Metagenomics of two aquifers with thermal anomalies in Mallorca Island, and proposal of new uncultivated taxa named following the rules of SeqCode.

Groundwater offers an intriguing blend of distinctive physical and chemical conditions, constituting a challenge for microbial life. In Mallorca, the largest island of Balearic archipelago, harbours a variety of thermal anomalies (i.e., geothermal manifestation where surface aquifers exhibiting temperatures exceeding the regional average). The metagenomes of two aquifers in the centre and southern of the island showed Pseudomonadota to be the most represented phylum when using extracted 16S rRNA gene sequences. However, the microbial structures within and between aquifers were remarkably diverse but similar in their metabolic profiles as revealed by the metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) pointing to a prevalence of aerobic chemolithoautotrophic and heterotrophic metabolisms, especially in the Llucmajor aquifer. Also, some evidences of anaerobic lifestyles were detected, which would indicate that these environments either could suffer episodes of oxygen depletion or the anaerobes had been transported from deeper waters. We believe that the local environmental factors (temperature, external inputs or chemistry) seem to be more relevant than the connection and, eventually, transport of microbial cells within the aquifer in determining the highly divergent structures. Notably, most of the reconstructed genomes belonged to undescribed bacterial lineages and from them two high-quality MAGs could be classified as novel taxa named following the rules of the Code for Nomenclature of Prokaryotes Described from Sequence Data (SeqCode). Accordingly, we propose the new species and genus Costitxia debesea gen. nov., sp. nov., affiliated with the novel family Costitxiaceae fam. nov., order Costitxiales ord. nov. and class Costitxiia class. nov.; and the new new species and genus Lloretia debesea gen. nov. sp. nov. affiliated with the novel family Lloretiaceae fam. nov.

Antipsychotic drugs in first-episode psychosis: A target trial emulation in the FEP-CAUSAL Collaboration.

Good adherence to antipsychotic therapy helps prevent relapses in First Episode Psychosis (FEP). We used data from the FEP-CAUSAL Collaboration, an international consortium of observational cohorts to emulate a target trial comparing antipsychotics with treatment discontinuation as the primary outcome. Other outcomes included all-cause hospitalization. We benchmarked our results to estimates from EUFEST, a randomized trial conducted in the 2000s. We included 1097 patients with a psychotic disorder and less than 2 years since psychosis onset. Inverse probability weighting was used to control for confounding. The estimated 12-month risks of discontinuation for aripiprazole, first-generation agents, olanzapine, paliperidone, quetiapine, and risperidone (95% CI) were: 61.5% (52.5-70.6), 73.5% (60.5-84.9), 76.8% (67.2-85.3), 58.4% (40.4-77.4), 76.5% (62.1-88.5), and 74.4% (67.0-81.2) respectively. Compared with aripiprazole, the 12-month risk differences (95% CI) were -15.3% (-30.0, 0.0) for olanzapine, -12.8% (-25.7, -1.0) for risperidone, and 3.0% (-21.5, 30.8) for paliperidone. The 12-month risks of hospitalization were similar between agents. Our estimates support use of aripiprazole and paliperidone as first-line therapies for FEP. Benchmarking yielded similar results for discontinuation and absolute risks of hospitalization as in the original trial, suggesting that data from the FEP-CAUSAL Collaboration data sufficed to approximately remove confounding for these clinical questions.

Creation of a Holistic Platform for Health Boosting Using a Blockchain-Based Approach: Development Study.

