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Objective: The introduction of alternative systems in vivo is very important for cancer patients who are treated with gonadotoxic treatment. In this study, we examine the progression of the spermatogenesis process after human spermatogonial stem cell (SSCs) transplantation in vivo and in tissue culture conditions., Materials and Methods: Human SSCs were obtained from a Testicular Sperm Extractions (TESE) sample, and characterization of these cells was confirmed by detecting the promyelocytic leukemia zinc finger (PLZF) protein. These cells, after being labeled with Di-alkyl Indocarbocyanine (DiI), were transplanted to adult azoospermia mouse testes treated with Busulfan 40mg/kg. The host testicular tissue culture was then considered a test group and in vivo transplant a control group. After 8 weeks, immunohistochemical, morphometric and molecular studies were performed., Results: The results of morphometric studies indicated that the mean number of spermatogonia, spermatocytes, and spermatids in the test groups was significantly lower than in the control group (P<0.05) and most of the cells responded positively to DiI tracing. Immunohistochemical study in both groups revealed expression of PLZF, Synaptonemal complex protein 3 (SCP3) and Acrosin Binding Protein (ACRBP) proteins in spermatogonial cells, spermatocyte and spermatozoa, respectively. Also, PLZF, Transition Protein 1 (TP1) and Tektin-1 (Tekt1) human-specific genes had a significant difference in the between test groups and control groups (P<0.05) in molecular studies., Conclusion: These results suggest that the conditions of testicular tissue culture after transplantation of SSCs can support spermatogenesis resumption, as well as in an in vivo condition., (Copyright © 2020 Asociación Española de Andrología, Medicina Sexual y Reproductiva. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To identify factors associated with the risk of death in adolescent and adult inpatients with laboratory-positive (reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction) influenza in Mexico during consecutive influenza seasons (2018-2020)., Methods: A retrospective cohort study used national surveillance system data, enrolling 3.422 individuals. The association between various risk factors and 30-day in-hospital lethality were evaluated through risk ratios (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs)., Results: The lethality rate was 18.1%. Flu vaccination history (RR=0.56, 95% CI 0.42-0.78), early antiviral drug administration (≤2 days from symptom onset [reference ≥5 days], RR=0.68, 95% CI 0.58-0.81), and a history of asthma (RR=0.66, 95% CI 0.47-0.95) showed protective effects against influenza-attributable death. Mechanical ventilator support produced the highest increase in death risk (RR=3.31, 95% CI 2.89-3.79). Male sex, older age, AH1N1 subtype, and other chronic diseases were also associated with fatal in-hospital influenza-related outcomes., Conclusions: Our findings highlight the major relevance of promoting immunization in high-risk individuals, together with ensuring early and effective antiviral management in suspected influenza cases., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier España, S.L.U. and Sociedad Española de Medicina Interna (SEMI). All rights reserved.)

