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Abstract The AS04-adjuvanted human papillomavirus (HPV)16/18 vaccine, an L1-based vaccine, provides strong vaccine efficacy (VE) against vaccine-targeted type infections, and partial cross-protection to phylogenetically-related types, which may be affected by variant-level heterogeneity. We compared VE against incident HPV31, 33, 35, and 45 detections between lineages and SNPs in the L1 region among 2846 HPV-vaccinated and 5465 HPV-unvaccinated women through 11-years of follow-up in the Costa Rica HPV Vaccine Trial. VE was lower against HPV31-lineage-B (VE=60.7%;95%CI = 23.4%,82.8%) compared to HPV31-lineage-A (VE=94.3%;95%CI = 83.7%,100.0%) (VE-ratio = 0.64;95%CI = 0.25,0.90). Differential VE was observed at several lineage-associated HPV31-L1-SNPs, including a nonsynonymous substitution at position 6372 on the FG-loop, an important neutralization domain. For HPV35, the only SNP-level difference was at position 5939 on the DE-loop, with significant VE against nucleotide-G (VE=65.0%;95%CI = 28.0,87.8) but not for more the common nucleotide-A (VE=7.4%;95%CI = −34.1,36.7). Because of the known heterogeneity in precancer/cancer risk across cross-protected HPV genotype variants by race and region, our results of differential variant-level AS04-adjuvanted HPV16/18 vaccine efficacy has global health implications.

Abstract Background Evidence continues to accumulate regarding the potential long-term health consequences of COVID-19 in the population. To distinguish between COVID-19-related symptoms and health limitations from those caused by other conditions, it is essential to compare cases with community controls using prospective data ensuring case-control status. The RESPIRA study addresses this need by investigating the lasting impact of COVID-19 on Health-related Quality of Life (HRQoL) and symptomatology in a population-based cohort in Costa Rica, thereby providing a robust framework for controlling HRQoL and symptoms. Methods The study comprised 641 PCR-confirmed, unvaccinated cases of COVID-19 and 947 matched population-based controls. Infection was confirmed using antibody tests on enrollment serum samples and symptoms were monitored monthly for 6 months post-enrolment. Administered at the 6-month visit (occurring between 6- and 2-months post-diagnosis for cases and 6 months after enrollment for controls), HRQoL and Self-Perceived Health Change were assessed using the SF-36, while brain fog, using three items from the Mental Health Inventory (MHI). Regression models were utilized to analyze SF-36, MHI scores, and Self-Perceived Health Change, adjusted for case/control status, severity (mild case, moderate case, hospitalized) and additional independent variables. Sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of the findings. Results Cases showed significantly higher prevalences of joint pain, chest tightness, and skin manifestations, that stabilized at higher frequencies from the fourth month post-diagnosis onwards (2.0%, 1.2%, and 0.8% respectively) compared to controls (0.9%, 0.4%, 0.2% respectively). Cases also exhibited significantly lower HRQoL than controls across all dimensions in the fully adjusted model, with a 12.4 percentage-point difference [95%CI: 9.4-14.6], in self-reported health compared to one year prior. Cases reported 8.0% [95%CI: 4.2, 11.5] more physical limitations, 7.3% [95%CI: 3.5, 10.5] increased lack of vitality, and 6.0% [95%CI: 2.4, 9.0] more brain fog compared to controls with similar characteristics. Undiagnosed cases detected with antibody tests among controls had HRQoL comparable to antibody negative controls. Differences were more pronounced in individuals with moderate or severe disease and among women. Conclusions PCR-confirmed unvaccinated cases experienced prolonged HRQoL reductions 6 months to 2 years after diagnosis, this was particularly the case in severe cases and among women. Mildly symptomatic cases showed no significant long-term sequelae.

Abstract Human Papillomavirus (HPV) type variants have been classified into lineages and sublineages based upon their whole genome sequence. Here we have examined the specificity of antibodies generated following natural infection with lineage variants of oncogenic types (HPV16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52 and 58) by testing serum samples assembled from existing archives from women residing in Africa, The Americas, Asia or Europe against representative lineage-specific pseudoviruses for each genotype. We have subjected the resulting neutralizing antibody data to antigenic clustering methods and created relational antigenic profiles for each genotype to inform the delineation of lineage-specific serotypes. For most genotypes, there was evidence of differential recognition of lineage-specific antigens and in some cases of a sufficient magnitude to suggest that some lineages should be considered antigenically distinct within their respective genotypes. These data provide compelling evidence for a degree of lineage specificity within the humoral immune response following natural infection with oncogenic HPV.