BACKGROUND: Low adherence to healthy habits, which is associated with a higher risk of disease and death, among citizens of Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development countries is a serious concern. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the physical activity (PA) guidelines for Americans provide recommendations on PA and healthy diets. To promote these habits, we suggest using a blockchain-based platform, using the PA Messaging Framework to deliver messages and rewards to users. Blockchain is a decentralized secure platform for data management, which can be used for value-added controls and services such as smart contracts (SCs), oracles, and decentralized applications (dApps). Of note, there is a substantial penetration of blockchain technologies in the field of PA, but there is a need for more implementations of dApps to take advantage of features such as nonfungible tokens. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to create a comprehensive platform for promoting healthy habits, using scientific evidence and blockchain technology. The platform will use gamification to encourage healthy PA and eating habits; in addition, it will monitor the activities through noninvasive means, evaluate them using open-source software, and follow up through blockchain messages. METHODS: A literature search was conducted on the use of blockchain technology in the field of PA and healthy eating. On the basis of the results of this search, it is possible to define an innovative platform for promoting and monitoring healthy habits through health-related challenges on a dApp. Contact with the user will be maintained through messages following a proposed model in the literature to improve adherence to the challenges. RESULTS: The proposed strategy is based on a dApp that relies on blockchain technology. The challenges include PA and healthy eating habits based on the recommendations of the WHO and the Food and Agriculture Organization. The system is constituted of a blockchain network where challenge-related achievements are stored and verified using SCs. The user interacts with the system through a dApp that runs on their local device, monitors the challenge, and self-authenticates by providing their public and private keys. The SC verifies challenge fulfillment and generates messages, and the information stored in the network can be used to encourage competition among participants. The ultimate goal is to create a habit of healthy activities through rewards and peer competition. CONCLUSIONS: The use of blockchain technology has the potential to improve people's quality of life through the development of relevant services. In this work, strategies using gamification and blockchain are proposed for monitoring healthy activities, with a focus on transparency and reward allocation. The results are promising, but compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation is still a concern. Personal data are stored on personal devices, whereas challenge data are recorded on the blockchain.

Description of two cultivated and two uncultivated new Salinibacter species, one named following the rules of the bacteriological code: Salinibacter grassmerensis sp. nov.; and three named following the rules of the SeqCode: Salinibacter pepae sp. nov., Salinibacter abyssi sp. nov., and Salinibacter pampae sp. nov.

Current -omics methods allow the collection of a large amount of information that helps in describing the microbial diversity in nature. Here, and as a result of a culturomic approach that rendered the collection of thousands of isolates from 5 different hypersaline sites (in Spain, USA and New Zealand), we obtained 21 strains that represent two new Salinibacter species. For these species we propose the names Salinibacter pepae sp. nov. and Salinibacter grassmerensis sp. nov. (showing average nucleotide identity (ANI) values < 95.09% and 87.08% with Sal. ruber M31T, respectively). Metabolomics revealed species-specific discriminative profiles. Sal. ruber strains were distinguished by a higher percentage of polyunsaturated fatty acids and specific N-functionalized fatty acids; and Sal. altiplanensis was distinguished by an increased number of glycosylated molecules. Based on sequence characteristics and inferred phenotype of metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs), we describe two new members of the genus Salinibacter. These species dominated in different sites and always coexisted with Sal. ruber and Sal. pepae. Based on the MAGs from three Argentinian lakes in the Pampa region of Argentina and the MAG of the Romanian lake Fara Fund, we describe the species Salinibacter pampae sp. nov. and Salinibacter abyssi sp. nov. respectively (showing ANI values 90.94% and 91.48% with Sal. ruber M31T, respectively). Sal. grassmerensis sp. nov. name was formed according to the rules of the International Code for Nomenclature of Prokaryotes (ICNP), and Sal. pepae, Sal. pampae sp. nov. and Sal. abyssi sp. nov. are proposed following the rules of the newly published Code of Nomenclature of Prokaryotes Described from Sequence Data (SeqCode). This work constitutes an example on how classification under ICNP and SeqCode can coexist, and how the official naming a cultivated organism for which the deposit in public repositories is difficult finds an intermediate solution.

Gut microbiome dysbiosis in antibiotic-treated COVID-19 patients is associated with microbial translocation and bacteremia.

Although microbial populations in the gut microbiome are associated with COVID-19 severity, a causal impact on patient health has not been established. Here we provide evidence that gut microbiome dysbiosis is associated with translocation of bacteria into the blood during COVID-19, causing life-threatening secondary infections. We first demonstrate SARS-CoV-2 infection induces gut microbiome dysbiosis in mice, which correlated with alterations to Paneth cells and goblet cells, and markers of barrier permeability. Samples collected from 96 COVID-19 patients at two different clinical sites also revealed substantial gut microbiome dysbiosis, including blooms of opportunistic pathogenic bacterial genera known to include antimicrobial-resistant species. Analysis of blood culture results testing for secondary microbial bloodstream infections with paired microbiome data indicates that bacteria may translocate from the gut into the systemic circulation of COVID-19 patients. These results are consistent with a direct role for gut microbiome dysbiosis in enabling dangerous secondary infections during COVID-19.

