South America Research Articles

The global H5N1 influenza panzootic in mammals.

Influenza A viruses (IAV) have caused more documented global pandemics in human history than any other pathogen1,2. High pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) viruses belonging to the H5N1 subtype are a leading pandemic risk. Two decades after H5N1 "bird flu" became established in poultry in Southeast Asia, its descendants have resurged3, setting off an H5N1 panzootic in wild birds that is fueled by (a) rapid intercontinental spread, reaching South America and Antarctica for the first time4,5; (b) fast evolution via genomic reassortment6; and (c) frequent spillover into terrestrial7,8 and marine mammals9. The virus has sustained mammal-to-mammal transmission in multiple settings, including European fur farms10,11, South American marine mammals12-15, and US dairy cattle16-19, raising questions about whether humans are next. Historically, swine are considered optimal intermediary hosts that help avian influenza viruses (AIV) adapt to mammals before jumping to humans20. However, the altered ecology of H5N1 has opened the door to new evolutionary pathways. Could dairy cattle, farmed mink, or South American sea lions serve as new mammalian gateways to humans? Here we explore the molecular and ecological factors driving H5N1's sudden expansion in host range and assess the likelihood of different zoonotic pathways leading to an H5N1 pandemic.

Essentializing Muslims in Ecuadorian Journalism

The relationship between Latin America and the so-called ‘Muslim World’ is a tenuous one, as public perceptions of Muslims are generally quite negative despite consistent, typically economically beneficial historical and contemporary immigration from the Middle East. Indeed, despite Muslims constituting less than one-tenth of one percent (0.011%) of the total population in the predominantly Catholic country of Ecuador, which is located in northwestern South America, anti-Muslim sentiments are increasing both in frequency and severity. As a result, this article contextualizes the reality and challenges of Muslims in Ecuador by offering a thematic analysis of almost one-thousand articles concerning Muslims in El Comercio, the Quito-based, leading newspaper of Ecuador. Two subcorpora were created and are referenced here, one containing article titles (3,095 words) and one containing article content (543,389 words). By utilizing a computationally-driven, mixed methods approach to extract and examine these articles, this analysis is couched within the understanding that discourses surrounding Muslims overwhelmingly perpetuate and reinforce negative stereotypes through deliberate rhetorical choices.

Migration and Education in the Global South: A Study of South American Origin Children in the Argentinean Educational System

The question of how the children of migrants compare to natives in destination countries has long occupied the research agenda of migration and integration scholars. But, while there are many studies that have explored this issue in the Global North, with special attention to South–North migrants, little is known about integration patterns of South–South migrants, that is, Southern migrants and their children residing in the Global South. This article addresses this concern by studying one of the key indicators of migrant integration—the educational achievement of the children of migrants—in one of the most popular migration corridors in the Global South—that of South Americans who emigrated to Argentina. Using census microdata from 2010, the article explores the educational attainment and educational reproduction of Bolivian-, Paraguayan-, Peruvian-, and Chilean-origin children in comparison with that of their native Argentine counterparts. The analysis distinguishes between 1.5 and second-generation children and focuses on young people between 6 and 21 years old who live with at least one parent. Two dimensions of educational attainment are explored: school attendance and educational level. The results show that the role of parental education tends to be weaker among migrant-origin groups. This has implications for the educational gap. In general, migrant-origin groups are advantaged over native Argentines among those with low-educated parents. Conversely, they present no differences or are disadvantaged among those with middle–high educated parents. This is observed for both 1.5 and second generations, with variations based on the outcome and national origin. Possible explanations are offered.

Conference contributions by section members of the International Union for the Study of Social Insects (IUSSI) at international IUSSI conferences (1952–2022) are not in accordance with membership numbers

AbstractScientific conferences are of immense importance to scientists, but the resulting benefits are only available to those scientists who can actually attend scientific meetings. So far, research at scientific conferences is mostly presented and discussed by researchers from the Global North, while researchers from the Global South are largely excluded due to various reasons. Over the past 70 years, the International Union for the Study of Social Insects (IUSSI), which is organized in 11 sections based on geography, has organized 19 international congresses. We reveal a non-equitable distribution of members with researchers from Asia and Africa being under-represented among IUSSI members. During the period from 1952 to 2022 conference contributions at IUSSI conferences came from 79 countries across the globe with members from the African and the South American continent being under-represented. Furthermore, we reveal that it does matter where a conference takes place, as contributions from authors with an affiliation to a particular continent always increase when the conference takes place on that continent. The findings suggest a notable lack of representations from certain regions in key scientific gatherings, highlighting the need for greater inclusivity in the academic community.