Introduction: Fashion is a sector that at all times appeals to the emotions and feelings of the individual, due to its social implications. In this sense, neuromarketing becomes a very valuable tool to study the different reactions of the public when exposed to it. Different tools applied in neuromarketing reveal how consumers feel when they buy, touch or look at a fashion product with which they relate. Methodology: The present research aims to make a systematic review of publications in academic journals on fashion and neuromarketing, as an integrative tool that allows the compilation of studies on the same topic, in order to establish a state of the art. This review is carried out in the Scopus and WOS databases, in Spanish and English, between 2000 and 2023. The objective is to study the neuromarketing tools that are best suited to this sector and to analyze how they have evolved, been used and integrated over the years. Results: Twenty-three results were found that matched the search, and for each one of them the authors studied the country where the research was carried out, the year of publication, the journal where the research was published, the neuromarketing tool applied, the results obtained, and where the manuscript focuses: on the company, on the consumer, on both or on neither of them. Discussion: Twenty-three results were found, of which only 12 were valid. The main cause of exclusion was the repetition of results in the two databases consulted. In these studies, not only the response of the consumer is observed, but fundamentally the response of the company and its perception. Conclusions: It is concluded that neuromarketing and consumer neuroscience tools, although scarce in the fashion industry, provide relevant and useful information and multidisciplinary groups are proposed to increase the scientific production applied to the case study.

Abstract Introduction Variability in household secondary attack rates and transmission risks factors of SARS-CoV-2 remain poorly understood. Methods We conducted a household transmission study of SARS-CoV-2 in Costa Rica, with SARS-CoV-2 index cases selected from a larger prospective cohort study and their household contacts were enrolled. A total of 719 household contacts of 304 household index cases were enrolled from November 21, 2020, through July 31, 2021. Blood specimens were collected from contacts within 30–60 days of index case diagnosis; and serum was tested for presence of spike and nucleocapsid SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies. Evidence of SARS-CoV-2 prior infections among household contacts was defined based on the presence of both spike and nucleocapsid antibodies. We fitted a chain binomial model to the serologic data, to account for exogenous community infection risk and potential multi-generational transmissions within the household. Results Overall seroprevalence was 53% (95% confidence interval (CI) 48–58%) among household contacts. The estimated household secondary attack rate is 34% (95% CI 5–75%). Mask wearing by the index case is associated with the household transmission risk reduction by 67% (adjusted odds ratio = 0.33 with 95% CI: 0.09–0.75) and not sharing bedroom with the index case is associated with the risk reduction of household transmission by 78% (adjusted odds ratio = 0.22 with 95% CI 0.10–0.41). The estimated distribution of household secondary attack rates is highly heterogeneous across index cases, with 30% of index cases being the source for 80% of secondary cases. Conclusions Modeling analysis suggests that behavioral factors are important drivers of the observed SARS-CoV-2 transmission heterogeneity within the household.

Purpose The RESPIRA cohort aims to describe the nature, magnitude, time course and efficacy of the immune response to SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination, population prevalence, and household transmission of COVID-19.Participants From November 2020, we selected age-stratified random samples of COVID-19 cases from Costa Rica confirmed by PCR. For each case, two population-based controls, matched on age, sex and census tract were recruited, supplemented with hospitalised cases and household contacts. Participants were interviewed and blood and saliva collected for antibodies and PCR tests. Participants will be followed for 2 years to assess antibody response and infection incidence.Findings to date Recruitment included 3860 individuals: 1150 COVID-19 cases, 1999 population controls and 719 household contacts from 304 index cases. The age and regional distribution of cases was as planned, including four age strata, 30% rural and 70% urban. The control cohort had similar sex, age and regional distribution as the cases according to the study design. Among the 1999 controls recruited, 6.8% reported at enrolment having had COVID-19 and an additional 12.5% had antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. Compliance with visits and specimens has been close to 70% during the first 18 months of follow-up. During the study, national vaccination was implemented and nearly 90% of our cohort participants were vaccinated during follow-up.Future plans RESPIRA will enable multiple analyses, including population prevalence of infection, clinical, behavioural, immunological and genetic risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 acquisition and severity, and determinants of household transmission. We are conducting retrospective and prospective assessment of antibody levels, their determinants and their protective efficacy after infection and vaccination, the impact of long-COVID and a series of ancillary studies. Follow-up continues with bimonthly saliva collection for PCR testing and biannual blood collection for immune response analyses. Follow-up will be completed in early 2024.Trial registration number NCT04537338.

