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Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is highly immunogenic and high levels of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) have been associated with a better prognosis and higher probability to achieve pathological complete response. Here, we explore the potential role of stromal TILs level and composition as a prognostic and predictive biomarker in TNBC. 195 Tumor biospecimens from patients diagnosed with TNBC were included. Stromal TILs (sTILs), positive CD4/CD8 cells were evaluated. Differences in clinic-pathological characteristics according to immune infiltration were assessed. The predictive and prognostic value of immune infiltration was analyzed by multivariate models. Higher immune infiltration was observed in patients with favorable clinical-pathological features. Survival analysis showed that longer overall survival times were observed in patients with a higher infiltration of sTILs (p = 0.00043), CD4 + (p = 0.0074) and CD8 + (p = 0.008). In the multivariate analysis, low levels of sTILs were found to be associated with a higher mortality hazard (HR: 1.59, 95% CI 1.01-2.48). CD4 and CD8 immune infiltration were associated with higher odds for pathological complete response (OR: 1.20, 95% CI 1.00-1.46, OR: 1.28, 1.02-1.65, respectively). Our results suggest that immune infiltration could be used as a prognostic marker for overall survival in TNBC patients.

BackgroundOur previous study reported higher mRNA levels of the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-amplicon genes ERBB2 and GRB7 in estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer patients with relatively high Indigenous American (IA) ancestry from Colombia. Even though the protein expression of HER2 and GRB7 is highly correlated, they may also express independently, an event that could change the patients' prognosis. In this study, we aimed to explore the differences in ER, HER2 and GRB7 protein expression according to genetic ancestry, to further assess the clinical implications of this association.MethodsWe estimated genetic ancestry from non-tumoral breast tissue DNA and assessed tumoral protein expression of ER, HER2, and GRB7 by immunohistochemistry in a cohort of Colombian patients from different health institutions. We used binomial and multinomial logistic regression models to test the association between genetic ancestry and protein expression. Kaplan-Meier and log-rank tests were used to evaluate the effect of HER2/GRB7 co-expression on patients' survival.ResultsOur results show that patients with higher IA ancestry have higher odds of having HER2+/GRB7- breast tumors, compared to the HER2-/GRB7- subtype, and this association seems to be stronger among ER-positive tumors (ER+/HER2+/GRB7-: OR=3.04, 95% CI, 1.47-6.37, p

ABSTRACT Background Materials & Methods Results Discussion Conclusion In Latin America, there is a high incidence of vampire bat‐transmitted rabies in cattle causing increased mortality of livestock, which heavily impacts the agricultural sector. Anticoagulants‐based control methods for the common vampire bat (Desmodus rotundus) have been employed continuously since the 1970s with various methods of application, presentations, doses and active ingredients. Studies from half a century ago still serve as a reference for the current use of anticoagulants for bat‐borne rabies control in Latin America. The objective of this study was to structurally and bibliometrically review literature on the use of anticoagulants for the control of D. rotundus as a means of rabies control.Scientific literature on the use of anticoagulant products for D. rotundus control was obtained, reviewed and analysed. Articles were retrieved from Scopus and Web of Science databases. Research articles from 1971 to 2021 in Spanish, English and Portuguese were included in the review. Results were visualised using RStudio, Bibliometrix and VOSviewer.The body of literature indicates effectiveness of up to 100% in the use of anticoagulants to induce bat mortality. The effectiveness of anticoagulants for rabies control, however, remains uncertain. No evidence was found to support or refute the use of anticoagulants for rabies control.Instead, literature suggests that disturbing bat colonies increases rabies prevalence. This finding suggests that anticoagulants may have the opposite intended effect on rabies control and highlights the importance of further research on the practical methods for bat‐borne rabies prevention.Field experimental studies that include control groups over areas and periods that account for D. rotundus ecology are needed to determine the effectiveness of anticoagulants for rabies control in livestock. In conclusion, the use of anticoagulants for rabies control is questionable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2022, 65.1% of people without access to at least basic water services and 44.6% of people without access to at least basic sanitation services in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) lived in rural areas. Addressing the disparity of access to drinking water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services requires appropriate and differentiate regulation for rural areas. This paper presents the results of a research and consultation process, with more than 80 experts in governance and WASH from 14 regulators and other WASH institutions in LAC on regulatory priorities for rural areas in the region. The 11 priorities identified are related to the development of rural services governance, support to rural service providers and users' role. These priority areas include the formalization and association of providers, the definition of specific service delivery standards for rural areas, the design of subsidies and non-economic incentives, training and technical assistance to providers, inter-institutional coordination and peer