‘You can’t buy a revolution, but you can support a paper fighting for one’: Journalism cooperatives’ organizational traits and journalistic missions

This article explores journalism cooperatives, a sub-field of journalism practice and a type of news organization that is becoming more popular as an organizational option in journalism internationally. While other non-traditional ways of funding and producing news – such as non-profit media or crowdfunding initiatives – receive growing attention from journalism researchers, cooperative enterprises remain largely neglected. This study develops an inventory of 29 such news outlets in Europe, North America, and South America. It presents a portrait of the cooperative field in journalism in terms of founding year, geographic location, linguistic tendencies, and cooperative sub-types. Second, based on an analysis of the official websites of seven of these cooperatives, the article describes the revenue sources, workforce, governance structures, and missions of such needs-rather than profit-driven news outlets. The study finds that their organizational traits oscillate between alternative media, non-profit media, and mainstream media attributes. However, in addition, journalism cooperatives possess a unique feature, namely internal democratic governance mechanisms, which have the potential to increase public trust in the news media. Moreover, for the seven cooperatives investigated here, this potential is enhanced further as they assign a key role to audiences as owners, managers, and funders of the organization (they are either reader-owned or co-owned by journalists and readers). I argue that the results of this exploratory study on journalism cooperatives, together with existing research on news non-profits, invite us to consider that the social economy might be a better default home for journalism than the capitalist marketplace.

Investigation of the distribution patterns in moinids (Crustacea: Cladocera: Moinidae) forming ephippia with two resting eggs

During last two decades, morphological and genetic studies of the microcrustaceans from the family Moinidae Goulden, 1968 (Crustacea: Branchiopoda: Cladocera) were intensified. However, species diversity within this family remains underestimated. It refers to both subtropical and tropical areas of different continents that have traditionally been less studied compared with Central Europe and some other Palaearctic regions. In addition to this, only a restricted set of morphological characteristics is used for the discrimination of species within the genus Moina Baird, 1850. Most common moinid taxa are considered species complexes rather than single species, making any biogeographic reconstruction difficult. Here, we present an investigation of distribution patterns in moinids that form ephippia with two resting eggs based on both a reexamination of data from the literature and from specimens in museum and personal collections. Also, we redescribed morphology of poorly known taxa from the arid regions of the Old World—Moina belli Gurney, 1904 and M. kaszabi Forró, 1988 and clarify their diagnostic morphological characters and distributional ranges. We found that M. belli and M. kaszabi are morphologically very similar. In both species, setae 1 and 2 of thoracic limb I are armed bilaterally by fine, densely located short setulae. Reliable differences between M. belli and M. kaszabi concern armature of the valve posteroventral portion. Among the moinids with two resting eggs in the ephippium, M. belli and M. kaszabi are morphologically closer to M. macrocopa (Straus, 1820) and M. americana Goulden, 1968. All these species have: (1) a dorsal head pore; (2) fine long hairs on head, valve and preanal margin of postabdomen; (3) thoracic limb I of male with a long exopodite. In general, an investigated group of moinids includes both species with relatively compact and very broad distributional ranges. We concluded that maximum diversity of the moinids forming ephippia with two resting eggs is characteristic of southern portions of Palaearctic and Nearctic zoogeographical regions and approximately corresponds to subtropical climate zone. We need to underline that M. macrocopa and M. americana have a great invasive potential. Both species were anthropogenically introduced in South America and have been successfully naturalized there. Their distribution in tropical regions of the Old World and Australia requires new precise investigations. A group of moinids forming ephippia with two resting eggs can be considered as a convenient model for biogeographical reconstructions, including studies on changes in aquatic ecosystems due to global climate warming, eutrophication and the introduction of non-native species. There is no doubt that subsequent joint application of morphological and genetic data will shed more light on the global phylogeographic structure of the entire family Moinidae.