Summary: Background: The true incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in Costa Rica was likely much higher than officially reported, because infection is often associated with mild symptoms and testing was limited by official guidelines and socio-economic factors. Methods: Using serology to define natural infection, we developed a statistical model to estimate the true cumulative incidence of SARS-CoV-2 in Costa Rica early in the pandemic. We estimated seroprevalence from 2223 blood samples collected from November 2020 to October 2021 from 1976 population-based controls from the RESPIRA study. Samples were tested for antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid and the receptor-binding-domain of the spike proteins. Using a generalized linear model, we estimated the ratio of true infections to officially reported cases. Applying these ratios to officially reported totals by age, sex, and geographic area, we estimated the true number of infections in the study area, where 70% of Costa Ricans reside. We adjusted the seroprevalence estimates for antibody decay over time, estimated from 1562 blood samples from 996 PCR-confirmed COVID-19 cases. Findings: The estimated total proportion infected (ETPI) was 4.0 times higher than the officially reported total proportion infected (OTPI). By December 16th, 2021, the ETPI was 47% [42–52] while the OTPI was 12%. In children and adolescents, the ETPI was 11.0 times higher than the OTPI. Interpretation: Our findings suggest that nearly half the population had been infected by the end of 2021. By the end of 2022, it is likely that a large majority of the population had been infected. Funding: This work was sponsored and funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases through the National Cancer Institute, the Science, Innovation, Technology and Telecommunications Ministry of Costa Rica, and Costa Rican Biomedical Research Agency-Fundacion INCIENSA (grant N/A).

Abstract Background Breast cancer incidence is increasing rapidly in Latin America, with a higher proportion of cases among young women than in developed countries. Studies have linked inflammation to breast cancer development, but data is limited in premenopausal women, especially in Latin America. Methods We investigated the associations between serum biomarkers of chronic inflammation (interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interferon-γ (IFN-γ), leptin, adiponectin) and risk of premenopausal breast cancer among 453 cases and 453 matched, population-based controls from Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, and Mexico. Odds ratios (OR) were estimated using conditional logistic regression models. Analyses were stratified by size and hormonal receptor status of the tumors. Results IL-6 (ORper standard deviation (SD) = 1.33 (1.11–1.60)) and TNF-α (ORper SD = 1.32 (1.11–1.58)) were positively associated with breast cancer risk in fully adjusted models. Evidence of heterogeneity by estrogen receptor (ER) status was observed for IL-8 (P-homogeneity = 0.05), with a positive association in ER-negative tumors only. IL-8 (P-homogeneity = 0.06) and TNF-α (P-homogeneity = 0.003) were positively associated with risk in the largest tumors, while for leptin (P-homogeneity = 0.003) a positive association was observed for the smallest tumors only. Conclusions The results of this study support the implication of chronic inflammation in breast cancer risk in young women in Latin America. Largest studies of prospective design are needed to confirm these findings in premenopausal women.

Abstract The HPV vaccine has shown sustained efficacy and consistent stabilization of antibody levels, even after a single dose. We defined the HPV16-VLP antibody avidity patterns over 11 years among women who received one- or three doses of the bivalent HPV vaccine in the Costa Rica HPV Vaccine Trial. Absolute HPV16 avidity was lower in women who received one compared to three doses, although the patterns were similar (increased in years 2 and 3 and remained stable over the remaining 8 years). HPV16 avidity among women who were HPV16-seropositive women at HPV vaccination, a marker of natural immune response to HPV16 infection, was significantly lower than those of HPV16-seronegative women, a difference that was more pronounced among one-dose recipients. No differences in HPV16 avidity were observed by HPV18 serostatus at vaccination, confirming the specificity of the findings. Importantly, point estimates for vaccine efficacy against incident, six-month persistent HPV16 infections was similar between women who were HPV16 seronegative and seropositive at the time of initial HPV vaccination for both one-dose and three-dose participants. It is therefore likely that this lower avidity level is still sufficient to enable antibody-mediated protection. It is encouraging for long-term HPV-vaccine protection that HPV16 antibody avidity was maintained for over a decade, even after a single dose.

Here, Burk et al. develop an algorithm to diagnose bacterial vaginosis (BV) using the 16S rRNA gene, called molBV, which they use to profile the inflammatory landscape of BV and predict progression of human papillomavirus infection to cervical pre-cancer.

Introducción. En el cultivo de zanahoria se practica la siembra directa, debido a que las plantas no soportan el estrés del trasplante, por lo que es fundamental utilizar semillas que germinen en máximo siete días y de forma uniforme. El vigor de las semillas está asociado al desempeño en campo y, a nivel internacional, existen diferentes pruebas para medirlo, sin embargo, en zanahoria aún las metodologías son escasas y no se encuentran estandarizadas. Objetivo. Determinar la calidad fisiológica en semillas de dos variedades de zanahoria (Daucus carota L.), mediante pruebas de vigor. Materiales y métodos. Este trabajo se realizó en el Centro para Investigaciones en Granos y Semillas de la Universidad de Costa Rica durante el año 2018. Se utilizaron semillas de las variedades Bangor y Triunfo con porcentajes de humedad de 7 %, 10 % y 13 %. Las pruebas de vigor utilizadas fueron las siguientes: protrusión radical, primer conteo de germinación (siete días), envejecimiento acelerado, conductividad eléctrica y análisis de germinación por medio de imágenes digitales. Se realizaron análisis de correlación de Pearson entre las variables estudiadas. Resultados. Se observaron coeficientes de correlación (r de Pearson) significativos de la conductividad eléctrica con variables obtenidas del análisis de imágenes: t10 (r=0,83), t50 (r=0,87) y el área bajo la curva (r=-0,72). A través de la prueba de conductividad eléctrica se determinó que el lote de Bangor presentó mayor vigor que el lote de Triunfo (Tukey, p≤0,05). Conclusiones. El análisis de imágenes digitales y la prueba de conductividad eléctrica permitieron medir el vigor en lotes de semillas de las variedades Bangor y Triunfo, y complementarlos con los resultados de germinación para determinar su calidad fisiológica.