ACE2-containing defensosomes serve as decoys to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Extracellular vesicles of endosomal origin, exosomes, mediate intercellular communication by transporting substrates with a variety of functions related to tissue homeostasis and disease. Their diagnostic and therapeutic potential has been recognized for diseases such as cancer in which signaling defects are prominent. However, it is unclear to what extent exosomes and their cargo inform the progression of infectious diseases. We recently defined a subset of exosomes termed defensosomes that are mobilized during bacterial infection in a manner dependent on autophagy proteins. Through incorporating protein receptors on their surface, defensosomes mediated host defense by binding and inhibiting pore-forming toxins secreted by bacterial pathogens. Given this capacity to serve as decoys that interfere with surface protein interactions, we investigated the role of defensosomes during infection by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the etiological agent of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Consistent with a protective function, exosomes containing high levels of the viral receptor ACE2 in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) from critically ill COVID-19 patients was associated with reduced intensive care unit (ICU) and hospitalization times. We found ACE2+ exosomes were induced by SARS-CoV-2 infection and activation of viral sensors in cell culture, which required the autophagy protein ATG16L1, defining these as defensosomes. We further demonstrate that ACE2+ defensosomes directly bind and block viral entry. These findings suggest that defensosomes may contribute to the antiviral response against SARS-CoV-2 and expand our knowledge on the regulation and effects of extracellular vesicles during infection.

Use of Blockchain Technology in the Domain of Physical Exercise, Physical Activity, Sport, and Active Ageing: A Systematic Review.

Blockchain technology provides a distributed support for information storage and traceability. Recently, it has been booming in a wide variety of domains: finance, food, energy, and health. In the field of physical activity, physical exercise, sport, and active ageing, this technology could also originate some interesting services introducing support for reliable repository of results, for gamification, or for secure data interchange. This systematic review explores the use of blockchain in this context. The objective is to determine to which extent this technology has fulfilled the potential of blockchain to bring these new added-value services. The authors explored 5 repositories in search of papers describing solutions applied to the above-mentioned frame. 17 papers were selected for full-text analysis, and they displayed diverse applications of blockchain, such as Fitness and healthcare, Sport, and Active ageing. A detailed analysis shows that the solutions found do not leverage all the possibilities of blockchain technology. Most of the solutions analyzed use blockchain for managing, sharing, and controlling access to data and do not exploit the possibilities of Smart Contracts or oracles. Additionally, the advantages of the blockchain model have not been fully exploited to engage users using approaches such as gamification.

Pathogen Species Is Associated With Mortality in Nosocomial Bloodstream Infection in Patients With COVID-19.

Background: The epidemiology of nosocomial bloodstream infections (NBSIs) in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is poorly understood, due in part to substantial disease heterogeneity resulting from multiple potential pathogens. Methods: We identified risk factors for NBSIs and examined the association between NBSIs and mortality in a retrospective cohort of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in 2 New York City hospitals during the height of the pandemic. We adjusted for the potential effects of factors likely to confound that association, including age, race, illness severity upon admission, and underlying health status. Results: Between January 1 and October 1, 2020, 1403 patients had a positive blood culture, and 79 and 101 met the stringent criteria for NBSI among non-COVID-19 and COVID-19 patients, respectively. NBSIs occurred almost exclusively among patients who were severely ill with COVID-19 at hospital admission. NBSIs were associated with elevated mortality, even after adjusting for baseline differences in COVID-19 illness (55% cases vs 45% controls; P = .13). Mortality was concentrated in patients with early-onset pneumonia caused by S. aureus and gram-negative bacteria. Less virulent Candida (49%) and Enterococcus (12%) species were the predominant cause of NBSI in the latter stages of hospitalization, after antibiotic treatment and COVID-19 treatments that attenuate immune response. Most Enterococcus and Candida infections did not have an identifiable source and were not associated with common risk factors for infection by these organisms. Conclusions: Pathogen species and mortality exhibited temporal differences. Early recognition of risk factors among COVID-19 patients could potentially decrease NBSI-associated mortality through early COVID-19 and antimicrobial treatment.

