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Mpox (monkeypox) is a zoonotic disease that has been endemic in African countries for decades, with a recent outbreak in several countries around the world. A 39-year-old male with HIV-HBV coinfection and poor adherence to antiretroviral treatment, who was severely immunocompromised and had a concurrent diagnosis of Mpox infection, presented to our hospital with disseminated dermatosis (over 350 lesions), perianal ulcers, odynophagia, oral intolerance, diarrhea, and soft-tissue bacterial superinfection of the lower extremities. Laboratory results were consistent with HBV infection, with an absolute CD4 cell count of 40 cells/uL and a positive PCR result for Mpox. An abdominopelvic CT scan showed evidence of severe proctitis and perineal soft-tissue infection. After 65 days of Mpox PCR, new lesions in the vesicular stage continued to appear, eventually developing hemodynamic instability and sepsis, resulting in a fatal outcome. Our case highlights the importance of intentionally looking for risk factors such as HIV/HBV coinfection and evaluating immune status (CD4 cell count) in patients with severe Mpox infection because it could be related to higher mortality.

The CRISPR-based genome editing technology has opened extremely useful strategies in biological research and clinical therapeutics, thus attracting great attention with tremendous progress in the past decade. Despite its robust potential in personalized and precision medicine, the CRISPR-based gene editing has been limited by inefficient in vivo delivery to the target cells and by safety concerns of viral vectors for clinical setting. In this review, recent advances in tailored nanoparticles as a means of non-viral delivery vector for CRISPR/Cas systems are thoroughly discussed. Unique characteristics of the nanoparticles including controllable size, surface tunability, and low immune response lead considerable potential of CRISPR-based gene editing as a translational medicine. We will present an overall view on essential elements in CRISPR/Cas systems and the nanoparticle-based delivery carriers including advantages and challenges. Perspectives to advance the current limitations are also discussed toward bench-to-bedside translation in engineering aspects.

We present the design and the numerical modeling of electrically-tunable plasmonic metasurface absorber based on the Babinet’s principle in the mid-infrared spectrum. The plasmonic metasurface consist of an array of gold nanoantennas on a dielectric layer followed by gold substrate in a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) configuration. A graphene layer placed on top of the array enables electrical tuning of the antenna optical response. Finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) -based simulations were carried out using a commercially implemented FDTD Solutions to obtain the optical response of the metasurface. Based on the Babinet’s principle, we design and numerically modeled the complementary metasurface. We found that, even with the graphene layer, the complementary metasurfaces comply with the Babinet’s principle. These metasurfaces can found application as electrically-tunable sources in the mid-infrared range.

“Dicen las gentes que viven por aquí, que la bugambilia no es bueno sembrarla, que porque donde se siembra, la gente se va (…) Pero no es cierto porque de esas (plantas) están llenos otros lados” (Anhelo, 50 años, comerciante). Palabras de Anhelo, quien ha visto regresar a sus hijos después de algunas estancias migratorias dentro y fuera del país. Este trabajo es sobre el retorno migratorio en dos localidades del municipio Texcatepec en el norte de Veracruz. Los escenarios y condiciones para el retorno tienen una gran diversidad por razones inherentes a procesos vitales, estructurales y de tomas de decisión, en los que migrantes (hombres y mujeres) han decidido volver a su lugar de origen. En este caso alguna de las dos localidades del municipio (donde este estudio se concentra), pero también zonas aledañas e incluso otras localidades rurales y urbanas en otros estados. Por lo cual interesa destacar que existe una integración de los procesos de retorno y los escenarios modelados por la historia de las migraciones interna e internacional. En esta investigación se analizan procesos de retorno en sus implicaciones socioculturales para la gente de Texcatepec y Ayotuxtla, dos localidades de la sierra otomí veracruzana, en el municipio de Texcatepec. El retorno migratorio, en mayor medida el tipo internacional, además de ser tema clásico en los estudios sobre migración, sigue siendo campo abierto de estudio para varias disciplinas. Incluso ha experimentado un auge reciente ante la reducción de las posibilidades de cruce hacia los Estados Unidos a partir del año de 2008. Por otro lado el endurecimiento de las condiciones de control de las fronteras, la política migratoria cada vez más rígida por parte del estado norteamericano y una crisis financiera global golpeando espacios laborales donde los migrantes tradicionalmente se han desempeñado”.

Group 3 innate lymphoid cells (ILC3s) are important regulators of the immune system, maintaining homeostasis in the presence of commensal bacteria, but activating immune defenses in response to microbial pathogens. ILC3s are a robust source of IL-22, a cytokine critical for stimulating the anti-microbial response. We sought to identify cytokines that can promote proliferation and induce or maintain IL-22 production by ILC3s and determine a molecular mechanism for this process. We identified IL-18 as a cytokine that cooperates with an ILC3 survival factor, IL-15, to induce proliferation of human ILC3s, as well as induce and maintain IL-22 production. To determine a mechanism of action, we examined the NF-κB pathway, which is activated by IL-18 signaling. We found that the NF-κB complex signaling component, p65, binds to the proximal region of the IL22 promoter and promotes transcriptional activity. Finally, we observed that CD11c+ dendritic cells expressing IL-18 are found in close proximity to ILC3s in human tonsils in situ. Therefore, we identify a new mechanism by which human ILC3s proliferate and produce IL-22, and identify NF-κB as a potential therapeutic target to be considered in pathologic states characterized by overproduction of IL-18 and/or IL-22.