Summary: Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines are given as a two-dose schedule in children aged 9–14 years, or as three doses in older individuals. We compared antibody responses after one dose of HPV vaccine in the Dose Reduction Immunobridging and Safety Study (DoRIS), a randomised trial of different HPV vaccine schedules in Tanzania, to those from two observational HPV vaccine trials that found high efficacy of one dose up to 11 years against HPV16 and HPV18 (Costa Rica Vaccine Trial [CVT] and Institutional Agency for Research on Cancer [IARC] India trial). Methods: In this immunobridging analysis of an open-label randomised controlled trial, girls were recruited from 54 government schools in Mwanza, Tanzania, into the DoRIS trial. Girls were eligible if they were aged 9–14 years, healthy, and HIV negative. Participants were randomly assigned (1:1:1:1:1:1), using permutated block sizes of 12, 18, and 24, to one, two, or three doses of the 2-valent vaccine (Cervarix, GSK Biologicals, Rixensart, Belgium) or the 9-valent vaccine (Gardasil 9, Sanofi Pasteur MSD, Lyon, France). For this immunobridging analysis, the primary objective was to compare geometric mean concentrations (GMCs) at 24 months after one dose in the per-protocol population compared with in historical cohorts: the one-dose 2-valent vaccine group in DoRIS was compared with recipients of the 2-valent vaccine Cervarix from CVT and the one-dose 9-valent vaccine group in DoRIS was compared with recipients of the 4-valent vaccine Gardasil (Merck Sharp & Dohme, Whitehouse Station, NJ, USA) from the IARC India trial. Samples were tested together with virus-like particle ELISA for HPV16 and HPV18 IgG antibodies. Non-inferiority of GMC ratios (DoRIS trial vs historical cohort) was predefined as when the lower bound of the 95% CI was greater than 0·50. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02834637. Findings: Between Feb 23, 2017, and Jan 6, 2018, we screened 1002 girls for eligibility, of whom 930 were enrolled into DoRIS and 155 each were assigned to one dose, two doses, or three doses of 2-valent vaccine, or one dose, two doses, or three doses of 9-valent vaccine. 154 (99%) participants in the one-dose 2-valent vaccine group (median age 10 years [IQR 9–12]) and 152 (98%) in the one-dose 9-valent vaccine group (median age 10 years [IQR 9–12]) were vaccinated and attended the 24 month visit, and so were included in the analysis. 115 one-dose recipients from the CVT (median age 21 years [19–23]) and 139 one-dose recipients from the IARC India trial (median age 14 years [13–16]) were included in the analysis. At 24 months after vaccination, GMCs for HPV16 IgG antibodies were 22·9 international units (IU) per mL (95% CI 19·9–26·4; n=148) for the DoRIS 2-valent vaccine group versus 17·7 IU/mL (13·9–22·5; n=97) for the CVT (GMC ratio 1·30 [95% CI 1·00–1·68]) and 13·7 IU/mL (11·9–15·8; n=145) for the DoRIS 9-valent vaccine group versus 6·7 IU/mL (5·5–8·2; n=131) for the IARC India trial (GMC ratio 2·05 [1·61–2·61]). GMCs for HPV18 IgG antibodies were 9·9 IU/mL (95% CI 8·5–11·5: n=141) for the DoRIS 2-valent vaccine group versus 8·0 IU/mL (6·4–10·0; n=97) for the CVT trial (GMC ratio 1·23 [95% CI 0·95–1·60]) and 5·7 IU/mL (4·9–6·8; n=136) for the DoRIS 9-valent vaccine group versus 2·2 IU/mL (1·9–2·7; n=129) for the IARC India trial (GMC ratio 2·12 [1·59–2·83]). Non-inferiority of antibody GMCs was met for each vaccine for both HPV16 and HPV18. Interpretation: One dose of HPV vaccine in young girls might provide sufficient protection against persistent HPV infection. A one-dose schedule would reduce costs, simplify vaccine delivery, and expand access to the vaccine. Funding: UK Department for International Development/UK Medical Research Council/Wellcome Trust Joint Global Health Trials Scheme, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the US National Cancer Institute. Translation: For the KiSwahili translation of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section.