Gut microbiome dysbiosis during COVID-19 is associated with increased risk for bacteremia and microbial translocation.

The microbial populations in the gut microbiome have recently been associated with COVID-19 disease severity. However, a causal impact of the gut microbiome on COVID-19 patient health has not been established. Here we provide evidence that gut microbiome dysbiosis is associated with translocation of bacteria into the blood during COVID-19, causing life-threatening secondary infections. Antibiotics and other treatments during COVID-19 can potentially confound microbiome associations. We therefore first demonstrate in a mouse model that SARS-CoV-2 infection can induce gut microbiome dysbiosis, which correlated with alterations to Paneth cells and goblet cells, and markers of barrier permeability. Comparison with stool samples collected from 96 COVID-19 patients at two different clinical sites also revealed substantial gut microbiome dysbiosis, paralleling our observations in the animal model. Specifically, we observed blooms of opportunistic pathogenic bacterial genera known to include antimicrobial-resistant species in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Analysis of blood culture results testing for secondary microbial bloodstream infections with paired microbiome data obtained from these patients indicates that bacteria may translocate from the gut into the systemic circulation of COVID-19 patients. These results are consistent with a direct role for gut microbiome dysbiosis in enabling dangerous secondary infections during COVID-19.

Toward quantifying the adaptive role of bacterial pangenomes during environmental perturbations.

Metagenomic surveys have revealed that natural microbial communities are predominantly composed of sequence-discrete, species-like populations but the genetic and/or ecological processes that maintain such populations remain speculative, limiting our understanding of population speciation and adaptation to perturbations. To address this knowledge gap, we sequenced 112 Salinibacter ruber isolates and 12 companion metagenomes from four adjacent saltern ponds in Mallorca, Spain that were experimentally manipulated to dramatically alter salinity and light intensity, the two major drivers of this ecosystem. Our analyses showed that the pangenome of the local Sal. ruber population is open and similar in size (~15,000 genes) to that of randomly sampled Escherichia coli genomes. While most of the accessory (noncore) genes were isolate-specific and showed low in situ abundances based on the metagenomes compared to the core genes, indicating that they were functionally unimportant and/or transient, 3.5% of them became abundant when salinity (but not light) conditions changed and encoded for functions related to osmoregulation. Nonetheless, the ecological advantage of these genes, while significant, was apparently not strong enough to purge diversity within the population. Collectively, our results provide an explanation for how this immense intrapopulation gene diversity is maintained, which has implications for the prokaryotic species concept.

Comparative genome analysis of the genus Hydrotalea and proposal of the novel species Hydrotalea lipotrueae sp. nov., isolated from a groundwater aquifer in the south of Mallorca Island, Spain.

From a collection of > 140 strains isolated from groundwater with thermal anomalies for the purpose of obtaining good candidates with applications in the cosmetic industry, two strains were selected because of their taxonomic novelty. Among the isolates, strains TMF_100T and TFM_099 stood out for their potential biotechnological relevance, and a comparative analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that these strains represented a new species of the genus Hydrotalea. In addition, from the public genomic databases, metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) and single-cell amplified genomes (SAGs) could be retrieved that affiliated with this genus. These MAGs and SAGs had been obtained from different environmental samples, such as acid mine drainage or marine sediments. In addition to the description of the new species, the ecological relevance of the members of this genus was demonstrated by means of denitrification, CRISPR-Cas system diversity and heavy metal resistance, as well as their wide geographical distribution and environmental versatility. Supported by the taxonomic study, together with physiological and morphological differences and ecological features, we concluded that strain TMF_100T represented a novel species within the genus Hydrotalea, for which we propose the name Hydrotalea lipotrueae sp. nov.

Gut microbiome dysbiosis during COVID-19 is associated with increased risk for bacteremia and microbial translocation.

