Search

Abstract Intervalley excitons with electron and hole wavefunctions residing in different valleys determine the long-range transport and dynamics observed in many semiconductors. However, these excitons with vanishing oscillator strength do not directly couple to light and, hence, remain largely unstudied. Here, we develop a simple nanomechanical technique to control the energy hierarchy of valleys via their contrasting response to mechanical strain. We use our technique to discover previously inaccessible intervalley excitons associated with K, Γ, or Q valleys in prototypical 2D semiconductors WSe2 and WS2. We also demonstrate a new brightening mechanism, rendering an otherwise “dark” intervalley exciton visible via strain-controlled hybridization with an intravalley exciton. Moreover, we classify various localized excitons from their distinct strain response and achieve large tuning of their energy. Overall, our valley engineering approach establishes a new way to identify intervalley excitons and control their interactions in a diverse class of 2D systems.

DNA knots are deleterious for living cells if not removed. Several theoretical and simulation approaches address the question of how topoisomerases select the intermolecular passages that preferentially lead to unknotting rather than to the knotting of randomly fluctuating DNA molecules, but the formation of knots in vivo remains poorly understood. DNA knots form in vivo in non-replicating and replicating molecules, and supercoiling as well as intertwining are thought to play a crucial role in both the formation and resolution of DNA knots by topoisomerase IV. To confirm this idea, we used two-dimensional agarose gel electrophoresis run with different concentrations of chloroquine to demonstrate that non-replicating pBR322 plasmids grown in a topoisomerase I-defective E. coli strain (RS2λ) were more negatively supercoiled than in a wild-type strain (W3110) and, concurrently, showed significantly fewer knots. In this way, using wild-type and E. coli mutant strains, we confirmed that one of the biological functions of DNA supercoiling is to reduce the formation of DNA knots.

Abstract Background The expressions of a “wish to hasten death” or “wish to die” raise ethical concerns and challenges. These expressions are related to ethical principles intertwined within the field of medical ethics, particularly in end-of-life care. Although some reviews were conducted about this topic, none of them provides an in-depth analysis of the meanings behind the “wish to hasten death/die” based specifically on the ethical principles of autonomy, dignity, and vulnerability. The aim of this review is to understand if and how the meanings behind the “wish to hasten death/die” relate to and are interpreted in light of ethical principles in palliative care. Methods We conducted a meta-ethnographic review according to the PRISMA guidelines and aligned with Noblit and Hare’s framework. Searches were performed in three databases, Web of Science, PubMed, CINAHL, with no time restrictions. Original qualitative studies exploring the meanings given by patients, family caregivers and healthcare professionals in any context of palliative and end-of-life care were included. A narrative synthesis was undertaken. PROSPERO registration CRD42023360330. Results Out of 893 retrieved articles, 26 were included in the analysis, accounting for the meanings of a total of 2,398 participants. Several factors and meanings associated with the “wish to hasten death” and/or “wish to die” were identified and are mainly of a psychosocial and spiritual nature. The ethical principles of autonomy and dignity were the ones mostly associated with the “wish to hasten death”. Ethical principles were essentially inferred from the content of included articles, although not explicitly stated as bioethical principles. Conclusions This meta-ethnographic review shows a reduced number of qualitative studies on the “wish to hasten death” and/or “wish to die” explicitly stating ethical principles. This suggests a lack of bioethical reflection and reasoning in the empirical end-of-life literature and a lack of embedded ethics in clinical practice. There is a need for healthcare professionals to address these topics compassionately and ethically, taking into account the unique perspectives of patients and family members. More qualitative studies on the meanings behind a wish to hasten death, their ethical contours, ethical reasoning, and implications for clinical practice are needed.

Two-dimensional (2D) agarose gel electrophoresis is the method of choice to analyze DNA topology. The possibility to use E. coli strains with different genetic backgrounds in combination with nicking enzymes and different concentrations of norfloxacin improves the resolution of 2D gels to study the electrophoretic behavior of three different families of DNA topoisomers: supercoiled DNA molecules, post-replicative catenanes, and knotted DNA molecules. Here, we describe the materials and procedures required to optimize their separation by 2D gels. Understanding the differences in their electrophoretic behavior can help explain some important physical characteristics of these different types of DNA topoisomers.

Abstract Background Strokes may cause some swallowing difficulty or associated dysphagia in 25–80% of patients. This phenomenon has been linked to increased morbidity and mortality. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of transcranial direct current stimulation in patients with dysphagia in post-stroke patients. Methods A systematic search in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and MEDLINE was conducted. The articles must have to evaluate an intervention that included transcranial direct current stimulation; the sample had to consist exclusively of patients with post-stroke dysphagia; and the experimental design consisted of randomized controlled trial. Difference in mean differences and their 95% confidence interval were calculated as the between-group difference in means divided by the pooled standard deviation. The I2 statistic was used to determine the degree of heterogeneity. Results Of the 9 investigations analyzed, all applied transcranial direct current stimulation in combination with conventional dysphagia therapy to the experimental group. All the studies analyzed identified improvements in swallowing function and meta-analysis confirmed their strong effect on reducing the risk of penetration and aspiration (Hedges’s g = 0.55). The results showed that participants who received transcranial direct current stimulation significantly improved swallowing function. Conclusions Transcranial direct current stimulation has positive effects in the treatment of poststroke dysphagia by improving swallowing function, oral and pharyngeal phase times and the risk of penetration and aspiration. Furthermore, its combination with conventional dysphagia therapy, balloon dilatation with catheter or training of the swallowing muscles ensures improvement of swallowing function. PROSPERO registration ID CRD42022314949

Background/Objectives: Choline and essential fatty acids (EFA) are vital for fetal brain development, supporting pregnancy, and maintaining hormonal balance. They also promote overall health. The childbearing years present a window of opportunity to increase the intake of these key nutrients and develop healthy dietary habits. The aims of this study were to evaluate the intake of choline and EFA in women of childbearing age (15–49 years old), identify their food sources and determine if supplements containing choline and EFA were available across the Estudio Latinoamericano de Nutrición y Salud (ELANS) countries. Methods: Survey data were collected for the ELANS, including participants from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela (n = 9218; 15–65 years old). Women of childbearing age were extracted from the largest database (n = 3704). Results: In general, choline intake was inadequate in all countries, while EFA intake was normal or above requirements. Chile had the lowest intake of choline, and Colombia had the highest. The results showed that some countries had more inadequate choline intake than others. Consuming a larger quantity of eggs helped reduce choline inadequacy, as did including eggs and fish in the diet. The intake of EFA, including ALA, EPA, and DHA, showed variability. The contributions of EPA and DHA were lower than that of ALA, and the results differed by age group. Conclusions: choline intake is inadequate, and EFA intake is variable among women of childbearing age in the ELANS study. More awareness and education are needed to achieve better intake of these nutrients.

