-control study,4 including more than 6000 breast cancer cases and corresponding controls from five countries, incorporated an extensive exposure assessment protocol and evaluated detailed exposure metrics on both duration and intensity of exposure (eg, number of night shifts per week). Several studies found positive associations between night shift work and prostate cancer risk, particularly in association with longer duration of exposures, but in others there was no, or a very small, increased risk when examining ever versus never exposure to night shift work.5,6 Several informative studies found some evidence of positive associations between colorectal cancer risk and duration of night shift work. Increased incidences of hepatocellular carcinoma were seen in all three strains in comparison with control mice maintained at a stable 12-h light and 12-h dark schedule.8 In another study, exposure to constant light for a lifetime increased the incidences of lung adenocarcinoma, malignant melanoma, and total tumours in female wild-type CBA mice in comparison with control mice maintained at a 12-h light and 12-h dark schedule.9 The evaluation was further supported by positive results in other studies in rodents exposed to shifts in the light–dark schedule or continuous light using carcinogen-induced or transplantable tumour models.

The epicardium, an epithelial layer covering the heart, plays pivotal roles in embryonic heart development and responses to adult cardiac damage. Epicardial-secreted molecular agents are known to be involved in the regulation of these phenomena, but how this regulation occurs is poorly understood. In this study, we have investigated extracellular vesicle (EV) and extracellular matrix (ECM) components of the epicardial secretome using a continuous mouse embryonic epicardial-derived cell (EPIC) line. Epicardial-derived EVs were isolated using differential ultracentrifugation from EPIC cultured at 1% (EVs-H1%), 5% (EVs-H5%), and 21% oxygen (EVs-N). EVs protein content was determined by tandem mass tag (TMT) proteomic analysis. The results showed that epicardial-derived EVs cargo is sensitive to the oxygen level of parenteral cells, increasing their content on glycolytic proteins as oxygen level decreases. Moreover, hypoxic-derived EVs were found to both increase EPIC proliferation and affect the metabolism of Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells (HUVECs). On the other hand, epicardial-derived extracellular matrix (EPIC-ECM) was characterized by submitting decellularized EPIC to shotgun proteomics and comparing it to decellularized perinatal hearts and Matrigel®. We found that EPIC-ECM composition closely resembles that of embryonic cardiac tissue. Although the structural and basement membrane-associated proteins of EPIC-ECM were similar to those found in Matrigel®, EPIC-ECM exhibited higher protein diversity and was a more potent inducer of HUVEC proliferation. This work represents the first comprehensive and systematic proteomic analysis of two important components of the epicardial-derived secretome. Our experiments reveal that the epicardium responds to hypoxia by secreting EVs capable of modifying the metabolic responses of surrounding cells. Furthermore, EPIC-ECM promotes endothelial cell proliferation. These findings demonstrate the significant signaling abilities of the epicardial secretome and its potential contribution to cardiac development, both consistent with reports of endothelial responses following cardiac ischemic damage.

Background In patients with COVID-19-related acute respiratory failure (ARF), awake prone positioning (AW-PP) reduces the need for intubation in patients treated with high-flow nasal oxygen (HFNO). However, the effects of different exposure times on clinical outcomes remain unclear. We evaluated the effect of AW-PP on the risk of endotracheal intubation and in-hospital mortality in patients with COVID-19-related ARF treated with HFNO and analyzed the effects of different exposure times to AW-PP. Methods This multicenter prospective cohort study in six ICUs of 6 centers in Argentine consecutively included patients > 18 years of age with confirmed COVID-19-related ARF requiring HFNO from June 2020 to January 2021. In the primary analysis, the main exposure was awake prone positioning for at least 6 h/day, compared to non-prone positioning (NON-PP). In the sensitivity analysis, exposure was based on the number of hours receiving AW-PP. Inverse probability weighting–propensity score (IPW-PS) was used to adjust the conditional probability of treatment assignment. The primary outcome was endotracheal intubation (ETI); and the secondary outcome was hospital mortality. Results During the study period, 580 patients were screened and 335 were included; 187 (56%) tolerated AW-PP for [median (p25–75)] 12 (9–16) h/day and 148 (44%) served as controls. The IPW–propensity analysis showed standardized differences < 0.1 in all the variables assessed. After adjusting for other confounders, the OR (95% CI) for ETI in the AW-PP group was 0.36 (0.2–0.7), with a progressive reduction in OR as the exposure to AW-PP increased. The adjusted OR (95% CI) for hospital mortality in the AW-PP group ≥ 6 h/day was 0.47 (0.19–1.31). The exposure to prone positioning ≥ 8 h/d resulted in a further reduction in OR [0.37 (0.17–0.8)]. Conclusion In the study population, AW-PP for ≥ 6 h/day reduced the risk of endotracheal intubation, and exposure ≥ 8 h/d reduced the risk of hospital mortality.