The microbial populations in the gut microbiome have recently been associated with COVID-19 disease severity. However, a causal impact of the gut microbiome on COVID-19 patient health has not been established. Here we provide evidence that gut microbiome dysbiosis is associated with translocation of bacteria into the blood during COVID-19, causing life-threatening secondary infections. Antibiotics and other treatments during COVID-19 can potentially confound microbiome associations. We therefore first demonstrate that the gut microbiome is directly affected by SARS-CoV-2 infection in a dose-dependent manner in a mouse model, causally linking viral infection and gut microbiome dysbiosis. Comparison with stool samples collected from 97 COVID-19 patients at two different clinical sites also revealed substantial gut microbiome dysbiosis, paralleling our observations in the animal model. Specifically, we observed blooms of opportunistic pathogenic bacterial genera known to include antimicrobial-resistant species in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Analysis of blood culture results testing for secondary microbial bloodstream infections with paired microbiome data obtained from these patients suggest that bacteria translocate from the gut into the systemic circulation of COVID-19 patients. These results are consistent with a direct role for gut microbiome dysbiosis in enabling dangerous secondary infections during COVID 19.

Description of three new Alteromonas species Alteromonas antoniana sp. nov., Alteromonas lipotrueae sp. nov. and Alteromonas lipotrueiana sp. nov. isolated from marine environments, and proposal for reclassification of the genus Salinimonas as Alteromonas.

In the course of a bioprospective study of marine prokaryotes for cosmetic purposes, four strains, MD_567T, MD_652T, MD_674 and PS_109T, were isolated that 16S rRNA gene affiliation indicated could represent three new species within the family Alteromonadaceae. A thorough phylogenetic, genomic and phenotypic taxonomic study confirmed that the isolates could be classified as three new taxa for which we propose the names Alteromonas antoniana sp. nov., Alteromonas lipotrueae sp. nov. and Alteromonas lipotrueiana sp. nov. In addition, the consistent monophyletic nature of the members of the genera Alteromonas and Salinimonas showed that both taxa should be unified, and therefore we also propose the reclassification of the genus Salinimonas within Alteromonas, as well as new combinations for the species of the former. As the specific epithets profundi and sediminis are already used for Alteromonas species, we created the nomina nova "Alteromonas alteriprofundi" nom. nov. and Alteromonas alterisediminis nom. nov. to accommodate the new names for "Salinimonas profundi" and Salinimonas sediminis. Whole genome comparisons also allowed us to detect the unexpected codification of aromatic hydrocarbon biodegradative compounds, such as benzoate and catechol, whose activity was then demonstrated phenotypically. Finally, the high genomic identity between the type strains of Alteromonas stellipolaris and Alteromonas addita indicated that the latter is a junior heterotypic synonym of Alteromonas stellipolaris.

Release LTP_12_2020, featuring a new ARB alignment and improved 16S rRNA tree for prokaryotic type strains.

The new release of the All-Species Living Tree Project (LTP) represents an important step forward in the reconstruction of 16S rRNA gene phylogenies, since we not only provide an updated set of type strain sequences until December 2020, but also a series of improvements that increase the quality of the database. An improved universal alignment has been introduced that is implemented in the ARB format. In addition, all low-quality sequences present in the previous releases have been substituted by new entries with higher quality, many of them as a result of whole genome sequencing. Altogether, the improvements in the dataset and 16S rRNA sequence alignment allowed us to reconstruct robust phylogenies. The trees made available through this current LTP release feature the best topologies currently achievable. The given nomenclature and taxonomic hierarchy reflect all the changes available up to December 2020. The aim is to regularly update the validly published nomenclatural classification changes and new taxa proposals. The new release can be found at the following URL: https://imedea.uib-csic.es/mmg/ltp/.

ACE2-containing defensosomes serve as decoys to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Extracellular vesicles of endosomal origin, exosomes, mediate intercellular communication by transporting substrates with a variety of functions related to tissue homeostasis and disease. Their diagnostic and therapeutic potential has been recognized for diseases such as cancer in which signaling defects are prominent. However, it is unclear to what extent exosomes and their cargo inform the progression of infectious diseases. We recently defined a subset of exosomes termed defensosomes that are mobilized during bacterial infection in a manner dependent on autophagy proteins. Through incorporating protein receptors on their surface, defensosomes mediated host defense by binding and inhibiting pore-forming toxins secreted by bacterial pathogens. Given this capacity to serve as decoys that interfere with surface protein interactions, we investigated the role of defensosomes during infection by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the etiological agent of COVID-19. Consistent with a protective function, exosomes containing high levels of the viral receptor ACE2 in bronchioalveolar lavage fluid from critically ill COVID-19 patients was associated with reduced ICU and hospitalization times. We found ACE2+ exosomes were induced by SARS-CoV-2 infection and activation of viral sensors in cell culture, which required the autophagy protein ATG16L1, defining these as defensosomes. We further demonstrate that ACE2+ defensosomes directly bind and block viral entry. These findings suggest that defensosomes may contribute to the antiviral response against SARS-CoV-2 and expand our knowledge on the regulation and effects of extracellular vesicles during infection.

