Evolution of SARS-CoV-2 during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in Northwestern Argentina.

Studies about the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 lineages in different backgrounds such as naive populations are still scarce, especially from South America. This work aimed to study the introduction and diversification pattern of SARS-CoV-2 during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Northwestern Argentina (NWA) region and to analyze the evolutionary dynamics of the main lineages found. In this study, we analyzed a total of 260 SARS-CoV-2 whole-genome sequences from Argentina, belonging to the Provinces of Jujuy, Salta, and Tucumán, from March 31st, 2020, to May 22nd, 2021, which covered the full first wave and the early second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina. In the first wave, eight lineages were identified: B.1.499 (76.9%), followed by N.5 (10.2%), B.1.1.274 (3.7%), B.1.1.348 (3.7%), B.1 (2.8%), B.1.600 (0.9%), B.1.1.33 (0.9%) and N.3 (0.9%). During the early second wave, the first-wave lineages were displaced by the introduction of variants of concern (VOC) (Alpha, Gamma), or variants of interest (VOI) (Lambda, Zeta, Epsilon) and other lineages with more limited distribution. Phylodynamic analyses of the B.1.499 and N.5, the two most prevalent lineages in the NWA, revealed that the rate of evolution of lineage N.5 (7.9 × 10-4 substitutions per site per year, s/s/y) was a ∼40% faster than that of lineage B.1.499 (5.6 × 10-4 s/s/y), although both are in the same order of magnitude than other non-VOC lineages. No mutations associated with a biological characteristic of importance were observed as signatures markers of the phylogenetic groups established in Northwestern Argentina, however, single sequences in non-VOC lineages did present mutations of biological importance or associated with VOCs as sporadic events, showing that many of these mutations could emerge from circulation in the general population. This study contributed to the knowledge about the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 in a pre-vaccination and without post-exposure immunization period.

Survey on antimicrobial resistance knowledge and perceptions in university students reveals concerning trends on antibiotic use and procurement.

BACKGROUND: The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared that antimicrobial resistance is one of the top ten global public health threats humanity is facing. To tackle this problem, it is necessary to not only address it in the hospital setting, but even more so in the community. In this context, understanding people's knowledge, attitudes, and practices towards antimicrobial resistance is of utmost importance. Accordingly, we investigated whether students from the Université de Montréal (Quebec, Canada) had perceptions and behaviours that could foster bacterial resistance. METHODS: We conducted an observational, cross-sectional, prospective, and descriptive study from November 30 to December 11, 2020. We applied an online questionnaire (Google Forms) adapted from the WHO survey entitled 'Antibiotic resistance: Multi-country public awareness survey.' RESULTS: Overall, 106 participants were included in this study. Most of them demonstrated reasonable understanding and behaviours related to antimicrobial resistance. Erroneous response proportions ranged from 0.9% to 25.5%, except for the statement 'Antibiotic resistance occurs when your body becomes resistant to antibiotics, and they no longer work,' where 63.2% of participants answered that it was true, even though it is false. Regarding antibiotic use, 28.3% of participants said they already had used antibiotics without a doctor's prescription. Of these, 55.2% were Canadian students. CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates a possible misuse of antimicrobials in an area where antibiotics should not be easily accessible without a prescription. It is necessary to investigate why these medications are being used without being prescribed. Furthermore, we demonstrate a need to increase public awareness to better understand antimicrobial resistance's theoretical basis.

INTRODUCTION: Selon l'Organisation mondiale de la Santé (OMS), la résistance antimicrobienne (RAM) est l'une des dix menaces sanitaires pour l'humanité. Pour faire face à ce problème, il est nécessaire de l'aborder non seulement dans le cadre hospitalier, mais encore davantage au sein de la communauté. Dans ce contexte, il est primordial de comprendre les connaissances, les attitudes et les pratiques de la population vis-à-vis de la résistance antimicrobienne. Ainsi, les chercheurs ont cherché à savoir si les perceptions et les comportements de la communauté étudiante de l'Université de Montréal (Québec, Canada) pouvaient contribuer à la propagation de la résistance bactérienne. MÉTHODES: Les chercheurs ont réalisé une étude observationnelle de type transversal, prospectif et descriptif entre le 30 novembre et le 11 décembre 2020. Ils ont utilisé un questionnaire en ligne (formulaires Google) adapté du sondage de l'OMS intitulé Antibiotic resistance: Multi-country public awareness survey. RÉSULTATS: Au total, 106 participants ont été inclus dans l'étude. La plupart ont démontré avoir une compréhension et des comportements raisonnables au sujet de la RAM. Les proportions de réponses erronées se situaient entre 0,9 % et 25,5 %, sauf pour la proposition « La résistance aux antibiotiques survient lorsque votre corps devient résistant aux antibiotiques et qu'ils ne fonctionnent plus ¼, pour laquelle 63,2 % des participants ont répondu que c'était vrai, même si c'est faux. En ce qui concerne l'utilisation des antibiotiques, 28,3 % des participants ont déclaré avoir déjà utilisé des antibiotiques sans prescription médicale, et 55,2 % d'entre eux étaient des étudiants canadiens. CONCLUSIONS: La présente étude signale la possibilité que les antimicrobiens soient mal utilisés dans une région où les antibiotiques ne devraient pas être facilement accessibles sans prescription. Une étude s'impose pour savoir pourquoi ces médicaments sont utilisés sans être prescrits. De plus, les chercheurs démontrent la nécessité de sensibiliser le public aux fondements théoriques de la résistance antimicrobienne.

Two new species of Stenostygnus from South America (Opiliones: Biantidae: Stenostygninae).

Stenostygnus martensi spec. nov. and Stenostygnus huberi spec. nov. are described from montane localities of the States of Mérida and Lara in Venezuela, and the diagnosis of the previously monotypic genus Stenostygnus Simon, 1879, is emended. The presence of these two new species as local endemics in Andean localities of Venezuela represents a huge range extension for the genus Stenostygnus, and the new localities are also ecologically different from previously known localities in the Amazon Basin. This could indicate the presence of a rich and uncharted diversity of stenostygnines in the Andean regions, particularly in the north of South America.

Multi-session online interpretation bias training for anxiety in a community sample.

The present study assessed target engagement, preliminary efficacy, and feasibility as primary outcomes of a free multi-session online cognitive bias modification of interpretation (CBM-I) intervention for anxiety in a large community sample. High trait anxious participants (N = 807) were randomly assigned to a CBM-I condition: 1) Positive training (90% positive-10% negative); 2) 50% positive-50% negative training; or 3) no-training control. Further, half of each CBM-I condition was randomized to either an anxious imagery prime or a neutral imagery prime. Due to attrition, results from six out of eight sessions were analyzed using structural equation modeling of latent growth curves. Results for the intent-to-treat sample indicate that for target engagement, consistent with predictions, decreases in negative interpretations over time were significantly greater among those receiving positive CBM-I training compared to no-training or 50-50 training, and vice-versa for increases in positive interpretations. For intervention efficacy, the decrease in anxiety symptoms over time was significantly greater among those receiving positive CBM-I training compared to no-training. Interaction effects with imagery prime were more variable with a general pattern of stronger results for those completing the anxious imagery prime. Findings indicate that online CBM-I positive training is feasible and shows some promising results, although attrition rates were very high for later training sessions.