Little is known about the role of WhatsApp in spreading misinformation during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico. The aim of this study is to analyze the message content, format, authorship, time trends and social media distribution channels of misinformation in WhatsApp messages in Mexico. From March 18 to June 30, 2020 the authors collected all WhatsApp messages received via their personal contacts and their social networks that contained information about COVID-19. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the scientifically inaccurate messages and the relationship between variables, respectively. Google image and video searches were carried out to identify sharing on other social media. Out of a total of 106 messages, the most frequently mentioned COVID-19 related message topics were prevention (20.0%), conspiracy (18.5%), therapy (15.4%) and origin of the virus (10.3%), changing throughout the pandemic according to users' concerns. Half of all WhatsApp messages were either images or videos. WhatsApp images were also shared on Facebook (80%) and YouTube (~50%). Our findings indicate that the design of information and health promotion campaigns requires to be proactive in adapting to the changes in message content and format of misinformation shared through encrypted social media.

To analyse the relevance and quality of the research proposals submitted to the 2016 call for proposals for the initiative Improving Programme Implementation through Embedded Research (iPIER-2016) to address current public health challenges in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Recent literature uses different terms and approaches to the collaboration between researchers and health system decision-makers in the research process. In 2012, the World Health Organisation proposed to "Embed research within decision-making processes". Yet, important contributions use other terms and perspectives for the same issue. This scoping review aimed to identify these terms, approaches, their application and eventual influence on the utilization of evidence.

There has been an interest in the microbial azo dye degradation as an optional method for the treatment of azo dye-containing wastes. Tattoo ink is an extremely unique azo dye-rich environment, which have never been explored in terms of microorganisms capable of degrading azo dyes. Previously, we isolated 81 phylogenetically diverse bacteria, belonging to 18 genera and 52 species, contaminated in tattoo inks. In this study, we investigated if these bacteria, which can survive in the azo dye-rich environment, have an ability to degrade azo dyes.

Episiotomy in Mexico is highly prevalent and often routine - performed in up to 95% of births to primiparous women. The WHO suggests that episiotomy be used in selective cases, with an expected prevalence of 15%. Training programs to date have been unsuccessful in changing this practice. This research aims to understand how and why this practice persists despite shifts in knowledge and attitudes facilitated by the implementation of an obstetric training program.

Front-of-pack food labels (FOPL) can help consumers make healthy and informed food choices. FOPL are used in the food market but evaluations of their understanding and acceptability are scanty. This study aimed to explore the subjective understanding and acceptability of four FOPL among Hispanic consumers.

The effects of helium and argon plasma treatments on inactivation of both pure bacterial cultures inoculated onto the surface of agarized media and the surface microbiota of meat were investigated. Cold plasmas were generated by high voltage discharge at low pressure (20 kPa) for 2, 5, and 10 min. The number of viable microorganisms was determined using a plate count method. Morphological changes were observed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Microbial log reduction depended on time of exposure and type of gas used. After a 10-min treatment with helium plasma, the total number of microorganisms, yeasts and molds, and psychrotrophic microorganisms was reduced in the range of 1.14-1.48 log cycles for pork and 0.98-2.09 log cycles for beef. A significant reduction of 2.00 log for and was achieved within 2 min of helium plasma treatment. Similar results were obtained for , nd after 5 min and 10 min of exposure. SEM revealed disruption and lysis of cells treated with helium plasma for 10 min, suggesting a bactericidal effect.

Reaction of soil bacteria to drought and rewetting stress may depend on soil chemical properties. The objectives of this study were to test the reaction of different bacterial phyla to drought and rewetting stress and to assess the influence of different soil chemical properties on the reaction of soil bacteria to this kind of stress. The soil samples were taken at ten forest sites and measured for pH and the contents of organic C (C) and total N (N), Zn, Cu, and Pb. The samples were kept without water addition at 20 - 30 °C for 8 weeks and subsequently rewetted to achieve moisture equal to 50 - 60 % of their maximum water-holding capacity. Prior to the drought period and 24 h after the rewetting, the structure of soil bacterial communities was determined using pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA genes. The drought and rewetting stress altered bacterial community structure. Gram-positive bacterial phyla, and , increased in relative proportion after the stress, whereas the Gram-negative bacteria in most cases decreased. The largest decrease in relative abundance was for and . For several phyla the reaction to drought and rewetting stress depended on the chemical properties of soils. Soil pH was the most important soil property influencing the reaction of a number of soil bacterial groups (including all classes of , , , and others) to drought and rewetting stress. For several bacterial phyla the reaction to the stress depended also on the contents of N and C in soil. The effect of heavy metal pollution was also noticeable, although weaker compared to other chemical soil properties. We conclude that soil chemical properties should be considered when assessing the effect of stressing factors on soil bacterial communities.