Ruth Loos and colleagues use genome-wide association to identify common variants influencing body fat percentage. Unexpectedly, they show that a body-fat–decreasing allele near IRS1 is associated with an impaired metabolic profile, including increased risk of type 2 diabetes and coronary artery disease. Genome-wide association studies have identified 32 loci influencing body mass index, but this measure does not distinguish lean from fat mass. To identify adiposity loci, we meta-analyzed associations between ∼2.5 million SNPs and body fat percentage from 36,626 individuals and followed up the 14 most significant ( P < 10 −6 ) independent loci in 39,576 individuals. We confirmed a previously established adiposity locus in FTO ( P = 3 × 10 −26 ) and identified two new loci associated with body fat percentage, one near IRS1 ( P = 4 × 10 −11 ) and one near SPRY2 ( P = 3 × 10 −8 ). Both loci contain genes with potential links to adipocyte physiology. Notably, the body-fat–decreasing allele near IRS1 is associated with decreased IRS1 expression and with an impaired metabolic profile, including an increased visceral to subcutaneous fat ratio, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, risk of diabetes and coronary artery disease and decreased adiponectin levels. Our findings provide new insights into adiposity and insulin resistance.

For Brazil, there are no nationwide data on HPV prevalence against which the impact of the HPV immunization program can be measured in the future. Therefore, we aim to evaluate the prevalence of genital HPV infection among adolescents and young adults in Brazil. A cross-sectional, multicentric, nationwide survey was conducted between September 2016 and November 2017. Sexually active unvaccinated women and men aged 16 to 25 years old were recruited from 119 public primary care units, including all 26 state capitals and the Federal District. All participants answered a face-to-face interview and provided biological samples for genital HPV analysis. We used an automated DNA extraction method and HPV genotyping was performed using the Linear Array genotyping test (Roche). Of 7,694 participants, 53.6% (95% CI 51.4–55.8) were positive for any HPV type. The prevalence of high-risk HPV types was significantly higher in women (38.6% vs. 29.2%, P  < 0·001). The HPV types included in the quadrivalent vaccine were detected in 1002 (14.8%) specimens, with a different pattern of HPV infection between sexes. Characteristics associated with overall HPV detection included female gender, self-declaration of race as brown/pardo, lower socioeconomic class, single or dating, current smoking and having 2 or more sex partners in the past year. We found a high prevalence of HPV, with significant differences between regions. Our data provide information that may be considered when developing HPV prevention policies and constitute a baseline against which the impact of the HPV immunization program in Brazil can be measured in future years.

Orofacial clefts (OFCs) are among the most prevalent craniofacial birth defects worldwide and create a significant public health burden. The majority of OFCs are non-syndromic and vary in prevalence by ethnicity. Africans have the lowest prevalence of OFCs (~ 1/2,500), Asians have the highest prevalence (~1/500), Europeans and Latin Americans lie somewhere in the middle (~1/800 and 1/900, respectively). Thus, ethnicity appears to be a major determinant of the risk of developing OFC. The Pittsburgh Orofacial Clefts Multiethnic study was designed to explore this ethnic variance, comprising a large number of families and individuals (~12,000 individuals) from multiple populations worldwide: US and Europe, Asians, mixed Native American/Caucasians, and Africans. In this current study, we analyzed 2,915 OFC cases, 6,044 unaffected individuals related to the OFC cases, and 2,685 controls with no personal or family history of OFC. Participants were grouped by their ancestry into African, Asian, European, and Central and South American subsets, and genome-wide association run on the combined sample as well as the four ancestry-based groups. We observed 22 associations to cleft lip with or without cleft palate at 18 distinct loci with p -values < 1e-06, including 10 with genome-wide significance (<5e-08), in the combined sample and within ancestry groups. Three loci - 2p12 (rs62164740, p = 6.27e-07), 10q22.2 (rs150952246, p = 3.14e-07), and 10q24.32 (rs118107597, p = 8.21e-07) are novel. Nine were in or near known OFC loci - PAX7, IRF6, FAM49A, DCAF4L2 , 8q24.21, NTN1, WNT3-WNT9B, TANC2 , and RHPN2 . The majority of the associations were observed only in the combined sample, European, and Central and South American groups. We investigated whether the observed differences in association strength were (a) purely due to sample sizes, (b) due to systematic allele frequency difference at the population level, or (c) due to the fact certain OFC-causing variants confer different amounts of risk depending on ancestral origin, by comparing effect sizes to observed allele frequencies of the effect allele in our ancestry-based groups. While some of the associations differ due to systematic differences in allele frequencies between groups, others show variation in effect size despite similar frequencies across ancestry groups.