A continuación se realiza una recensión sobre el libro Instrumentos digitales de control empresarial y tutela de la privacidad del trabajador de Federico Navarro Nieto de la Colección Aranzadi Derecho Laboral, más concretamente en el marco del uso de sistemas de videovigilancia sobre los trabajadores por parte de los empresarios. Para su elaboración, su autor emplea como base la Ley Orgánica 3/2018 de Protección de Datos, así como el Reglamento (UE) 2016/679, el Estauto de los Trabajadores y otras normas nacionales e internacionales. Además, hará referencia a resoluciones de gran relevancia sobre el caso, que marcarán las pautas a seguir sobre las cuestiones controversiales de la videovigilancia oculta y el empleo de los sistemas de seguridad con fines laborales.

The Longosomatidae, a poorly known polychaete family, includes only 23 recognized species; in this study, based on morphometric and taxonomic analyses, we describe a new species with three morphotypes: Heterospio variabilis from the Gulf of California, Mexico. The specimens examined exhibit large morphological variations but were clearly separated from close species due to a unique combination of morphological characters: chaetiger 9 as the first elongated chaetiger, four to eight branchial pairs; chaetae from chaetiger 10 forming rings in two rows, posterior row with thin and robust capillaries, anterior row with subuluncini, aristate spines, acicular spines and thick acicular spines. With the discriminant analysis, carried out on 11 morphometric characters, the presence of three morphological groups were recognized (Wilks’ lambda= 0.093, p = 0.0001). However, the variables selected to discriminate the specimens (partial Wilks’ lambda > 0.57) were correlated to their size: number of branchiae, body width, prostomium width, rate length CH9/CH1-CH8, length CH1-CH8 and length CH9 (r > 0.5). So, we concluded that they belong to a single species with three morphotypes: morpho A with eight branchial pairs, morpho B with 5–6–7 pairs and morpho C with 4 pairs. No correlations between the distribution of the distinct morphotypes along the eastern gulf shelf and the environmental conditions where they settle were detected.

The spatial patterns of taxonomic diversity of annelid polychaete species from the continental shelf in the Southern Gulf of Mexico were examined in this study. We used taxonomic distinctness and its spatial variations to explore the diversity patterns and how they change between Southern Gulf of Mexico regions. In addition, using taxonomic distinctness as a dissimilarity measure and Ward's Clustering, we characterized three distinct faunal assemblages. We also investigated patterns of richness, taxonomic distinctness, and distance decay of similarity between sampling stations as a ß-diversity measure. Finally, we examined the spatial relationships between polychaete assemblages and environmental variables to test the relative importance of spatial and environmental components in annelid polychaete community structure from the Southern Gulf of Mexico. We used a combination of eigenvector-based multivariate analyses (dbMEMs) and distance-based redundancy analysis (dbRDA) to quantify the relative importance of these explanatory variables on the spatial variations of taxonomic distinctness. The significance level of spatial and environmental components to the distribution of polychaete species showed that the combined effect of spatial processes and sediment characteristics explained a higher percentage of the variance than those parameters could alone.

El presente estudio tiene como objetivo analizar la relación entre los indicadores de seguridad alimentaria, subalimentación y costo de la canasta alimentaria en el contexto de las políticas públicas en materia alimentaria en Venezuela, durante el periodo comprendido entre 2017 y 2022. Para ello, se llevó a cabo un análisis exhaustivo de los datos disponibles sobre la seguridad alimentaria en Venezuela, incluyendo información sobre la subalimentación, y el costo de la canasta alimentaria. Asimismo, se analizaron las políticas públicas implementadas en el país en materia alimentaria durante el periodo de estudio, con el fin de entender su impacto en los indicadores de seguridad alimentaria. Ninguna de las asociaciones estudiadas resultó ser significativa a nivel estadístico (p>0,05), por lo que, aunque teóricamente existe una relación entre estos indicadores en el período estudiado, el carácter multidimensional prevalece y hace compleja la posibilidad de comparaciones. Se identificaron las políticas públicas que requieren mejoras o ajustes para proteger la seguridad alimentaria del venezolano. Estos resultados obtenidos podrán ser de utilidad para los responsables de la toma de decisiones en el país, así como para los investigadores y profesionales interesados en el tema de la seguridad alimentaria y la nutrición.

Some hepatic wound models have been developed in pigs with the aim of reproducing liver injury; however, the wound shape, severity, and outcome differ among them. The novel injury profile employed in this study differed from that used elsewhere for standardized, repeatable, reproducible, incising-penetrating, vascular, and severe injury in swine. It is made with a cutting object that penetrates deep into the hepatic parenchyma, always affecting the two suprahepatic veins at the point where they merge into the common trunk.The primary outcome was reproducibility and replicability of the surgical method.The secondary outcome was the analysis of some variables (blood loss, survival, and flow) to validate the model. • This novel method of liver injury provides a liver injury with the following characteristics: standardized, incise-penetrated, deep, bloody, and severe. • This model can be used for research (trauma, hepato-bilio-pancreatic, pharmaceutical) and training (damage control surgery). • Method name: Incising-Penetrating, Vascular and Severe Liver Injury Model in Swine.

To date, the need for biomaterials capable of improving the treatment of chronic skin wounds remains a clinical challenge. The aim of the present work is to formulate and characterize chitosan (Cs)/hydrolyzed collagen (HC) films as potential biomaterials with improved mechanical and hydration performances compared to single component formulations. Films were made by the solvent casting method, with or without glycerin and/or PEG1500 as plasticizers, resulting in a total of eight formulations. All films were characterized by their physico-chemical characteristics and their mechanical and hydration features. A full factorial design was also used to statistically assess the effect of HC concentration, type and concentration of plasticizers and their possible interactions on mechanical and swelling behaviors. Solid state characterization confirmed the hybrid nature of the films, with suggested electrostatic interactions between Cs and HC. Mechanical and swelling properties, along with the analysis of the experimental design, allowed the identification of formulations containing high HC concentration (2% w/v) and glycerin or glycerin/PEG1500 as more suitable candidates for skin wound treatment. Finally, viability assay of immortalized human keratinocytes (HaCaT) showed no statistical differences in cell survival compared to the complete culture medium, suggesting their potential as a promising tool for biomedical applications.