Objective. To describe the rationale and the method­ology of a multicenter project to study the etiology of breast cancer in young Latin American women. Materials and methods. The International Agency for Research on Cancer has established an international collaborative population-based case-control study in four countries in Latin America: Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, and Mexico (the PRECAMA study). Standardized methodologies were developed to collect information on reproductive variables, lifestyle, anthropometry, diet, clinical and pathological data, and biological specimens. The study will be extended to other countries in the region. Conclusion. PRECAMA is unique in its multidisciplinary approach that combines genet­ics, genomics, and metabolomics with lifestyle factors. The data generated through this project will be instrumental to identify major risk factors for molecular subtypes of breast cancer in young women, which will be important for pre­vention and targeted screening programs in Latin America.

Introducción. La estimación de la viabilidad de Ischaemum rugosum Salisb. con la prueba de tetrazolio es una medida para el estudio de la dinámica biológica de esta maleza. Objetivo. Evaluar los factores que afectan la viabilidad de I. rugosum Salisb. mediante la prueba de tetrazolio. Materiales y métodos. El trabajo se realizó en el Laboratorio Oficial de Análisis de Calidad de Semillas del Centro para Investigaciones en Granos y Semillas de la Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica; en octubre de 2015. Las semillas de I. rugosum Salisb. se sometieron a los siguientes tratamientos previo a la prueba de tetrazolio: almacenamiento de semilla (temperatura ambiente: 23,9 °C y temperatura refrigerada: 5 °C), imbibición (embebida y no embebida), corte de la cariópside (con corte y sin corte) y unidad propagativa (cariópside pequeña, cariópside grande y espiguilla). Se contaron como viables las semillas teñidas de manera uniforme. Resultados. Hubo interacción significativa entre temperatura de almacenamiento y unidad propagativa, la cariópside grande tuvo una mayor ventaja con respecto a cariópside pequeña (12,18 a 1) o la espiguilla (181,27 a 1) y este resultado fue más contundente bajo temperatura ambiente. Hubo interacción significativa entre unidad propagativa y corte, todas las semillas requirieron de corte para que el tetrazolio lograra teñir los tejidos, fue más concluyente el efecto en la semilla grande que en la espiguilla (1326,1 a 1) y que en la pequeña (7,39 a 1). La interacción de las temperaturas de almacenamiento e imbibición y corte e imbibición fue significativa. Las semillas sometidas a temperatura ambiente, embebidas (41,26 a 1) y con corte e imbibición (18,17 a 1) fueron más viables. Conclusión. La imbibición y el corte facilitaron la tinción, la semilla grande y el almacenamiento en temperatura ambiente influyeron sobre la viabilidad de I. rugosum Salisb.

Introducción. La germinación de Ischaemum rugosum Salisb. es desuniforme debido a la presencia de latencia, proceso que afecta su manejo e investigación. Objetivo. Evaluar tres métodos para la ruptura de latencia en semillas de I. rugosum Salisb. que permitan su germinación uniforme en condiciones controladas. Materiales y métodos. Tres experimentos se ejecutaron en el Laboratorio Oficial de Análisis de Calidad de Semillas del Centro para Investigaciones en Granos y Semillas de la Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica; de mayo a junio del 2016. En el primero se probaron nitrato de potasio y agua destilada, dos tiempos de imbibición, y un testigo sin imbibición. En el segundo se sometieron las semillas durante tres semanas a cuatro regímenes de temperatura constante (15 °C, 30 °C, temperaturas alternas 15 y 30 °C, y temperatura ambiental a 26 °C). En el tercero las semillas se colocaron en agua durante una hora a diferentes grados de calor (23, 30, 45 y 65 °C), se utilizó un testigo sin imbibición. Resultados. En el primer experimento los mejores tratamientos fueron 16 y 24 h de imbibición con nitrato de potasio. En el segundo experimento la temperatura fue un factor significativo, se alcanzó la germinación con tres temperaturas empleadas, solo con 15 °C no hubo germinación. En el tercer experimento la temperatura en el agua fue un factor significativo, la mayor germinación ocurrió en el tratamiento a 23 °C, mientras que a 65 °C no ocurrió germinación. Conclusión. Se descartó el uso de agua caliente como forma para romper latencia. Se concluye que los mejores tratamientos fueron KNO3 al 0,25 % por 16 o 24 h, mientras que el uso de agua solo fue efectiva en el tiempo de 16 h, en los tres casos alternando las temperaturas entre 15 y 30 °C.