Adherence to triage among women with HPV-positive self-collection: a study in a middle-low income population in Argentina.

INTRODUCTION: Screening for cervical cancer (CC) prevention has substantially changed with the introduction of human papillomavirus (HPV) tests. This technology compared to cytology has increased the detection of pre-malignant and malignant cervical lesions in real-world programmes in different settings. Very importantly, through self-collection, HPV testing can reduce barriers to screening and increase coverage. However, when using HPV self-collection, triage tests are a key step in the CC prevention process, and high adherence to triage has been difficult to obtain in low-middle income settings. The aim of this study was to measure adherence to triage among women with HPV+ self-collection and analysed factors associated with this adherence in a middle-low resource setting in Argentina. We also evaluated key indicators related to the implementation of the HPV self-collection strategy. METHODS: We analysed data on screening/triage/diagnosis/treatment from women aged 30+ who performed self-collection between 2015 and 2017 (n = 15,763), in the public health system in Tucuman, Argentina. We analysed secondary data from the national screening information system. The primary outcomes were: 1) adherence to cytology triage within the recommended timeframe (120 days) and 2) overall adherence to cytology triage including data at 18 months after screening. Multivariable regression was used to examine the association between age group, year of the screening test, record of the previous Pap-based screening and health insurance status with adherence to triage test as a primary outcome. We reported odds ratios, 95% confidence intervals and p-value of 0.05, which was considered the threshold for p-values). RESULTS: We analysed data of 2,389 HPV+ women. The overall adherence to triage at 18 months was 42.9%. The percentage of women completing cytology triage within the recommended timeframe of 120 days was lower (25.2%). Women with the record of a previous Pap-based screening had 1.86 times the odds of having a triage compared to women without a record of a previous Pap-based screening (95% CI: 1.64-2.64, p <0.001). Furthermore, the probability of having triage at the recommended timeframe was higher among women who were older and women with public health insurance. CONCLUSIONS: Our results showed that adherence to triage in the recommended timeframe was low. In addition, the probability of having triage at the recommended timeframe was higher among women with a record of a previous Pap-based screening, a proxy of the use of health services. Our results showed that adherence to triage in the context of the HPV-self-collection strategy is challenging. The implementation of alternative approaches that might facilitate adherence to triage should be further investigated.

Elucidating the role of polygalacturonase genes in strawberry fruit softening.

To disentangle the role of polygalacturonase (PG) genes in strawberry softening, the two PG genes most expressed in ripe receptacles, FaPG1 and FaPG2, were down-regulated. Transgenic ripe fruits were firmer than those of the wild type when PG genes were silenced individually. Simultaneous silencing of both PG genes by transgene stacking did not result in an additional increase in firmness. Cell walls from ripe fruits were characterized by a carbohydrate microarray. Higher signals of homogalacturonan and rhamnogalacturonan I pectin epitopes in polysaccharide fractions tightly bound to the cell wall were observed in the transgenic genotypes, suggesting a lower pectin solubilization. At the transcriptomic level, the suppression of FaPG1 or FaPG2 alone induced few transcriptomic changes in the ripe receptacle, but the amount of differentially expressed genes increased notably when both genes were silenced. Many genes encoding cell wall-modifying enzymes were down-regulated. The expression of a putative high affinity potassium transporter was induced in all transgenic genotypes, indicating that cell wall weakening and loss of cell turgor could be linked. These results suggest that, besides the disassembly of pectins tightly linked to the cell wall, PGs could play other roles in strawberry softening, such as the release of oligogalacturonides exerting a positive feedback in softening.

Making the Best Use of Resources in Global Cancer Care.