Portal hypertension may have major consequences on the pulmonary vasculature due to the complex pathophysiological interactions between the liver and lungs. Portopulmonary hypertension (PoPH), a subset of group 1 pulmonary hypertension (PH), is a serious pulmonary vascular disease secondary to portal hypertension, and is the fourth most common subtype of pulmonary arterial hypertension. It is most commonly observed in cirrhotic patients; however, patients with noncirrhotic portal hypertension can also develop it. On suspicion of PoPH, the initial evaluation is by a transthoracic echocardiogram in which, if elevated pulmonary pressures are shown, patients should undergo right heart catheterization to confirm the diagnosis. The prognosis is extremely poor in untreated patients; therefore, management includes pulmonary arterial hypertension therapies with the aim of improving pulmonary hemodynamics and moving patients to orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). In this article, we review in detail the epidemiology, pathophysiology, process for diagnosis, and most current treatments including OLT and prognosis in patients with PoPH. In addition, we present a diagnostic algorithm that includes the current criteria to properly select patients with PoPH who are candidates for OLT.

Abstract Nations worldwide are mobilizing to harness the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) given its massive potential to shape global competitiveness over the coming decades. Using a dataset of 2.2 million AI papers, we study inter-city citations, collaborations, and talent migrations to uncover dependencies between Eastern and Western cities worldwide. Beijing emerges as a clear outlier, as it has been the most impactful city since 2007, the most productive since 2002, and the one housing the largest number of AI scientists since 1995. Our analysis also reveals that Western cities cite each other far more frequently than expected by chance, East–East collaborations are far more common than East–West or West–West collaborations, and migration of AI scientists mostly takes place from one Eastern city to another. We then propose a measure that quantifies each city’s role in bridging East and West. Beijing’s role surpasses that of all other cities combined, making it the central gateway through which knowledge and talent flow from one side to the other. We also track the center of mass of AI research by weighing each city’s geographic location by its impact, productivity, and AI workforce. The center of mass has moved thousands of kilometers eastward over the past three decades, with Beijing’s pull increasing each year. These findings highlight the eastward shift in the tides of global AI research, and the growing role of the Chinese capital as a hub connecting researchers across the globe.

Mechanical strain is a powerful tuning knob for excitons in two-dimensional semiconductors. Here, the authors find that under the application of strain, dark and localized excitons in monolayer WSe2 are brought into energetic resonance, forming a new hybrid state that inherits the properties of the constituent species.

Introducción: las dietas vegetarianas o que evitan las carnes animales incluyen a las dietas ovolactovegetarianas, veganas, entre otras variantes basadas en plantas. Objetivo: caracterizar el consumo de alimentos, estado nutricional antropométrico, nivel de actividad física y las motivaciones en una muestra de adultos vegetarianos provenientes de los estados Distrito Capital, Yaracuy y Carabobo de Venezuela. Materiales y métodos: fueron evaluados 51 adultos, 23,5% veganos y 76,5% ovolactovegetarianos, con edades entre 18 y 65 años. Se realizó un recordatorio de ingesta de alimentos en 24 horas, se tomaron indicadores de dimensión (IMC y circunferencia de cintura) y composición corporal (área muscular y porcentaje de grasa), se aplicó el instrumento IPAQ largo de actividad física y se preguntó por la principal motivación para seguir estas dietas. Resultados: la dieta resultó deficitaria en calorías (60,8%), baja en carbohidratos (72,5%) y grasas (58,8%), y elevada en proteínas (43,1%) y fibra dietética (70,6%). El estado nutricional antropométrico de los individuos resultó en un peso adecuado (62,7%), muscularidad (51%) y grasa (68,6%) promedio, y riesgo bajo según circunferencia de cintura (86,3%). El nivel de actividad física que prevaleció fue representado por las categorías moderada e intensa con 39,2% cada una. La mayoría decidió seguir la dieta vegetariana por razones de salud 72,5%. Conclusiones: la mayoría del grupo de estudio, a pesar de tener una dieta desequilibrada (baja en carbohidratos y grasas, pero alta en proteínas y fibra), presentó el estado nutricional antropométrico y niveles de actividad física en rangos aceptables.

Background: Disinformation and historical revisionism have been acknowledged as tools for foreign interference that belong to the landscape of hybrid threats. Historical revisionism plays an essential role in Russian foreign policy towards the post-Soviet space and is in strong relation with the concepts of Near Abroad and Russkii Mir (‘Russian World’) and with certain ideas contained in the neo-Eurasianist Movement. This article examines Russian revisionist narratives disseminated in information and influencing campaigns in Europe and against the West. Methods: This study uses a mixed methodology combining desk research, including literature review, and analysis of the EUvsDisinfo database of cases identified before the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Results: The manipulation of historical events has been largely employed by the Kremlin as a tool for foreign interference to achieve strategic objectives. First World War treaties, mainly the Trianon Peace Treaty, as well as the Second World War and the communist and fascist historical experiences in countries within the post-Soviet space, are the pivotal topics from which hostile influencing narratives are built. From the analysis of the EUvsDisinfo database, the article identifies seven topic themes. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that pre-emptively elaborated counter-narratives based on historical evidence and sound historiography can be an effective tool against hostile revisionist narratives that exploit vulnerabilities and specific target groups within European societies.

We show that classical hue cancellation experiments lead to human-like opponent curves even if the task is done by trivial (identity) artificial networks. Specifically, human-like opponent spectral sensitivities always emerge in artificial networks as long as (i) the retina converts the input radiation into any tristimulus-like representation, and (ii) the post-retinal network solves the standard hue cancellation task, e.g. the network looks for the weights of the cancelling lights so that every monochromatic stimulus plus the weighted cancelling lights match a grey reference in the (arbitrary) color representation used by the network. In fact, the specific cancellation lights (and not the network architecture) are key to obtain human-like curves: results show that the classical choice of the lights is the one that leads to the best (more human-like) result, and any other choices lead to progressively different spectral sensitivities. We show this in two ways: through artificial psychophysics using a range of networks with different architectures and a range of cancellation lights, and through a change-of-basis theoretical analogy of the experiments. This suggests that the opponent curves of the classical experiment are just a by-product of the front-end photoreceptors and of a very specific experimental choice but they do not inform about the downstream color representation. In fact, the architecture of the post-retinal network (signal recombination or internal color space) seems irrelevant for the emergence of the curves in the classical experiment. This result in artificial networks questions the conventional interpretation of the classical result in humans by Jameson and Hurvich.