First records of three species of Lasiurus Gray, 1831 (Chiroptera, Vespertilionidae) in Bolivia

Insectivorous bats of the family Vespertilionidae have been grouped into eight tribes, with Lasiurini showing an extensive distribution in South America. In Bolivia, three species of lasiurine bats have been reported: Lasiurus blossevillii (Lesson & Garnot, 1826), L. ega (Gervais, 1856), and L. villosissimus (É. Geoffroy St.-Hilaire, 1806). The morphological analyses of specimens of this genus deposited in Bolivian scientific collections and comparisons with specimens from other countries (including holotypes) prompt us to report the first records of three species: Lasiurus atratus Handley 1996, L. castaneus Handley 1960, and L. egregius (Peters, 1870) in Bolivia, expanding their known geographic ranges to the southwestern part of the Amazon.

Ameliorative activity of standardized Coccoloba uvifera leaves extract against streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats via activation of IRS-1/PI3K/AKT/GLUT2 pathway in liver

BackgroundCoccoloba uvifera L. (Family: Polygonaceae) known as sea grape is natively distributed in middle and south America. The aqueous leaf extract showed inhibitory activities against α-glucosidase and α-amylase in previous reports. Moreover, the hydroalcoholic leaves extract ameliorated hyperglycemia in the oral glucose tolerance test. Despite these promising results, the extracts used in these studies were not standardized, nor was their mechanism of action elucidated. The current study aims to standardize the ethanolic C. uvifera leaves extract (CU) using markers, and assess its ameliorative activity against diabetes and its hepatoprotective activity against diabetic complications.ResultsStandardized leaves’ ethanolic extract contained 0.09 ± 0.00057 and 0.23 ± 0.0011 mg/g gallic acid and rutin, respectively, as estimated by HPLC. Administration of CU (100, 200 and 400 mg/kg) for 6 weeks ameliorated DM manifestations in STZ-induced diabetic rats in a dose-dependent manner. The ethanolic extract reduced fasting blood glucose, increased serum insulin and reduced elevated liver enzymes. CU counteracted oxidative stress, promoted glucose metabolizing enzymes and reduced gluconeogenesis enzymes. The underlying mechanism involved increased expression of IR, IRS-1, IRS-2 and GLUT2 in liver tissue through activation of PI3K/AKT signaling. The histopathological study demonstrated reduced inflammation and hepatocyte degeneration.ConclusionCU could be used as a promising antidiabetic drug with hepatoprotective activity in diabetes hepatic complications. The standardized CU ethanolic extract should be further assessed clinically alone or in combination with other antidiabetic remedies.

Evolutionary derivation inferences of the intrinsic shoulder and brachial muscles in crab-eating raccoon (Procyon cancrivorus, Caniformia, Carnivora) based on the topology, innervation, and anatomical variants

AbstractThe crab-eating raccoon (Procyon cancrivorus) is a carnivoran of the family Procyonidae geographically distributed in Central and South America. It is a scansorial species with more terrestrial than arboreal abilities. Previous studies have described the intrinsic shoulder and brachial muscles in this species; however, the terminology and some muscle attachments differ among them. Besides, these studies did not consider the innervation to infer the evolutionary derivation of the muscles, and did not address the arterial supply. The present study aimed to analyze the anatomical arrangement of the intrinsic shoulder and brachial muscles in six Procyon cancrivorus specimens fixed with 10% formaldehyde. The shape, origin, insertion, arterial supply, and variations were described. Furthermore, the innervation previously reported was reviewed again in detail to infer the evolutionary derivation of these muscles. Differences were found with previously reported findings in the same species and other procyonids. Some intraspecific anatomical variants were discovered, such as an accessory head in the biceps brachii muscle bilaterally; a biceps brachii muscle joined to the brachialis muscle unilaterally; and a fusion of the lateral and accessory heads of the triceps brachii muscle. Tensor fasciae antebrachii muscle is divided into two parts in most cases, which are innervated by the radial nerve. The anconeus medialis muscle is independent of the triceps brachii muscle and is innervated by the ulnar nerve. In conclusion, these muscles in P. cancrivorus potentially conserve the evolutionary derivation of the last common ancestor of mammals based on the topology, anatomical variations, and innervation.

Intention to Use Primary Healthcare Services among South-South Migrants.