learning, information reporting, integrated management of water resources, and the promotion of user's participation and accountability, behavioral change programmes, gender equity and an intercultural approach. While promising experiences are presented in all areas, we propose that collective action is required to transform rural WASH regulation into a supportive, collaborative and integrative function that improves quality access to sustainable and resilient WASH services in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mexico's fiscal response to the needs arising from the COVID-19 pandemic was among the lowest compared to other Latin American countries. This study examines the fiscal effort at the state level in Mexico over a 27-year period, using a panel database that includes all 31 states of the Republic. The results obtained through a generalized least squares model (GLS) suggest that the dependence of state governments on federal transfers is unsustainable. It is concluded that there is a need to enhance the resilience of state public finances to address the increasing local needs and unexpected challenges, such as those brought on by the COVID-19 health crisis. As a suggestion, the reconfiguration of taxes related to tourism and the introduction of specific taxes for nature-based tourism are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Instructional practices can be strengthened when the education system allows teachers to upgrade themselves professionally, and leadership plays a key role in upgrading their professional competencies. In this regard, the current study aims to explore the role of identified leadership practices in enhancing the professional development of primary school teachers. At the same time, the moderation role of training between the association of identified leadership practices and teachers' professional development was also examined. The study followed a descriptive survey research design headed by questionnaires to collect the data, which was analysed through the different statistical tests. The findings of the study provide evidence that leadership practices contribute significantly in developing teachers' professional competencies by specifying the benefits of different identified leadership roles. Meanwhile, the study implied explicitly that training magnifies the positive effect of identified leadership practices on the professional development of teachers. The findings further suggest that school heads should perform their leadership tasks regularly and pay more focus to the training of teachers to upgrade their professional skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been used in online education for at least a decade, with recent emphasis on teaching-learning processes. The objective of this article is to share the preliminary results of a research on the development of a Recommender System (SR) of educational resources to be applied in an online high school. Under the Design-Based Research methodology, once the algorithm for the SR was developed, it was fed with information from the rubric of an activity and its grade, plus database of resources, made up of images, videos, audios and texts. The results show that SR applied to educational resources favor teaching and learning processes in online education. One of the limitations of the research is that, so far, the SR has only been tested in digital simulators and not in an institutional high school platform. However, with the results of this project, using AI solutions, we can verify contributions to the learning processes in online education. Among the conclusions, multidisciplinary work in AI and education is recognized as a strategy for strengthening learning processes in virtual learning environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: HER2-low breast cancer is a newly recognized subtype that has shown promising responses to treatment with antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs). However, there is still little known about its clinical and molecular characteristics. In this study, we examined the clinical and pathological features, survival rates, and expression of HER2-related genes in Colombian patients with HER2-low breast cancer, comparing them to HER2-negative and positive groups. We found that HER2-low tumors were better differentiated and had a lower proliferation index compared to HER2-positive tumors. Additionally, compared to HER2-negative cases, HER2-low patients had higher mRNA expression of the ERBB2 gene and longer overall survival rates. Despite these findings, there were no significant differences in survival when adjusted for estrogen receptor status and clinical stage. These results highlight the need for further research on HER2-low breast cancer to optimize treatment strategies for this unique group. HER2-low tumors have shown promise in response to antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs) in recent clinical trials, underscoring the need to characterize this group's clinical phenotype. In this study, we aimed to explore the clinicopathological features, survival rates, and HER2 amplicon mRNA expression of women affected with HER2-low breast cancer, compared with HER2-negative and HER2-positive groups. We included 516 breast cancer patients from Colombia, for whom we compared clinicopathological features, mRNA expression of three HER2 amplicon genes (ERBB2, GRB7 and MIEN1), survival and risk of mortality between HER2-low cases (1+ or 2+ with negative in situ hybridization (ISH) result) with HER2-positive (3+ or 2+ with positive ISH test) and HER2-negative (0+) cases. A higher proportion of patients with better-differentiated tumors and a lower proliferation index were observed for HER2-low tumors compared to the HER2-positive group. Additionally, HER2-low tumors showed higher mRNA expression of the ERBB2 gene and longer overall survival rates compared to HER2-negative