El delito de falsificación de documentos no puede considerarse como un delito autónomo, toda vez que siempre formará parte de un delito principal o delito fin. Si se entiende que todo el que falsifica y/o utiliza un documento falso lo hace para engañar, es claro que en todos aquellos delitos en los que se utilice el documento falso formará parte del iter criminis del delito principal. Entonces, no puede fragmentarse un delito principal y crear distintos tipos que siempre formarán parte del delito principal, toda vez que se vulnerará el derecho fundamental al bis in idem. Analizado lo anterior, concluyo que no puede existir un bien jurídico en la falsedad documental, ya que la conducta forma parte del delito principal; en caso contrario, se sancionará dos veces por el mismo hecho.

Notomastus bermejoi sp. nov. from the Gulf of California shelf is described, illustrated, and compared with its congeners bearing hooded hooks in thoracic chaetigers. This new species is characterized by the presence of a prostomial palpode, only notopodia in the first chaetiger, hooded hooks in neuropodia of chaetiger 11, and its distinct methyl green staining pattern consisting of: chaetigers 1–4 slightly stained, chaetigers 5–10 with green bands encircling the segments, and a darker, solid, green band encircling the body in chaetigers 11–12. It is mainly distributed in the central Gulf of California in fine sand bottoms (62–96%) at 32–106.4 m depth, tolerating a wide range of temperature (13.2–17.59 °C), dissolved oxygen (0.8–4.93 ml/L), and organic carbon (3.0–7.2%). The type material and original descriptions of Notomastus species with hooks in thoracic chaetigers were examined; an identification key and tables with morphological distinctive characteristics, methyl green staining patterns, and geographic distribution of these close species are provided.

A pesar de existir varios mecanismos para la prevención y manejo de la parálisis cerebral, aún persisten dificultades, en especial en la edad pediátrica. Se presenta como objetivo comentar elementos inherentes a la prevención y manejo de la parálisis cerebral para su abordaje, desde el punto de vista del enfoque psicosocial, obtenidos de la revisión documental con la cual se inició un estudio que forma parte del proyecto de investigación Estrategias para el perfeccionamiento de la prevención y manejo de la Parálisis Cerebral en Camagüey que se ejecuta, desde enero de 2020 y hasta diciembre de 2022, bajo la dirección del Centro de Desarrollo de las Ciencias Sociales y Humanísticas en Salud, adscrito a la Universidad de Ciencias Médicas de Camagüey, en colaboración con los policlínicos José Martí Pérez y Rodolfo Ramírez Esquivel de las áreas de salud de la ciudad. Por su carácter la investigación es cuanticualitativa y se sustenta en la conceptualización y los procesos de evaluación de prevención y manejo de los programas de salud, lo que se evidencia en la forma de intercambiar durante la investigación, con los profesionales, así como expertos en ciencias sociales. Fueron consultados materiales y textos pertinentes a la temática desde el punto de médico y desde la visión del enfoque social de la situación de salud.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading causes of death and disability in the world. Among all CVD, the most common is coronary artery disease (CAD). CAD results from the complications promoted by atherosclerosis, which is characterized by the accumulation of atherosclerotic plaques that limit and block the blood flow of the arteries involved in heart oxygenation. Atherosclerotic disease is usually treated by stents implantation and angioplasty, but these surgical interventions also favour thrombosis and restenosis which often lead to device failure. Hence, efficient and long-lasting therapeutic options that are easily accessible to patients are in high demand. Advanced technologies including nanotechnology or vascular tissue engineering may provide promising solutions for CVD. Moreover, advances in the understanding of the biological processes underlying atherosclerosis can lead to a significant improvement in the management of CVD and even to the development of novel efficient drugs. To note, over the last years, the observation that inflammation leads to atherosclerosis has gained interest providing a link between atheroma formation and oncogenesis. Here, we have focused on the description of the available therapy for atherosclerosis, including surgical treatment and experimental treatment, the mechanisms of atheroma formation, and possible novel therapeutic candidates such as the use of anti-inflammatory treatments to reduce CVD.

ABSTRACT The ability of antibodies to neutralize severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is an important correlate of protection. For routine evaluation of protection, however, a simple and cost-efficient anti-SARS-CoV-2 serological assay predictive of serum neutralizing activity is needed. We analyzed clinical epidemiological data and blood samples from two cohorts of health care workers in Barcelona and Munich to compare several immunological readouts for evaluating antibody levels that could be surrogates of neutralizing activity. We measured IgG levels against SARS-CoV-2 spike protein (S), its S2 subunit, the S1 receptor binding domain (RBD), and the full length and C terminus of nucleocapsid (N) protein by Luminex, and against RBD by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and assessed those as predictors of plasma surrogate-neutralizing activity measured by a flow cytometry assay. In addition, we determined the clinical and demographic factors affecting plasma surrogate-neutralizing capacity. Both cohorts showed a high positive correlation between IgG levels to S antigen, especially to RBD, and the levels of plasma surrogate-neutralizing activity, suggesting RBD IgG as a good correlate of plasma neutralizing activity. Symptomatic infection, with symptoms such as loss of taste, dyspnea, rigors, fever and fatigue, was positively associated with anti-RBD IgG positivity by ELISA and Luminex, and with plasma surrogate-neutralizing activity. Our serological assays allow for the prediction of serum neutralization activity without the cost, hazards, time, and expertise needed for surrogate or conventional neutralization assays. Once a cutoff is established, these relatively simple high-throughput antibody assays will provide a fast and cost-effective method of assessing levels of protection from SARS-CoV-2 infection. IMPORTANCE Neutralizing antibody titers are the best correlate of protection against SARS-CoV-2. However, current tests to measure plasma or serum neutralizing activity do not allow high-throughput screening at the population level. Serological tests could be an alternative if they are proved to be good predictors of plasma neutralizing activity. In this study, we analyzed the SARS-CoV-2 serological profiles of two cohorts of health care workers by applying Luminex and ELISA in-house serological assays. Correlations of both serological tests were assessed between them and with a flow cytometry assay to determine plasma surrogate-neutralizing activity. Both assays showed a high positive correlation between IgG levels to S antigens, especially RBD, and the levels of plasma surrogate-neutralizing activity. This result suggests IgG to RBD as a good correlate of plasma surrogate-neutralizing activity and indicates that serology of IgG to RBD could be used to assess levels of protection from SARS-CoV-2 infection.