Introducción. La ruptura de latencia de Ischaemum rugosum Salisb. es un aspecto crítico de su fisiología, por lo que su conocimiento resulta indispensable para establecer medidas acertadas acerca de su manejo. Objetivo. Determinar si la temperatura de almacenamiento y la escarificación influyen en la germinación de I. rugosum Salisb bajo condiciones controladas. Materiales y métodos. El trabajo se realizó en octubre del 2015, en la Estación Experimental Fabio Baudrit Moreno y en el Laboratorio Oficial de Análisis de Calidad de Semillas, ambos de la Universidad de Costa Rica. Se evaluó el efecto de la escarificación (semillas con glumas y semillas sin glumas), la temperatura de almacenamiento de la semilla (refrigerada a 5 °C y temperatura ambiente 23,9 °C) y la temperatura en la cámara de germinación (27 °C y 30 °C). Se contabilizaron las semillas germinadas para cada tratamiento. Resultados. Las interacciones dobles fueron significativas. La semilla almacenada a temperatura ambiente tuvo la ventaja de mayor germinación sobre la semilla no escarificada (2,35 a 1), y en este tipo de semilla la germinación se dio por igual en las dos temperaturas de la cámara de germinación. Con respecto a la semilla almacenada en refrigeración, la semilla escarificada tuvo una ventaja de germinar de 11,9 a 1 sobre la no escarificada. En el caso de la temperatura de germinación, 27 °C tuvo una ventaja de 11,3 a 1 sobre 30 °C. Conclusión. La temperatura de almacenamiento y la de la cámara de germinación tuvieron influencia sobre la germinación de semillas escarificadas y no escarificadas.

BackgroundHuman papillomavirus (HPV) infection is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections. However, only a small percentage of high-risk (HR) HPV infections progress to cervical precancer and cancer. In this study, we investigated the role of the cervicovaginal microbiome (CVM) in the natural history of HR-HPV.MethodsThis study was nested within the placebo arm of the Costa Rica HPV Vaccine Trial that included women aged 18-25 years of age. Cervical samples from two visits of women with an incident HR-HPV infection (n = 273 women) were used to evaluate the prospective role of the CVM on the natural history of HR-HPV. We focus specifically on infection clearance, persistence, and progression to cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 and 3 (CIN2+). The CVM was characterized by amplification and sequencing the bacterial 16S V4 rRNA gene region and the fungal ITS1 region using an Illumina MiSeq platform. OTU clustering was performed using QIIME2. Functional groups were imputed using PICRUSt and statistical analyses were performed using R.ResultsAt Visit 1 (V1) abundance of Lactobacillus iners was associated with clearance of incident HR-HPV infections (Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA)>4.0), whereas V1 Gardnerella was the dominant biomarker for HR-HPV progression (LDA>4.0). At visit 2 (V2), increased microbial Shannon diversity was significantly associated with progression to CIN2+ (p = 0.027). Multivariate mediation analysis revealed that the positive association of V1 Gardnerella with CIN2+ progression was due to the increased cervicovaginal diversity at V2 (p = 0.040). A full multivariate model of key components of the CVM showed significant protective effects via V1 genus Lactobacillus, OR = 0.41 (0.22-0.79), V1 fungal diversity, OR = 0.90 (0.82-1.00) and V1 functional Cell Motility pathway, OR = 0.75 (0.62-0.92), whereas V2 bacterial diversity, OR = 1.19 (1.03-1.38) was shown to be predictive of progression to CIN2+.ConclusionThis study demonstrates that features of the cervicovaginal microbiome are associated with HR-HPV progression in a prospective longitudinal cohort. The analyses indicated that the association of Gardnerella and progression to CIN2+ may actually be mediated by subsequent elevation of microbial diversity. Identified features of the microbiome associated with HR-HPV progression may be targets for therapeutic manipulation to prevent CIN2+.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT00128661.

BackgroundIn Latin America (LA), there is a high incidence rate of breast cancer (BC) in premenopausal women, and the genomic features of these BC remain unknown. Here, we aim to characterize the molecular features of BC in young LA women within the framework of the PRECAMA study, a multicenter population-based case-control study of BC in premenopausal women.MethodsPathological tumor tissues were collected from incident cases from four LA countries. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was performed centrally for ER, PR, HER2, Ki67, EGFR, CK5/6, and p53 protein markers. Targeted deep sequencing was done on genomic DNA extracted from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tumor tissues and their paired blood samples to screen for somatic mutations in eight genes frequently mutated in BC. A subset of samples was analyzed by exome sequencing to identify somatic mutational signatures.ResultsThe majority of cases were positive for ER or PR (168/233; 72%), and 21% were triple-negative (TN), mainly of basal type. Most tumors were positive for Ki67 (189/233; 81%). In 126 sequenced cases, TP53 and PIK3CA were the most frequently mutated genes (32.5% and 21.4%, respectively), followed by AKT1 (9.5%). TP53 mutations were more frequent in HER2-enriched and TN IHC subtypes, whereas PIK3CA/AKT1 mutations were more frequent in ER-positive tumors, as expected. Interestingly, a higher proportion of G:C>T:A mutations was observed in TP53 in PRECAMA cases compared with TCGA and METABRIC BC series (27% vs 14%). Exome-wide mutational patterns in 10 TN cases revealed alterations in signal transduction pathways and major contributions of mutational signatures caused by altered DNA repair pathways.ConclusionsThese pilot results on PRECAMA tumors give a preview of the molecular features of premenopausal BC in LA. Although the overall mutation burden was as expected from data in other populations, mutational patterns observed in TP53 and exome-wide suggested possible differences in mutagenic processes giving rise to these tumors compared with other populations. Further -omics analyses of a larger number of cases in the near future will enable the investigation of relationships between these molecular features and risk factors.