(1) Background: To evaluate a model based on the right-to-health approach, considering the impact of associated factors on the future utilization of primary healthcare services among international migrants in Chile. (2) Methods: A cross-sectional design was employed to survey 499 South American migrants residing in Chile. Ad-hoc questionnaires were used to assess their experiences related to the right to health, perceived discrimination, income, education, length of residence, age, marital status, gender, migration status, among others. Correlation analyses were conducted, followed by path analysis with significant variables to assess the fit of two models. (3) Results: Ten variables were identified as significant for path analysis. Among the two evaluated models, the final model identified six variables with significant direct and indirect effects. Among them, the availability, accessibility, acceptability, and quality of healthcare services were positively associated with the future intention to use them. Additionally, perceived racial and ethnic discrimination also had a positive effect on the intention to use healthcare services, suggesting a possible adaptive response to adversity, exhibiting acceptable goodness-of-fit indices (χ2 =241,492; p < 0.001; CFI = 0.913; TLI = 0.82; RMSEA = 0.062; SRMR = 0.05). (4) Conclusions: While the initial model provides valuable insights, it is essential to broaden the analysis to include other factors influencing the specific context of international migrants.

(Re-)Emergence of Oropouche Virus (OROV) Infections: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies.

Oropouche Virus (OROV; genus of Orthobunyavirus) is the causal agent of Oropouche Fever (OF). Due to the lack of specific signs and symptoms and the limited availability of diagnostic tests, the actual epidemiology of OROV infections and OF has been extensively disputed. In this systematic review with meta-analysis, a literature search was carried out in PubMed, Scopus, EMBASE, and MedRxiv in order to retrieve relevant articles on the documented occurrence of OROV infections. Pooled detection rates were then calculated for anti-OROV antibodies and virus detection (i.e., viral RNA detected by viral cultures and/or real-time polymerase chain reaction [RT-qPCR]). Where available, detection rates for other arboviruses (i.e., Dengue [DENV], Chikungunya [CHKV], and Zika Virus [ZIKV]) were calculated and compared to those for OROV. A total of 47 studies from South America and the Caribbean were retrieved. In individuals affected by febrile illness during OROV outbreaks, a documented prevalence of 0.45% (95% confidence interval [95%CI] 0.16 to 1.12) for virus isolation, 12.21% (95%CI 4.96 to 27.09) for seroprevalence (including both IgM and IgG class antibodies), and 12.45% (95%CI 3.28 to 37.39) for the detection of OROV-targeting IgM class antibodies were eventually documented. In the general population, seroprevalence was estimated to be 24.45% (95%CI 7.83 to 55.21) for IgG class antibodies. The OROV detection rate from the cerebrospinal fluids of suspected cases of viral encephalitis was estimated to be 2.40% (95%CI 1.17 to 5.03). The occurrence of OROV infections was consistently lower than that of DENV, CHKV, and ZIKV during outbreaks (Risk Ratio [RR] 24.82, 95%CI 21.12 to 29.16; RR 2.207, 95%CI 1.427 to 3.412; and RR 7.900, 95%CI 5.386 to 11.578, respectively) and in the general population (RR 23.614, 95%CI 20.584 to 27.129; RR 3.103, 95%CI 2.056 to 4.685; and RR 49.500, 95%CI 12.256 to 199.921, respectively). In conclusion, our study stresses the possibly high underestimation of OROV prevalence in the general population of South America, the potential global threat represented by this arbovirus infection, and the potential preventive role of a comprehensive "One Health approach".

Abstract A074: Racial-Ethnic Disparities in Cancer Survival and Stages: A Focus on South Asian Americans