La producción científica sobre la pandemia COVID- 19 ha estado centrada sobre todo en las medidas de prevención y la atención al enfermo. Lo que al principio se comprendió como una infección respiratoria capaz de causar neumonía, ha demostrado ser una disfunción endotelial, por lo que es lógico pensar en su repercusión sexual. Se realizó una revisión de trabajos relacionados con dicho efecto en previas pandemias, con hincapié en la actual COVID- 19. Los trabajos coinciden en expresar que las condiciones de confinamiento, trabajo a distancia y limitación de actividad social, además del consiguiente efecto psicológico, ansiedad y manifestaciones depresivas, pueden ser capaces de provocar dificultades en el desempeño sexual masculino y femenino. Varios investigadores han demostrado vínculos entre la infección por COVID- 19 y la disfunción sexual eréctil, a la vez que se ha constatado un menoscabo del impulso y la respuesta sexual en el sexo femenino.

Background Mexican population databases for autosomal STRs are scarce, and no previous studies have been performed with the Qiagen Investigator 24plex GO! Aim To analyse the frequency of 21 autosomal short tandem repeat (STR) loci and forensic parameters in individuals from Veracruz state, Mexico. Subjects and methods A total of 234 unrelated individuals were analysed with the Investigator 24plex GO! Kit, which includes the following autosomal STRs: TH01, D3S1358, vWA, D21S11, TPOX, D1S1656, D12S391, SE33, D10S1248, D22S1045, D19S433, D8S133879, D2S1338, D2S441, D18S51, FGA, D16S539, CSF1PO, D13S317, D5S818, and D7S820. Allele frequencies, forensic parameters, and relationships with neighbouring Mexican populations were estimated. Results The STRs analysed were in Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium (HWE). The combined matching probability and combined PE were 1.5266 E-24 and 0.999999988711, respectively. The D18S51 and SE33 loci presented the highest Ho (0.8974 and 0.8932) and PE (0.7902 and 0.7815), respectively. The highest PIC (0.9337) and PD (0.9894) values corresponded to SE33. Conversely, D22S1045 had the lowest PIC and PE (0.5533 and 0.3546, respectively). A population cluster among southern Mexican populations, which included non-differentiation between Guerrero and Veracruz states was detected. Conclusion The forensic efficacy of the 21 STRs analysed by the Investigator 24plex GO! Kit was evaluated in the Veracruz state. Moreover, new population clusters that have not yet been described and are related to geographic regions were identified, and these are in agreement with previously reported ancestral differences.

Topoisomerase I (TopoI) in Streptococcus pneumoniae, encoded by topA, is a suitable target for drug development. Seconeolitsine (SCN) is a new antibiotic that specifically blocks this enzyme. We obtained the topARA mutant, which encodes an enzyme less active than the wild type (topAWT) and more resistant to SCN inhibition. Likely due to the essentiality of TopoI, we were unable to replace the topAWT allele by the mutant topARA version. We compared the in vivo activity of TopoIRA and TopoIWT using regulated overexpression strains, whose genes were either under the control of a moderately (PZn) or a highly active promoter (PMal). Overproduction of TopoIRA impaired growth, increased SCN resistance and, in the presence of the gyrase inhibitor novobiocin (NOV), caused lower relaxation than TopoIWT. Differential transcriptomes were observed when the topAWT and topARA expression levels were increased about 5-fold. However, higher increases (10–15 times), produced a similar transcriptome, affecting about 52% of the genome, and correlating with a high DNA relaxation level with most responsive genes locating in topological domains. These results confirmed that TopoI is indeed the target of SCN in S. pneumoniae and show the important role of TopoI in global transcription, supporting its suitability as an antibiotic target.

RESUMEN Objetivo: Demostrar el coste-efectividad de la cura en ambiente húmedo (CAH) sobre la cura tradicional (CT) en pacientes hospitalizados con úlceras por presión (UPP) de categorías I y II. Metodología: Estudio longitudinal comparativo, aleatorizado, abierto, dividido en dos grupos, tratados y seguidos durante 4 semanas. El tamaño de la muestra se calculó con base en el metaanálisis de Heyer. Creamos un árbol de decisión para comparar el coste-efectividad de cada cura. Los datos se recopilaron directamente de los formularios de informes de casos de pacientes y los costes se extrajeron de los registros hospitalarios. Realizamos análisis de sensibilidad y costeefectividad incrementales. Resultados: El análisis mostró un dominio de la CAH sobre la CT (223,00€/0,84 vs. 298,00€/0,51), ya que fue más rentable al final del estudio. La hospitalización fue más corta en la CAH y la curación se logró en menos días que con la CT, lo que tiene un impacto en los costes relacionados con los tiempos de atención de enfermería, gasto de recursos materiales y días de hospitalización de los pacientes. Conclusiones: La CAH es más coste-efectiva que la CT cuando se aplica a pacientes hospitalizados con UPP de categorías I y II.

Long-term characterisation of SARS-CoV-2 antibody kinetics is needed to understand the protective role of the immune response. Here the authors describe antibody levels and neutralisation activity in healthcare workers over seven months and investigate the role of immunity to endemic human coronaviruses.

Abstract It has been well documented that the tumor microenvironment (TME) plays a key role in the promotion of drug resistance, the support of tumor progression, invasiveness, metastasis, and even the maintenance of a cancer stem-like phenotype. Here, we reviewed TME formation presenting it as a reflection of a tumor’s own organization during the different stages of tumor development. Interestingly, functionally different groups of stromal cells seem to have specific spatial distributions within the TME that change as the tumor evolves into advanced stage progression which correlates with the fact that cancer stem-like cells (CSCs) are located in the edges of solid tumor masses in advanced tumors. We also focus on the continuos feedback that is established between a tumor and its surroundings. The “talk” between tumor mass cells and TME stromal cells, marks the evolution of both interlocuting cell types. For instance, the metabolic and functional transformations that stromal cells undergo due to tumor corrupting activity. Moreover, the molecular basis of metastatic spread is also approached, making special emphasis on the site-specific pre-metastatic niche formation as another reflection of the primary tumor molecular signature. Finally, several therapeutic approaches targeting primary TME and pre-metastatic niche are suggested. For instance, a systematic analysis of the TME just adjacent to the tumor mass to establish the proportion of myofibroblasts-like cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) which may in turn correspond to stemness and metastases-promotion. Or the implementation of “re-education” therapies consisting of switching tumor-supportive stromal cells into tumor-suppressive ones. In summary, to improve our clinical management of cancer, it is crucial to understand and learn how to manage the close interaction between TME and metastasis.