cases. Nonetheless, a Cox-adjusted model by ER status and clinical stage showed no statistically significant differences between these groups. Our results show differences in important clinicopathological features between HER2-low and both HER2-positive and negative tumors. Given this unique phenotype, it is crucial to evaluate the potential advantages of ADC therapies for this emerging subtype of breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogels were prepared from methyl methacrylate, glycerol, and sulfuric or citric acid. A novel route for the synthesis of crosslinked materials using unconventional initiators was evaluated using a 23 factorial experimental design. Effects of independent variables (polymerization time, type, and acid concentration) were statistically analyzed through ANOVA. The synthesis route includes condensation, free-radical and transesterification reactions with modifications of the polymer chemical properties such as the formation of a crosslinking polyester with polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) and improvement of the mechanical and thermal properties of the hydrogel. A polymerization time of 4-hour produced the highest amount of material when 1.37 g sulfuric acid was used and 3.46 g when citric acid was added. The polymer synthesized with citric acid has a swelling rate up to 214.6%, compared with the materials produced with sulfuric acid that reach up to 31.3% of water absorption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breast cancer health disparities are linked to clinical-pathological determinants, socioeconomic inequities, and biological factors such as genetic ancestry. These factors collectively interact in complex ways, influencing disease behavior, especially among highly admixed populations like Colombians. In this study, we assessed contributing factors to breast cancer health disparities according to genetic ancestry in Colombian patients from a national cancer reference center. We collected non-tumoral paraffin embedded (FFPE) blocks from 361 women diagnosed with breast cancer at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to estimate genetic ancestry using a 106-ancestry informative marker (AIM) panel. Differences in European, Indigenous American (IA) and African ancestry fractions were analyzed according to potential sources of breast cancer health disparities, like etiology, tumor-biology, treatment administration, and socioeconomic-related factors using a Kruskal–Wallis test. Our analysis revealed a significantly higher IA ancestry among overweight patients with larger tumors and those covered by a subsidized health insurance. Conversely, we found a significantly higher European ancestry among patients with smaller tumors, residing in middle-income households, and affiliated to the contributory health regime, whereas a higher median of African ancestry was observed among patients with either a clinical, pathological, or stable response to neoadjuvant treatment. Altogether, our results suggest that the genetic legacy among Colombian patients, measured as genetic ancestry fractions, may be reflected in many of the clinical-pathological variables and socioeconomic factors that end up contributing to health disparities for this disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With increasing violence, political, and economic instability in Latin America, there is a record number of migrants crossing the U.S. southern border. Latin American migrants are often exposed to traumatic events before leaving their home country and during migration. While prior studies document that sex may play a role in types of traumatic exposure, few studies compare differences in traumatic exposure by sex and place of occurrence of recently arrived immigrants. Addressing this gap, we recruited 120 adults who had recently crossed the U.S.-Mexico border. Participants completed questionnaires to characterize trauma exposures in their home country and during their migration journey. Results found that men reported higher levels of exposure to combat situations, while women were more likely to experience sexual assault. Both combat exposure and sexual traumas occurred more often in home countries than during migration. More than half of the full sample reported being threatened with a firearm. These data confirm gender differences in type of trauma and that exposures in the country of origin may provide the impetus to migrate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Educational video games have emerged as innovative tools that seamlessly integrate learning with interactive entertainment, offering immersive virtual environments where individuals of all ages can engage with complex real-world scenarios, such as armed conflicts. Based on a literature review, this paper analyzes the opportunities and challenges associated with the use of educational video games in the context of armed conflicts--particularly the Colombian conflict. Furthermore, it highlights their potential to foster critical understanding of historical and social events and examines the evaluation methods used in existing literature to assess their teaching effectiveness. To that end, the study involved three phases: a preliminary literature review, a systematic review following the PRISMA methodology, and a bibliometric analysis using R Studio software. From an initial sample of 250 documents, 100 were selected based on rigorous inclusion criteria. The results show that educational video games can transform teaching and learning by fostering reflection, encouraging critical debate, and promoting the development of critical thinking and empathy. However, the analysis also identified ethical and technical challenges in the implementation of these tools, along with the need for multidimensional evaluations to ensure their effectiveness in diverse educational settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]