Abstract Introduction: Studying racial-ethnic disparities in cancer risk helps to understand the causes and develop targeted screening and education strategies. South Asian Americans (SAA) are a fast- growing ethnic group in the US,but there is limited research on their cancer risks and outcomes.This study examines overall survival and cancer stage distribution patterns among SAA in comparison to other ethnic groups to highlight disparities in cancer risk and outcomes.Method: We analyzed cancer incidence in 34,552 South Asian patients diagnosed with 23 cancer types between 2000 and 2018 using 18 SEER registries. Using the R package MatchIt, 34,552 White patients were matched based on age, sex,income,rural/urban code,marital status,diagnosis year,and cancer type from 5,106,999 White patients. Overall survival was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method, and log-rank p-values were reported. Statistical summaries included mean, standard deviation, and percentage. T-tests or Chi-Square tests were used where applicable. A p-value &amp;lt; 0.05 was considered significant. All analyses were performed in R version 4.2.2 using survival, survminer, and tableone packages. Results: SAA population exhibited a median survival of 195 months (95% CI: -188 to 201). Asian-Pacific Islanders (API) had a median survival of 184 months (95% CI: -179 to 191, p &amp;lt; 0.0001).Whites median survival was 152 months (95% CI: -147 to 158, p &amp;lt; 0.0001). Hispanics showed a median survival of 153 months (95% CI: -147 to 159, p &amp;lt; 0.0001). Black population had the lowest median survival of 116 months (95% CI: -112 to 120, p &amp;lt; 0.0001). Regarding disease stages, the SAA population had 21.8% distant stage,1.3% in in-situ stage,38.0% localized stage,21.1% regional stage,17.8% unknown stage.In contrast,API had 20.8% distant stage,3.2% in situ stage,37.6% localized stage, 20.9% regional stage,17.6% in unknown stage. White population showed 19.5% in distant stage,7.4% in in situ stage,35.2% in localized stage,20.1% in regional stage,17.8% in unknown stage. Hispanics had 20.9% distant stage,3.4% in situ stage,36.1% localized stage, 20.8% regional stage, 18.8% unknown stage. Black population presented with 22.2% distant stage,2.1% in situ stage,37.9% localized stage,19.4% regional stage,18.4% unknown stage. Discussion: Our study reveals significant disparities in overall survival and disease stage distribution among different ethnic groups. SAA exhibit the highest median survival but also a high proportion of advanced-stage diagnoses, highlighting the need for improved early detection and screening tailored to this population. The Black population, with the lowest median survival, underscores critical gaps in healthcare access that require urgent attention. Variations in disease stage at diagnosis among White, Hispanic, API, and SAA populations emphasize the importance of culturally sensitive healthcare interventions and equitable resource allocation. These findings advocate for targeted strategies to address the needs of each ethnic group, aiming to reduce disparities and improve cancer prognosis for all. Citation Format: Jasmin Hundal, Sudhipto Mukherjee, Abhay Singh, Yanwen Chen. Racial-Ethnic Disparities in Cancer Survival and Stages: A Focus on South Asian Americans [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 17th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2024 Sep 21-24; Los Angeles, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2024;33(9 Suppl):Abstract nr A074.

Zeuxine strateumatica in South America, the soldier orchid arrived in Argentina

Zeuxine strateumatica in South America, the soldier orchid arrived in Argentina

Association between cacti and nurse plants: a quantitative literature review

The association between cacti and nurse plants has been reviewed by different authors. These reviews however were qualitative because only evaluated aspects such as species identity of cacti and nurse plants, probable explanatory causes of their association, and location of study sites. To our knowledge, there are no quantitative reviews that have evaluated the association between cacti and nurse plants for different subfamilies, tribes, and growth forms of cacti and nurse plants, and different plant communities and soil properties. To address these issues, we performed a quantitative review of the studies on the association between cacti and nurse plants. The studies were searched in the ISI Web of Knowledge from 1986 to 2021. Data obtained from studies were analyzed with the relative risk ratio and ratio of medians. Most studies on the association between cacti and nurse plants were performed mainly in Mexico and the USA. Globose, cylindrical, and columnar cacti of the subfamily Cactoideae, and tribes Cacteae, Cereeae, and Echinocereeae were associated to nurse plants of Asteraceae, Euphorbiaceae, and Fabaceae. However, other subfamilies (Opuntioideae) and tribes (Notocacteae) of cacti, and families (Asparagaceae) of nurse plants were not associated. Nurse plants ameliorated temperature, moisture, and nitrogen of soil. The association between cacti and nurse plants occurred in desert shrubland and tropical dry forest. Further studies are needed on the association between cacti and nurse plants that consider more cactus subfamilies and tribes in countries with high cactus diversity in Central and South America.