Objective: To identify factors associated with the risk of death in adolescent and adult inpatients with laboratory-positive (reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction) influenza in Mexico during consecutive influenza seasons (2018-2020)., Patients and Methods: A retrospective cohort study used national surveillance system data, enrolling 3422 individuals. The association between various risk factors and 30-day in-hospital lethality were evaluated through risk ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI)., Results: The lethality rate was 18.1%. Flu vaccination history (RR = 0.56, 95% CI 0.42-0.78), early antiviral drug administration (≤ two days from symptom onset [reference ≥ 5 days], RR = 0.68, 95% CI 0.58-0.81), and a history of asthma (RR = 0.66, 95% CI 0.47-0.95) showed protective effects against influenza-attributable death. Mechanical ventilator support produced the highest increase in death risk (RR = 3.31, 95% CI 2.89-3.79). Male sex, older age, AH1N1 subtype, and other chronic diseases were also associated with fatal in-hospital influenza-related outcomes., Conclusions: Our findings highlight the major relevance of promoting immunization in high-risk individuals, together with ensuring early and effective antiviral management in suspected influenza cases., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier España, S.L.U. and Sociedad Española de Medicina Interna (SEMI). All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To evaluate whether visual target character and visibility affects spontaneous eye blink rate (SEBR) in primary eye gaze and silence., Methods: Video recordings were made of young healthy adults who were either emmetropic (n=32) or who wore spectacles for refractive error (range -4.75D and +4.50D (n=31). Emmetropes had 5min recordings made whilst seated and looking towards a distant whiteboard. For spectacle wearers, recordings were made whilst looking towards the whiteboard with a 35mm sized cross, and repeated after spectacle removal. The average number of eye blinks over 5min was assessed, and its intra-subject variability as the coefficient of variation (COV)., Results: Over 5min without a distance target, an average SEBR of 10.4blinks/min was observed in emmetropes with a of COV=38.1%, and a significant increase in SEBR over the 5th minute to 13.6blinks/min. Hyperopes being asked to look towards a distant target showed the essentially same blinking rate of 11.1/min with or without spectacle wear with the intra-subject variability (COV) being 21.3%. Myopic subjects showed a slightly higher SEBR if looking towards a target without their spectacles (12.4 vs. 11.0blinks/min), with the COV being 18.8%., Conclusions: The studies indicate that some form of visual target could be useful to promote constancy of spontaneous eye blink activity over time, but that a distance visual target (when provided) does not need to be seen clearly., (Crown Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Objective: The studie describes the blood-feeding behaviour of mosquitoes in Mexico, to understand host-vector relationships and dynamics of disease transmission., Methods: From September 2012 to November 2012 and in November 2013, 911 blood-fed Cx. quinquefasciatus mosquitoes were collected with aspirators inside houses in Chetumal and Cancun. Blood meals were analysed by PCR and subsequent Sanger sequencing of the cytochrome b gene., Results: 93.3% of mosquitoes fed on mammals, 6.5% on birds and 0.2% on reptiles. The most frequent vertebrate hosts were humans (65.4%), dogs (23.2%), chicken (5.4%), cattle (2.2%) and cats (1.8%)., Conclusions: Cx. quinquefasciatus most frequently fed on humans and dogs in both studied cities, which is in contrast to a previous study that demonstrated lower prevalence of mammalian blood in engorged Cx. quinquefasciatus., (© 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Objectives: To identify household-level factors associated with influenza among young children in a crowded community in Dhaka, Bangladesh., Methods: We conducted a case-control study using existing active surveillance for respiratory illness. Cases were children aged 12-59 months with laboratory-confirmed influenza. Controls were children frequency-matched by age group with no respiratory illness in the prior 6 months. We interviewed caregivers and observed household handwashing behaviour. Soap consumption was estimated by summing weight differences of three bars of soap sequentially left in each household. We measured concentrations of airborne particulate matter <2.5 μg in diameter (PM2.5) in a subset of households. We used logistic regression to estimate adjusted odds ratios (aOR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI)., Results: We enrolled 145 cases and 341 controls between March 2009 and April 2010. Case and control household members were observed to wash hands with similar frequency during a 5-h period (mean, 0.64 events vs. 0.63, P = 0.87), and similar daily soap consumption per capita (mean 2.92 grams vs. 2.93, P = 0.92). Case households were more likely than controls to have crowded (≥4 persons) sleeping areas (aOR = 1.67, CI: 1.06-2.63) and cross-ventilated cooking spaces (aOR = 1.75, CI: 1.16-2.63). Case and control households had similar median 24-h geometric mean PM2.5 concentrations in the cooking (69.2 vs. 69.6 μg/m(3), P = 0.45) and sleeping (65.4 vs. 67.4 μg/m(3), P = 0.19) spaces., Conclusions: Handwashing with soap was practiced infrequently and was not associated with paediatric influenza in this community. Interventions aimed at crowded households may reduce influenza incidence in young children., (© 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)