In the present study, a FPL strain exhibiting fructophilic behavior has been isolated for the first time from honeydew. It is a probably syntrophic bacterium inhabiting the gastrointestinal tract of L. and taking part in sugar metabolism. The promising growth characteristics and biochemical properties of FPL indicate that this may be a facultatively fructophilic species, whose properties are not associated with the loss of the alcohol/acetaldehyde dehydrogenase gene. The article attempts to classify the peculiar behavior of this strain by means of tests that are characteristic for FLAB as well as through a classic identification approach. In this study, we used a reference strain NRRL B-4496, which showed no fructophilic properties. With the FLAB group, the new strain shares the habit, such as a fructose-rich environment, the preference of this sugar for growth, and similar growth curves. However, it exceeds FLAB in terms of osmotolerance to high sugar content. The fructophilic FPL strain can proliferate and grow on a medium wherein the sugar concentration is 45 and 50% (/). Our findings indicate that honeydew can be a promising source of new fructophilic lactic acid bacteria.

The complete mineralization of crude oil into carbon dioxide, water, inorganic compounds and cellular constituents can be carried out as part of a bioremediation strategy. This involves the transformation of complex organic contaminants into simpler organic compounds by microbial communities, mainly bacteria. A crude oil sample and an oil sludge sample were obtained from Saudi ARAMCO Oil Company and investigated to identify the microbial communities present using PCR-based culture-independent techniques. In total, analysis of 177 clones yielded 30 distinct bacterial sequences. Clone library analysis of the oil sample was found to contain , and species while the sludge sample revealed the presence of members of the , , , , and . The dominant bacterial class identified in oil and sludge samples was found to be and , respectively. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the dominant bacterium in the oil sample has the closest sequence identity to and the dominant bacterium in the sludge sample is most closely related to the uncultured bacterium designated AH.KK.

The ability of 16 strains of to biotransform acetophenone and its derivatives has been studied. Thirteen of these strains were derived from a wild-type strain A-101; six had the invertase gene () from integrated into their genome, as well as the damaged or undamaged gene encoding orotidine-5'-phosphate decarboxylase (), three had integrated the damaged gene into their genome and three were UV acetate-negative mutants, not able to growth on acetate as the sole carbon source. The other tested strains included two wild strains, A-101 and PMR-1, and an adenine auxotroph ATCC 32-338A. All strains were capable of reducing acetophenone to the -alcohol in high enantiomeric excess (80-89 %). In all of the cultures tested, reversibility of the reduction was observed, which led to an increase in the enantiomeric excess. nantioselective reduction of the acetophenone halogen derivatives revealed that the nature and location of the halogen atom had a significant influence on the enantioselectivity of the reduction. In the culture of ATCC 32-338A, after a 3-day biotransformation of 2,4'-dibromoacetophenone the enantiopure -alcohol was obtained at a rate of 100 % of substrate conversion. In conclusion, using these invertase-containing strains or uracyl auxotrophs provided no additional benefit in terms of biotransformation capacity over the parental strain.

Cucumber fermentation is traditionally done using lactic acid bacteria. The involvement of probiotic cultures in food fermentation guarantees enhanced organoleptic properties and protects food from spoilage.

Subclinical vitamin D (vitD) deficiency enhances the predisposition to a myriad of acute and chronic pathologies in many people worldwide. Due to the scarcity of vitD-rich foods, the consumption of supplements or fortified foods can be required to maintain healthy serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D], and the major circulating form of vitD that is commonly measured in serum to determine the vitD status. Since the vitD absorption seems to resemble that of lipids, improved emulsification in the gut could favor vitD permeation through the enterocyte membrane. Contextually, we hypothesized that a microorganism with cholecalciferol (vitD3)-solubilization properties may potentially result in enhanced serum vitD levels.