Las aves son el principal dispersor de semillas de los ecosistemas neotropicales y es importante entender su papel en la regeneración natural de los ambientes degradados. En este trabajo, analizamos la dispersión de semillas por aves residentes en dos remanentes de bosque ribereño urbano del río Torres, San José, Costa Rica. Visitamos los sitios cuatro veces por época, en época lluviosa, seca y transición seca-lluviosa. En cada visita colocamos redes de niebla de tamaño estándar para capturar aves, recolectar sus excretas y separar las semillas. En total capturamos 168 aves de 23 especies residentes (12 familias, cinco órdenes). Capturamos más individuos y especies en la transición seca-lluviosa, sin diferencia entre los sitios. La transición seca-lluviosa tuvo mayor cantidad total de semillas, mayor promedio de semillas por individuo y tasa de captura de semillas. Las aves residentes pueden adaptarse a diferentes escenarios y su papel en la dispersión de semillas debe promoverse en los ecosistemas urbanos.

Se evaluaron características de calidad y componentes de rendimiento en una progenie de 837 híbridos F 1 de papa, del cruce entre genotipos seleccionados por sus características de resis - tencia, producción y calidad del tubérculo. Las semillas sexuales se cultivaron bajo condiciones de invernadero y al momento de la cosecha se evaluó, para cada híbrido, las características de los tubérculos: color de piel y pulpa, profundidad de los ojos y número y masa total por planta. Pos - teriormente, los híbridos se sembraron durante 3 generaciones clonales en el campo. En cada ciclo se realizó una selección basada en su resistencia al tizón tardío ( Phytophthora infestans (Mont.) de Bary) y al minador de la hoja ( Liriomy - za huidobrensis Blanchard) y se descartaron aquellos con características no deseables en los tubérculos. En la tercera generación clonal en el campo se evaluaron, además, los componentes de rendimiento de cada híbrido y variables de calidad del tubérculo. Como resultado de estas evaluaciones se seleccionaron 19 híbridos al final de los 3 ciclos de evaluación en el campo. Los híbridos seleccionados presentan en su mayoría pulpa color crema, forma ovalada, piel lisa y ojos superficiales. Además, una producción media de un kilogramo por planta y altos contenidos de almidón y sólidos totales.

Quality characteristics and yield components were evaluated in an F1 progeny of 837 hybrids from a cross between potato genotypes selected for their characteristics of resistance, tuber yield and tuber quality. Sexual seed were grown under greenhouse conditions and tuber characteristics as skin and pulp color, eye depth, tuber number and total weight pert plant were assessed for each hybrid at harvest time. Thereafter, the hybrids were planted in the field through 3 clonal generations. In each cycle a selection based on resistance to late blight (Phytophthora infestans (Mont.) de Bary) and leafminer (Liriomyza huidobrensis Blanchard) was performed and those hybrids with undesirable characteristics in the tubers were also discarded. At harvest of the third clonal generation in the field, yield components and tuber quality of each hybrid were also recorded. As a result, 19 hybrids were selected at the end of the 3 cycles of field evaluation. Most of these hybrids show cream-colored flesh, oval shape, smooth skin and shallow eyes. Additionally, the hybrids yielded an average of one kilogram per plant, plus high contents of starch and total solids.