Inequitable access to high-quality cancer control and care remains one of the greatest public health challenges in countries at all resource levels. Core issues include the limited oncology health care workforce and equitable access to affordable (essential) cancer diagnostics, medicines, surgery, systemic therapies, and radiotherapy, compounded by existing social inequalities. To reduce cancer health disparities globally and subnationally, countries can enhance their capabilities to deliver high-quality, affordable care closer to where most people live. Decentralization and integration of health services can be part of the solution, offloading the strained capacity of tertiary facilities where possible and expanding cadres of trained providers to support some aspects of cancer prevention and control that require a lesser degree of specialization. The strategy to eliminate cervical cancer provides a salient example of a data-driven effort that optimizes resources to dramatically reduce one of the greatest cancer health disparities globally. Here, we highlight two responses to meet the challenge through greater engagement of the primary care workforce and by adoption of universal health care coverage to ensure access to cancer prevention.

Psycho-social impact of positive human papillomavirus testing in Jujuy, Argentina results from the Psycho-Estampa study.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) testing can have a negative impact on women's lives which might also result in abandoning the follow-up and treatment process. This study measured the psycho-social impact of HPV-positivity among HPV-tested women from Jujuy, Argentina, a middle-low income setting. In this cross-sectional study (2015-2016), the psycho-social impact of HPV-positivity was measured using the Psycho-Estampa Scale, specifically designed and validated to be used in screening contexts. We measured mean scores for each of the five scale domains, and the Overall Impact score (Values from 1: No impact to 4: Heavy impact). We compared scores according to cytology triage diagnosis using ordinal logistic regression. A total of 163 HPV-positive women were recruited at the Centro Carlos Alvarado hospital and included in the study sample; of these, 124 (76.1%) had normal triage cytologies. The overall Impact score was between low and moderate (mean:2.56, SD:0.65). The highest psycho-social impact was measured in the Worries about cancer and treatment domain (mean score:3.60, SD:0.60), followed by Sexuality domain (mean:2.50; SD:1.00). The Uncertainty about information provided by health providers domain had the lowest mean score (mean:2.14, SD:0.73). Compared to women with normal cytologies (n = 124), women with abnormal cytologies (n = 39) had a higher likelihood of greater overall Psycho-social Impact (OR: 2.91; p = 0.0036). No statistically significant differences were found in scores of specific domains according to cytology results. It is important to devise specific counseling interventions to reduce the psycho-social impact of HPV-Testing as primary screening and its potential effect on completion of the diagnosis/ treatment process.

Adherencia al triaje en contexto de tamizaje con autotoma del test de virus del papiloma humano en la provincia de Jujuy / riage of Women with Human Papillomavirus Self-Collection in Jujuy Province

INTRODUCCIÓN: Es reconocida la efectividad del test del virus del papiloma humano (VPH) para prevenir el cáncer cervicouterino (CC), así como su potencial para reducir barreras de acceso al tamizaje a través de su modalidad autotoma (ATVPH). Uno de los principales desafíos consiste en garantizar el acceso a la citología de triaje de las mujeres con AT-VPH positivas (VPH+). El objetivo de este estudio fue analizar la magnitud y los determinantes sociales de la adherencia al triaje (realización de citología posterior a un resultado de test de VPH+) en mujeres de 30 años o más con AT-VPH+ dentro del sistema público de salud de la provincia de Jujuy. MÉTODOS: Se efectuó un estudio descriptivo transversal con análisis del Sistema de Información para el Tamizaje (SITAM) y encuestas domiciliarias a mujeres de 30 años o más con autotomas positivas en Jujuy durante 2015-2016, sin registro de triaje. RESULTADOS: El porcentaje estimado de adherencia al triaje fue de entre 96% y 81%. Estos porcentajes son menores a los 60 y 120 días de realizada la AT (18% y 35%, respectivamente). Las mujeres con cobertura de obra social/privada y sin condición de hacinamiento poseen mayor probabilidad de adherir al triaje. El principal motivo de no adherencia fueron los problemas con la entrega de resultados. CONCLUSIONES: Pese a los altos niveles de adherencia al triaje, es necesario incorporar intervenciones que mejoren la entrega de resultados y ayuden a enfrentar las barreras socioestructurales