Aspects of the reproductive biology of sympatric Myrtaceae: &lt;i&gt;Myrceugenia euosma&lt;/i&gt; and &lt;i&gt;Siphoneugena reitzii&lt;/i&gt; in southern Brazil

Background: The Myrtaceae family represents one of the most diverse groups in South America. Yet, there are few studies on their reproductive characteristics. Among the species with limited information on their reproductive behavior are Myrceugenia euosma (O. Berg) D. Legrand and Siphoneugena reitzii D. Legrand. Questions: What are the floral attractions and resources of M. euosma and S. reitzii for pollinators? Who are the pollinators of these species? What is the predominant reproductive system in both species? Studied species: M. euosma and S. reitzii, two sympatric Myrtaceae from southern Brazil. Study site and dates: Urubici, Painel, and Rio Rufino, Santa Catarina state, southern Brazil. November 2021 - February 2022. Methods: Information was obtained on morphological aspects, anthesis time, stigmatic viability, floral resources, structures attractive to visitors, olfactory testing, observation and identification of floral visitors, and reproductive system testing. Results: The flowers of M. euosma opens between 11 am and 17 pm (- 20 pm), with full opening occurring mostly at night; S. reitzii flowers open between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m., with a highest peak by 8 a.m. Flowers of both species have receptive stigmas until senescence. Pollen is the primary floral reward and the scent coming from the anthers combined with the floral display attract native bees and Apis mellifera, legitimate pollinators of both species. The lack of fruit development in the self-pollination tests support cross reproduction in both taxa. Conclusions: Both species exhibit traits consistent with melittophily syndrome and potential self-incompatibility. These results are essential for conservation efforts.

Abstract C156: Examining the role of T cell responses in colorectal cancer sex disparities

Abstract Purpose: Persistent sex disparities in colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence and mortality exist and vary by race and ethnicity. The overarching goal of this proposal is to quantify differences in the CRC tumor immune microenvironment by sex in the Latino Colorectal Cancer Consortium (LC3). Methods: The LC3 is a consortium of pooled individual-level data from Latino participants diagnosed with CRC from California, Florida, and Puerto Rico. Biospecimens, epidemiologic data, and clinical outcomes were collected from each contributing study. DNA was extracted from tumor tissue and paired germline or normal tissue samples. Whole exome sequencing was performed using established protocols. Global genetic ancestry was estimated from whole exome sequence data. High-throughput T cell receptor (TCR) sequencing was used to estimate features of the T cell receptor (TCR) repertoire (e.g. abundance, clonality), and tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) counts were obtained through pathology review. We evaluated differences in TCR abundance and TILs by sex using linear models for continuous measurements and generalized linear models for binary or count measurements. Primary analyses were unadjusted, and secondary analyses adjusted for age at diagnosis, stage at diagnosis, tumor location (right colon vs. left colorectum), and microsatellite instability (MSI) status. To examine how genetic ancestry modified the relationship between sex and T cell responses, we fit separate models with an interaction term between each genetic ancestry proportion variable (i.e. African, European, Native American) and sex, and assessed effect modification using a likelihood ratio test. Results: To date, 240 participants had TCR repertoire profiling and whole exome sequencing data generated. 52% were male, with a mean age of 58. 17% of participants had rectal tumors. With respect to Hispanic ethnic heritage or country of origin, 49% of participants were of Mexican descent, followed by 13% of Central or South American descent, and 10% were of Puerto Rican descent. Mean T cell abundance was 0.18 (standard deviation (SD): 0.16) and mean clonality was 0.05 (SD: 0.05). Further analysis is underway. Conclusions: This project leverages within-Latino genetic diversity to disentangle the contributions of sex and genetic ancestry to variability in immune function and to understand how this may further sex disparities in CRC. We anticipate that results from this analysis will provide insight on the relationship between the tumor immune microenvironment and sex disparities in CRC. Citation Format: Nicole C. Loroña, Ya-Yu Tsai, Daniel Sobieski, Eric Cockman, Stephanie L. Schmit, Jane C. Figueiredo. Examining the role of T cell responses in colorectal cancer sex disparities [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 17th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2024 Sep 21-24; Los Angeles, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2024;33(9 Suppl):Abstract nr C156.

Do tobacco regulatory and economic factors influence smoking cessation outcomes? A post-hoc analysis of the multinational EAGLES randomised controlled trial

IntroductionWe previously reported global regional differences in smoking cessation outcomes, with smokers of US origin having lower quit rates than smokers from some other countries. This post-hoc analysis examined global...

HTLV-1/2 infection in Italy: a narrative review of epidemiological studies.