Abstract SARS-CoV-2 is a novel β-coronavirus that caused the COVID-19 pandemic disease, which spread rapidly, infecting more than 134 million people, and killing almost 2.9 million thus far. Based on the urgent need for therapeutic and prophylactic strategies, the identification and characterization of antibodies has been accelerated, since they have been fundamental in treating other viral diseases. Here, we summarized in an integrative manner the present understanding of the immune response and physiopathology caused by SARS-CoV-2, including the activation of the humoral immune response in SARS-CoV-2 infection and therefore, the synthesis of antibodies. Furthermore, we also discussed about the antibodies that can be generated in COVID-19 convalescent sera and their associated clinical studies, including a detailed characterization of a variety of human antibodies and identification of antibodies from other sources, which have powerful neutralizing capacities. Accordingly, the development of effective treatments to mitigate COVID-19 is expected. Finally, we reviewed the challenges faced in producing potential therapeutic antibodies and nanobodies by cell factories at an industrial level while ensuring their quality, efficacy, and safety.

Leukaemic stem cells drive acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) progression and relapse but they are incompletely characterized. Here, the authors combine single-cell transcriptomics and clonal tracking using nuclear and mitochondrial somatic variants to distinguish healthy, pre-leukaemic and leukaemic stem cells in AML.

The healing process of chronic wounds continues to be a current clinical challenge, worsened by the risk of microbial infections and bacterial resistance to the most frequent antibiotics. In this work, non-antibiotic nanohybrids based on chlorhexidine dihydrochloride and clay minerals have been developed in order to design advanced therapeutic systems aimed to enhance wound healing in chronic lesions. To prepare the nanohybrids, two methodologies have been compared: the intercalation solution procedure and the spray-drying technique, the latter as a one-step process able to reduce preparation times. Nanohybrids were then fully studied by solid state characterization techniques. Computational calculations were also performed to assess the interactions between the drug and the clays at the molecular level. In vitro human fibroblast biocompatibility and antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were assessed to check biocompatibility and potential microbicidal effects of the obtained nanomaterials. The results demonstrated the effective organic/inorganic character of the nanohybrids with homogeneous drug distribution into the clayey structures, which had been confirmed by classical mechanics calculations. Good biocompatibility and microbicidal effects were also observed, especially for the spray-dried nanohybrids. It was suggested that it could be due to a greater contact area with target cells and bacterial suspensions.

Saltwater intrusion into groundwater systems is a problem worldwide and is induced mainly by human activities, such as groundwater overexploitation and climate change. The coastal Los Planes aquifer in the southern part of the Baja California Peninsula (Mexico) is affected by seawater intrusion due to more than 40 years of groundwater overexploitation. A dataset of 55 samples was compiled, including 18 samples from our campaigns between 2014 and 2016. Several methods exist to define the impact of seawater in a coastal aquifer, such as the “seawater fraction”, the “Chloro-Alkaline Indices”, the “Hydrochemical Facies Evolution Diagram”, and the “Saltwater Mixing Index”. These methods provide reasonable results for most of the coastal zone of the Los Planes aquifer. A slight increase in mineralization was observed from 2014 to 2016 compared with the situation in 2003. However, in its northwestern part, samples from hydrothermal wells were not recognized by these methods. Here, the aquifer is affected mainly by thermal water with elevated mineralization, introduced through the El Sargento fault, a main fault, which cuts through the study area in the north–south direction. By considering known hydrothermal manifestations in the interpretation, samples could be classified as a combination of four end-members: fresh groundwater, seawater, and the composition of two types of thermal water. One thermal endmember with very low mineralization coincides with the thermal water described from the Los Cabos Block, where meteoric water represents the source (found in the Sierra la Laguna). The second endmember is comparable to coastal thermal manifestations where seawater represents the main source. Therefore, the higher mineralization in the northwestern zone is the result of the mobilization of thermal groundwater and direct mixing with seawater, which is introduced locally at the coast due to overextraction. This finding is important for future management strategies of the aquifer.

For many years, convolutional neural networks dominated the field of computer vision, not least in the medical field, where problems such as image segmentation were addressed by such networks as the U-Net. The arrival of self-attention-based networks to the field of computer vision through ViTs seems to have changed the trend of using standard convolutions. Throughout this work, we apply different architectures such as U-Net, ViTs and ConvMixer, to compare their performance on a medical semantic segmentation problem. All the models have been trained from scratch on the DRIVE dataset and evaluated on their private counterparts to assess which of the models performed better in the segmentation problem. Our major contribution is showing that the best-performing model (ConvMixer) is the one that shares the approach from the ViT (processing images as patches) while maintaining the foundational blocks (convolutions) from the U-Net. This mixture does not only produce better results (DICE=0.83) than both ViTs (0.80/0.077 for UNETR/SWIN-Unet) and the U-Net (0.82) on their own but reduces considerably the number of parameters (2.97M against 104M/27M and 31M, respectively), showing that there is no need to systematically use large models for solving image problems where smaller architectures with the optimal pieces can get better results.

The DNA topoisomerases gyrase and topoisomerase I as well as the nucleoid-associated protein HU maintain supercoiling levels in Streptococcus pneumoniae, a main human pathogen. Here, we characterized, for the first time, a topoisomerase I regulator protein (StaR). In the presence of sub-inhibitory novobiocin concentrations, which inhibit gyrase activity, higher doubling times were observed in a strain lacking staR, and in two strains in which StaR was over-expressed either under the control of the ZnSO4-inducible PZn promoter (strain ΔstaRPZnstaR) or of the maltose-inducible PMal promoter (strain ΔstaRpLS1ROMstaR). These results suggest that StaR has a direct role in novobiocin susceptibility and that the StaR level needs to be maintained within a narrow range. Treatment of ΔstaRPZnstaR with inhibitory novobiocin concentrations resulted in a change of the negative DNA supercoiling density (σ) in vivo, which was higher in the absence of StaR (σ = −0.049) than when StaR was overproduced (σ = −0.045). We have located this protein in the nucleoid by using super-resolution confocal microscopy. Through in vitro activity assays, we demonstrated that StaR stimulates TopoI relaxation activity, while it has no effect on gyrase activity. Interaction between TopoI and StaR was detected both in vitro and in vivo by co-immunoprecipitation. No alteration of the transcriptome was associated with StaR amount variation. The results suggest that StaR is a new streptococcal nucleoid-associated protein that activates topoisomerase I activity by direct protein-protein interaction.