Several serological assays have been developed to detect antibodies elicited against infections with oncogenic human papillomavirus (HPV) type 16. The association between antibody levels measured by various assays and subsequent HPV infection risk may differ. We compared HPV16-specific antibody levels previously measured by a virus-like particle (VLP)-based direct enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) with levels measured by additional assays and evaluated the protection against HPV16 infection conferred at different levels of the assays.Replicate enrollment serum aliquots from 388 unvaccinated women in the control arm of the Costa Rica HPV vaccine trial were measured for HPV16 seropositivity using three serological assays: a VLP-based direct ELISA; a VLP-based competitive Luminex immunoassay (cLIA); and a secreted alkaline phosphatase protein neutralization assay (SEAP-NA). We assessed the association of assay seropositivity and risk of subsequent HPV16 infection over four years of follow-up by calculating sampling-adjusted odds ratios (OR) and HPV16 seropositivity based on standard cutoff from the cLIA was significantly associated with protection from subsequent HPV16 infection (OR = 0.48, CI = 0.27-0.86, compared with seronegatives). Compared with seronegatives, the highest seropositive tertile antibody levels from the direct ELISA (OR = 0.53, CI = 0.28-0.90) as well as the SEAP-NA (OR = 0.20, CI = 0.06, 0.64) were also significantly associated with protection from HPV16 infection.Enrollment HPV16 seropositivity by any of the three serological assays evaluated was associated with protection from subsequent infection, although cutoffs for immune protection were different. We defined the assays and seropositivity levels after natural infection that better measure and translate to protective immunity.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, particularly with type 16, causes a growing fraction of oropharyngeal cancers, whose incidence is increasing, mainly in developed countries. In a double-blind controlled trial conducted to investigate vaccine efficacy (VE) of the bivalent HPV 16/18 vaccine against cervical infections and lesions, we estimated VE against prevalent oral HPV infections 4 years after vaccination.A total of 7,466 women 18-25 years old were randomized (1∶1) to receive the HPV16/18 vaccine or hepatitis A vaccine as control. At the final blinded 4-year study visit, 5,840 participants provided oral specimens (91·9% of eligible women) to evaluate VE against oral infections. Our primary analysis evaluated prevalent oral HPV infection among all vaccinated women with oral and cervical HPV results. Corresponding VE against prevalent cervical HPV16/18 infection was calculated for comparison. Oral prevalence of identifiable mucosal HPV was relatively low (1·7%). Approximately four years after vaccination, there were 15 prevalent HPV16/18 infections in the control group and one in the vaccine group, for an estimated VE of 93·3% (95% CI = 63% to 100%). Corresponding efficacy against prevalent cervical HPV16/18 infection for the same cohort at the same visit was 72·0% (95% CI = 63% to 79%) (p versus oral VE = 0·04). There was no statistically significant protection against other oral HPV infections, though power was limited for these analyses.HPV prevalence four years after vaccination with the ASO4-adjuvanted HPV16/18 vaccine was much lower among women in the vaccine arm compared to the control arm, suggesting that the vaccine affords strong protection against oral HPV16/18 infection, with potentially important implications for prevention of increasingly common HPV-associated oropharyngeal cancer. ClinicalTrials.gov, Registry number NCT00128661.

Host genetic factors might affect the risk of progression from infection with carcinogenic human papillomavirus (HPV), the etiologic agent for cervical cancer, to persistent HPV infection, and hence to cervical precancer and cancer.We assessed 18,310 tag single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from 1113 genes in 416 cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 3 (CIN3)/cancer cases, 356 women with persistent carcinogenic HPV infection (median persistence of 25 months) and 425 randomly selected women (non-cases and non-HPV persistent) from the 10,049 women from the Guanacaste, Costa Rica HPV natural history cohort. For gene and SNP associations, we computed age-adjusted odds ratio and p-trend. Three comparisons were made: 1) association with CIN3/cancer (compared CIN3/cancer cases to random controls), 2) association with persistence (compared HPV persistence to random controls), and 3) progression (compared CIN3/cancers with HPV-persistent group). Regions statistically significantly associated with CIN3/cancer included genes for peroxiredoxin 3 PRDX3, and ribosomal protein S19 RPS19. The single most significant SNPs from each gene associated with CIN3/cancer were PRDX3 rs7082598 (P(trend)

HPV infrequently persists and progresses to cervical cancer. We examined host genetic factors hypothesized to play a role in determining which subset of individuals infected with oncogenic human papillomavirus (HPV) have persistent infection and further develop cervical pre-cancer/cancer compared to the majority of infected individuals who will clear infection.We evaluated 7140 tag single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from 305 candidate genes hypothesized to be involved in DNA repair, viral infection and cell entry in 416 cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 3 (CIN3)/cancer cases, 356 HPV persistent women (median: 25 months), and 425 random controls (RC) from the 10,049 women Guanacaste Costa Rica Natural History study. We used logistic regression to compute odds ratios and p-trend for CIN3/cancer and HPV persistence in relation to SNP genotypes and haplotypes (adjusted for age). We obtained pathway and gene-level summary of associations by computing the adaptive combination of p-values. Genes/regions statistically significantly associated with CIN3/cancer included the viral infection and cell entry genes 2',5' oligoadenylate synthetase gene 3 (OAS3), sulfatase 1 (SULF1), and interferon gamma (IFNG); the DNA repair genes deoxyuridine triphosphate (DUT), dosage suppressor of mck 1 homolog (DMC1), and general transcription factor IIH, polypeptide 3 (GTF2H4); and the EVER1 and EVER2 genes (p