The human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) was first described in 1980. It is spread in highly endemic regions in the world, such as the Southwestern part of Japan, sub-Saharan Africa and South America, Caribbean, Middle East, and Australo-Melanesia regions. HTLV-1 causes adult T cell leukemia and is associated with many inflammatory conditions, most notably HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropic spastic paraparesis. HTLV-2, first isolated in 1982, was recognized as a common infection in intravenous drug users, but a clear association with disease remains elusive. The first estimate of HTLV-1-positive individuals worldwide, in 1993, was around 10-20 millions. Due to the lack of global population-based prevalence studies, this is considered an underestimate at the moment. Furthermore, HTLV-1 prevalence in Europe is impacted by changing migration flows. Particularly, no data on HTLV-1 prevalence in the general population in Italy are available. Here, we report a systematic literature review of studies conducted in Italy on HTLV-1/2 from 1980 to 2023. Based on the criteria we adopted a total of 426 publications were found (64 reviews, 99 epidemiological, and 263 translational studies). The contents of some representative publications are summarized and discussed. Moreover, an approximate estimation of about 26,000 HTLV-1 positive foreigners living in Italy was obtained from updated data of foreigners from each single country officially registered as resident in Italy and from data on HTLV-1 prevalence among the general population in the corresponding countries.

International Variation in Health Status Benefits in Patients Undergoing Initial Invasive Versus Conservative Management for Chronic Coronary Disease: Insights From the ISCHEMIA Trial

BACKGROUND: The ISCHEMIA trial (International Study of Comparative Health Effectiveness with Medical and Invasive Approaches) demonstrated greater health status benefits with an initial invasive strategy, as compared with a conservative one, for patients with chronic coronary disease and moderate or severe ischemia. Whether these benefits vary globally is important to understand to support global adoption of the results. METHODS: We analyzed participants’ disease-specific health status using the validated 7-item Seattle Angina Questionnaire (SAQ: &gt;5-point differences are clinically important) at baseline and over 1-year follow-up across 37 countries in 6 international regions. The average effect of initial invasive versus conservative strategies on 1-year SAQ scores was estimated using Bayesian proportional odds regression and compared across regions. RESULTS: Considerable regional variation in baseline health status was observed among 4617 participants (mean age=64.4±9.5 years, 24% women), with the mean SAQ summary scores of 67.4±19.5 in Eastern Europe participants (17% of the total), 71.4±15.4 in Asia-Pacific (18%), 74.9±16.7 in Central and South America (10%), 75.5±19.5 in Western Europe (26%), and 78.6±19.2 in North America (28%). One-year improvements in SAQ scores were greater in regions with lower baseline scores with initial invasive management (17.7±20.9 in Eastern Europe and 11.4±19.3 in North America), but similar in the conservative arm. Adjusting for baseline SAQ scores, similar health status benefits of an initial invasive strategy on 1-year SAQ scores were observed (ranging from 2.38 points [95% CI, 0.04–4.50] in North America to 4.66 points [95% CI, 2.46–6.94] in Eastern Europe), with an 88.3% probability that the difference in benefit across regions was &lt;5 points. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with chronic coronary disease and moderate or severe ischemia, initial invasive management was associated with a consistent health status benefit across regions, with modest regional variability, supporting the international generalizability of health status benefits from invasive management of chronic coronary disease. REGISTRATION: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov ; Unique identifier: NCT01471522

South American monsoon intensification during the last millennium driven by joint Pacific and Atlantic forcing

The South American summer monsoon (SASM) profoundly influences tropical South America’s climate, yet understanding its low-frequency variability has been challenging. Climate models and oxygen isotope data have been used to examine the SASM variability over the last millennium (LM) but have, at times, provided conflicting findings, especially regarding its mean-state change from the Medieval Climate Anomaly to the Little Ice Age. Here, we use a paleoclimate data assimilation (DA) method, combining model results and δ 18 O observations, to produce a δ 18 O-enabled, dynamically coherent, and spatiotemporally complete austral summer hydroclimate reconstruction over the LM for tropical South America at 5-year resolution. This reconstruction aligns with independent hydroclimate and δ 18 O records withheld from the DA, revealing a centennial-scale SASM intensification during the MCA-LIA transition period, associated with the southward shift of the Atlantic Intertropical Convergence Zone and the strengthening Pacific Walker circulation (PWC). This highlights the necessity of accurately representing the PWC in climate models to predict future SASM changes.