The acquisition of resistance to traditional chemotherapy and the chemoresistant metastatic relapse of minimal residual disease both play a key role in the treatment failure and poor prognosis of cancer. Understanding how cancer cells overcome chemotherapy-induced cell death is critical to improve patient survival rate. Here, we briefly describe the technical approach directed at obtaining chemoresistant cell lines and we will focus on the main defense mechanisms against common chemotherapy triggers by tumor cells. Such as, the alteration of drug influx/efflux, the enhancement of drug metabolic neutralization, the improvement of DNA-repair mechanisms, the inhibition of apoptosis-related cell death, and the role of p53 and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in chemoresistance. Furthermore, we will focus on cancer stem cells (CSCs), the cell population that subsists after chemotherapy, increasing drug resistance by different processes such as epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), an enhanced DNA repair machinery, and the capacity to avoid apoptosis mediated by BCL2 family proteins, such as BCL-XL, and the flexibility of their metabolism. Finally, we will review the latest approaches aimed at decreasing CSCs. Nevertheless, the development of long-term therapies to manage and control CSCs populations within the tumors is still necessary.

Psychological work related to the fight and control of cancer is becoming increasingly important, taking into account that it is declared among the leading causes of death worldwide. The present scientific work aims to establish, from a theoretical point of view, the Home Psychological Care Strategy aimed at improving the prevention and treatment of cancer in the San Juan de Dios Popular Council, from a biopsychosocial approach, with an emphasis on Comprehensive home care for cancer patients and their families. In addition, the different stages that comprise it, their objectives and the actions that were carried out are exposed. For the pilot study, medical office 29 of the health area belonging to the José Martí Pérez University Polyclinic, in Camagüey, was selected. The current results derive from the research project Socio-psychological intervention strategy for the prevention and treatment of cancer in primary health care, which manages the Center for the Development of Social and Humanistic Sciences in Health, of the University of Medical Sciences of Camagüey and whose execution process corresponds to the period 2016-2021.

The rapid spread of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) emerging variants raises concerns about their capacity to evade immune protection provided by natural infection or vaccination. The receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the viral spike protein is the major target of neutralizing antibodies, and viral variants accumulate mutations in this region. In this study, we determined the antibody neutralization capacity against the RBD of SARS-CoV-2 variants Alpha (B.1.1.7), Gamma (P.1), Epsilon (B.1.427), Kappa (B.1.617.1), and Delta (B.1.617.2) in a cohort of healthcare workers naturally infected or receiving COVID-19 mRNA vaccines from Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech. We show that the five RBD variants displayed an augmented binding to ACE2 compared to the original Wuhan strain. The most significant increase was observed in variants Epsilon and Delta, containing mutation L452R. Using a flow cytometry cell-based assay, we found that SARS-CoV-2-infected subjects presented low levels of RBD-specific neutralizing antibodies against all variants analyzed, except Alpha. However, the neutralizing activity incremented considerably after a subsequent mRNA-vaccine dose, to levels significantly higher than those in naïve individuals receiving two vaccine doses. Importantly, we observed partially impaired neutralizing responses against most variants in fully vaccinated individuals. Variants Gamma and Kappa encompassing RBD E484K/Q mutations presented the highest neutralizing resistance. Furthermore, a wide heterogeneity in the magnitude of RBD-specific neutralizing responses against all tested SARS-CoV-2 variants following both mRNA vaccines was detected. Altogether, our findings provide important knowledge regarding SARS-CoV-2 vaccine-induced immunity, and should be very useful to guide future vaccination regimens and personalized vaccine approaches.

Two new species of Aricidea Webster, 1879 (Paraonidae), Aricidea (Acmira) anusakdii sp. nov. and Aricidea (Aricidea) thammapinanae sp. nov. were collected from 10–26.5 m depth, in soft bottoms with mud mixed with sand and shells at Songkhla Sea, the Gulf of Thailand between 2011–2018. Aricidea (Acmira) anusakdii sp. nov. is clearly distinguished from other species of the subgenus Acmira by having a rounded bilobed prostomium divided by a slight notch on the anterior margin; red pigments on the subdistal to the tip of each branchia (new character); two prebranchial chaetigers; 48–68 pairs of branchiae; and modified neurochaetae as strong curved spines with blunt shafts surrounded by pubescence from chaetigers 19–44. On the other hand, Aricidea (Aricidea) thammapinanae sp. nov. can be separated from other members of the subgenus Aricidea by the presence of a biarticulated median antenna; distinctive notopodial lobes as broad triangular with short distal protuberances on chaetiger 3, 4–8 pairs of branchiae; and modified neurochaetae as bidentate neurochaetae with a long pubescent subterminal arista on the concave side. All data have been archived and are freely available from the Dryad Digital Repository (https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.hqbzkh1cn).

Dietary protein intake is vital to life. Here we sought to characterize dietary sources of protein in eight Latin American countries. Survey data were collected for Estudio Latinoamericano de Nutrición y Salud (ELANS); participants were from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela (n = 9218, 15–65 years old). The primary aim of this analysis was to quantify per-person daily protein consumption by country and sociodemographic factors. Secondary aims: to quantify proportional intake of proteins by source, amount and processing, and to determine the adequacy of protein/essential amino acid intake. Younger groups (adolescents 15–19 years, adults 20–33 years) had the highest intake of proteins; middle-aged adults (34–49 years) had a lower intake, and older adults (50–65 years) had a strikingly lower intake. Protein consumption was higher in men than women. Animal proteins comprised nearly 70% of total daily protein intake in Argentina and Venezuela, contrasting with

The right to make autonomous decisions is enshrined in law. However, the question how persons with cognitive deficits can be enabled to make autonomous decisions has not been satisfactorily addressed. In particular, the concept of supported decision-making and its implementation into practice has been poorly explored for persons with dementia (PwD).This article describes the empirical development and implementation of support tools to enhance informed consent processes (so called enhanced consent procedures/ECP) for PwD on whether to undergo lumbar puncture. In the end of the process of pilot testing and further development of the tools, the following tools were defined: (1) Standardized Interview Structure, (2) Elaborated Plain Language, (3) Ambience and Room Design, (4) Keyword Lists, (5) Priority Cards, (6) Visualization, and (7) Simplified Written Informed Consent (Patient Information), as well as the general attitude (8) Person-Centered Attitude of the facilitator. As the development, implementation and evaluation of ECP tools is one objective of the transnational ENSURE project, we also include an overview of future empirical procedures. So far, our findings can serve as a selection of possibilities to support PwD in decision-making and help practitioners achieve an appropriate balance between the autonomy and protection of PwD in complex decision-making situation. Future studies should address the question if the proposed set of tools is effective to enhance informed consent processes in PwD.