This study aims to evaluate, via a mixed methods study, the implementation of the screening process for pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) within indigenous population of the Department of Cauca, Colombia, during the 2016-2018 period. Indicators assessing the PTB screening process were elaborated and estimated. Subsequently, an evaluation of the indicators were performed based on a sampling process from health care providers of the municipalities with the highest and lowest PTB incidence and from key agents' perspective. Screening indicators were estimated and thematic analysis was performed based on the interviews conducted with key agents. Finally, a triangulation of quantitative and qualitative findings was performed. From the total population expected to have respiratory symptomatics (n = 16,711), the health care providers were able to identify 42.3% of them. Out of the individuals identified as respiratory symptomatics (n = 7,064), they were able to examine 93.2% (n = 6,585) with at least one acid-fast bacilli smear test. The reported positivity index from acid-fast bacilli smear test was 1.87%. The explanations from key agents revolved around the possibility of an overestimated targeted amount of respiratory symptomatics; insufficient personnel for the search of symptomatic individuals; high costs for the search in areas of difficult access; the need to request permissions from indigenous authorities; culturally ingrained stigma; use of traditional medicine and self-medication; and patient's personal beliefs. This study revealed barriers in the implementation of the screening process for PTB within the indigenous population from the Department of Cauca, mainly in the identifying process of the respiratory symptomatics.

Glycerol is considered an important renewable feedstock as well as an undesirable side-product of biodiesel production. The aim of this study was to determine whether supplementing a culture medium with a combination of three different carbon sources (olive oil, glucose and glycerol) would optimize lipase production by the yeast . The optimization experiments were conducted with a statistical approach using the mixture design. Analysis of the response surface revealed that it would be possible to compose a medium in which both an an extracellular lipase activity of 0.1 U/mL and up to 37.5 g/L of pure glycerol could be obtained. An YPO-Gl30 medium consisting of 30 g/L glycerol and 19.2 mL/L olive oil was selected for further investigation. Although a high biomass yield was found in all cultures, the glycerol content of the YPO-Gl30 medium slightly influenced yeast growth, but it did not prolong the duration of the lag phase. The hydrolytic activity of the extracellular lipases produced in YPO-Gl30 medium was satisfactory.

is a human pathogen able to form biofilms on the surface of urinary catheters. Little is known about biofilms on natural or industrial surfaces and the potential consequences for these settings. The main aim of this work was to assess and compare the adhesion and biofilm formation of strains from different origins on chitin and stainless steel surfaces within 4 to 96 h. Using environmental scanning electron microscopy, the biofilms of a clinical strain grown on chitin at 4 h showed greater adhesion, aggregation, thickness, and extracellular matrix production than those grown on stainless steel, whereas biofilms of an environmental strain had less aggregation on both surfaces. Biofilms of both strains developed different structures on chitin, such as pillars, mushrooms, channels, and crystalline-like precipitates between 24 and 96 h, in contrast with flat-layer biofilms produced on stainless steel. Significant differences ( < 0.05) were found in the frequency of pillars and channels. Images of transmission electron microscopy demonstrated abundant fimbriae in 100 % of cells from both strains, which could be related to surface adherence and biofilm formation. This represents the first study of showing adhesion, biofilm formation, and development of different structures on surfaces found outside the human host.

Fermented soybean foods (FSF) is popularly consumed in the South-East Asian countries. species, a predominant microorganism present in these foods, have demonstrated beneficial and deleterious impacts on human health. These microorganisms produce bioactive compounds during fermentation that have beneficial impacts in improving human health. However, the health risks associated with FSF, food pathogens, biogenic amines (BAs) production, and late-onset anaphylaxis, remain a concern. The purpose of this review is to present an in-depth analysis of positive and negative impacts as a result of consumption of FSF along with the measures to alleviate health risks for human consumption.

In this study, the effect of mineral fertilizer and organic manure were evaluated on soil microbial biomass, dehydrogenase activity, bacterial and fungal community structure in a long-term (33 years) field experiment. Except for the mineral nitrogen fertilizer (N) treatment, long-term fertilization greatly increased soil microbial biomass carbon (SMBC) and dehydrogenase activity. Organic manure had a significantly greater impact on SMBC and dehydrogenase activity, compared with mineral fertilizers. Bacterial and fungal community structure was analyzed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). Long-term fertilization increased bacterial and fungal ribotype diversity. Total soil nitrogen (TN) and phosphorus (TP), soil organic carbon (SOC) and available phosphorus (AP) had a similar level of influence on bacterial ribotypes while TN, SOC and AP had a larger influence than alkali-hydrolyzable nitrogen (AHN) on fungal ribotypes. Our results suggested that long-term P-deficiency fertilization can significantly decrease soil microbial biomass, dehydrogenase activity and bacterial diversity. N-fertilizer and SOC have an important influence on bacterial and fungal communities.

To assess the determinants of embedded implementation research (EIR) conduct in seven Latin American and Caribbean countries.

A polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) analysis of 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes was developed to identify lactic acid bacteria (LAB) that are commonly present in winemaking processes (, and ). This culture-independent approach revealed the presence of in the spontaneous malolactic fermentation in industrial Chilean wines.

To assess the quality of adolescent friendly health services.