TRPM8 is a non-selective cation channel expressed in primary sensory neurons and other tissues, including the prostate and urothelium. Its participation in different physiological and pathological processes such as thermoregulation, pain, itch, inflammation and cancer has been widely described, making it a promising target for therapeutic approaches. The detection and quantification of TRPM8 seems crucial for advancing the knowledge of the mechanisms underlying its role in these pathophysiological conditions. Antibody-based techniques are commonly used for protein detection and quantification, although their performance with many ion channels, including TRPM8, is suboptimal. Thus, the search for reliable antibodies is of utmost importance. In this study, we characterized the performance of six TRPM8 commercial antibodies in three immunodetection techniques: Western blot, immunocytochemistry and immunohistochemistry. Different outcomes were obtained for the tested antibodies; two of them proved to be successful in detecting TRPM8 in the three approaches while, in the conditions tested, the other four were acceptable only for specific techniques. Considering our results, we offer some insight into the usefulness of these antibodies for the detection of TRPM8 depending on the methodology of choice.

El objetivo fue conocer la estructura, diversidad y los servicios ecosistémicos del arbolado en cuatro parques de la ciudad de Texcoco de Mora, Estado de México. Se realizó un censo y análisis de los árboles existentes en las áreas verdes seleccionadas. Se determinó una población arbórea compuesta por 391 individuos, pertenecientes a 19 familias y 34 especies. Los taxones más comunes fueron Ficus benjamina (23 %), Schinus molle (13.8 %), Hesperocyparis lusitanica (10.2 %) y Ligustrum lucidum (10 %). El índice de Simpson (1-D) presentó un valor de 0.73 y el índice de Shannon-Wiener H’= 3.89, lo que indica una alta diversidad. Las tres especies más abundantes sobrepasan la regla de diversidad 10-20-30 de Santamour. Se estimaron tres servicios ecosistémicos principales a través del software i-Tree Eco v6: almacén de C, captura de C y producción de O2. El arbolado evaluado almacenó 28.85 Mg C ha-1, capturó 2.56 Mg C año-1 y produjo un total de 6 Mg O2 año-1. Además de lo anterior, se calculó que los árboles removieron un total de 0.06 Mg año-1 de contaminantes y contribuyeron a reducir la escorrentía del agua de lluvia en 107.9 m3 año-1. La información generada es útil para la administración y conservación del recurso arbóreo, así como en la valoración del arbolado de la ciudad de Texcoco.

The impacts of climate change put pressure onto environmental and natural resources, which in turn increases the vulnerability of ecosystems and human communities. This makes social participation essential for biodiversity conservation. This article addresses the community perceptions of the adaptations made to climate change in the El Vizcaino Biosphere Reserve (REBIVI), in Baja California Sur (Mexico), one of the largest natural protected areas in Latin America. Workshops with local communities defined the Socio-ecological Assets for Conservation (SEACs) and prioritized the adaptation strategies and actions by multicriteria analysis. The conclusions point out that a combination of ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) and communities-based adaptation (CbA) is the most appropriate pathway to affront the adverse impacts of climate change. Thus, a socioecological approach for land and biodiversity use planning has to be implemented if both human welfare and conservation are to be effectively promoted. The process is necessary and very important, as is the participation of the local residents in the implementation and monitoring of the adaptation actions.

The increase in cancer incidences shows that there is a need to better understand tumour heterogeneity to achieve efficient treatments. Interestingly, there are several common features among almost all types of cancers, with chronic inflammation induction and deaminase dysfunctions singled out. Deaminases are a family of enzymes with nucleotide-editing capacity, which are classified into two main groups: DNA-based and RNA-based. Remarkably, a close relationship between inflammation and the dysregulation of these molecules has been widely documented, which may explain the characteristic intratumor heterogeneity, both at DNA and transcriptional levels. Indeed, heterogeneity in cancer makes it difficult to establish a unique tumour progression model. Currently, there are three main cancer models—stochastic, hierarchic, and dynamic—although there is no consensus on which one better resembles cancer biology because they are usually overly simplified. Here, to accurately explain tumour progression, we propose interactions among chronic inflammation, deaminases dysregulation, intratumor genetic heterogeneity, cancer phenotypic plasticity, and even the previously proposed appearance of cancer stem-like cell populations in the edges of advanced solid tumour masses (instead of being the cells of origin of primary malignancies). The new tumour development model proposed in this study does not contradict previously accepted models and it may open up a window to interesting therapeutic approaches.

Venezuela is currently in a difficult social, political, and economic situation that has exposed people to many factors, including socioeconomic disadvantages, food insecurity, and lack of access to healthy and nutritious foods. These factors are associated with low dietary diversity, especially for economically dependent university students. In this study, we aimed to identify the associations between socioeconomic status, food security, and dietary diversity among sociology students at the Central University of Venezuela (UCV). This cross-sectional study was conducted between June and November 2016 on a simple random sample of 270 students. Indicators were calculated using data collected by the Mendez-Castellano socioeconomic questionnaire, the Community Childhood Hunger Identification Projects Scale of Food Security adapted and validated for Venezuelans (Cronbach's alpha = 0.898), and the validated dietary diversity scale for individuals. The rate response was 100%. It was observed that most of the sample is located between the socioeconomic status of the rich and middle class (82.6%), presents some degree of food insecurity (85.9%), and maintains a diet with low dietary diversity (54.8%). Our main finding is that the socioeconomic status in the households of those students is not associated with either their food security level or their dietary diversity, but these constructs are related in a significant statistical way. In particular, the odds of a student household having a diverse diet instead of a monotonous diet are 3.92 (95% CI: 2.91; 4.93) times greater for those in food security instead of moderate/severe food insecurity. It is concluded that these students have a multifactorial critical food situation, in which the food right is violated, which could affect their permanence and academic performance.