Gender differences in social skills in university students of Argentina

Diferentes autores afirman que las diferencias encontradas en el repertorio de habilidades sociales de hombres y mujeres podrían explicarse por la orientación de género. El propósito de este estudio ex post facto prospectivo simple es determinar si existen diferencias de género en las habilidades sociales en estudiantes universitarios de la ciudad de Córdoba (Argentina). Se administró el Cuestionario de Habilidades Sociales para Universitarios (CHS-U) (Morán, Olaz & Del Prette, en preparación) a una muestra de 1067 estudiantes universitarios de ambos sexos, de entre 18 y 25 años de edad, distribuidos en 56 carreras de cinco universidades públicas y privadas de la ciudad de Córdoba, Argentina. Para analizar la existencia de diferencias entre hombres y mujeres se realizó un análisis multivariado de la varianza (MANOVA) obteniéndose diferencias a favor de los hombres en habilidades para el abordaje afectivo sexual, y a favor de las mujeres en habilidades conversacionales, habilidades de oposición asertiva y en habilidades empáticas y de expresión de sentimientos positivos; no se observaron diferencias en habilidades sociales académicas y de trabajo. Se discuten los resultados y sus posibles implicancias prácticas.Different authors claim that the differences found in the social skills repertoire of men and women could be explained by gender orientation. The purpose of this study is to determine if there are gender differences in social skills in university students from Córdoba (Argentina). The Social Skills Questionnaire for College Students (SSQ-C) (Morán, Olaz & Del Prette, in preparation) was applied to a sample of 1076 university students of both sexes, aged between 18 and 25 years old, from 56 undergraduate programs distributed on five public and private universities of the city of Córdoba, Argentina. A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was conducted to analyze the existence of differences between men and women. We found differences in favour of men in social skills for affective and sexual approach, and in favour of women in conversational skills, refusal assertiveness and empathic skills and expression of positive feelings; there were no differences in social skills for academic and workplace settings. The results and their possible practical implications are discussed.Fil: García Terán, Matías. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Psicología; ArgentinaFil: Cabanillas, Gabriela Inés. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Psicología; ArgentinaFil: Moran, Valeria Estefania. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Psicología; ArgentinaFil: Olaz, Fabian Orlando. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Psicología; Argentin

Culture: Not just Burns – what about the poet Robert Fergusson?

No abstract available

Phylodynamics of HIV in the Mexico City Metropolitan Region.

Evolutionary analyses of viral sequences can provide insights into transmission dynamics, which in turn can optimize prevention interventions. Here, we characterized the dynamics of HIV transmission within the Mexico City metropolitan area. HIV pol sequences from persons recently diagnosed at the largest HIV clinic in Mexico City (between 2016 and 2021) were annotated with demographic/geographic metadata. A multistep phylogenetic approach was applied to identify putative transmission clades. A data set of publicly available sequences was used to assess international introductions. Clades were analyzed with a discrete phylogeographic model to evaluate the timing and intensity of HIV introductions and transmission dynamics among municipalities in the region. A total of 6,802 sequences across 96 municipalities (5,192 from Mexico City and 1,610 from the neighboring State of Mexico) were included (93.6% cisgender men, 5.0% cisgender women, and 1.3% transgender women); 3,971 of these sequences formed 1,206 clusters, involving 78 municipalities, including 89 clusters of ≥10 sequences. Discrete phylogeographic analysis revealed (i) 1,032 viral introductions into the region, over one-half of which were from the United States, and (ii) 354 migration events between municipalities with high support (adjusted Bayes factor of ≥3). The most frequent viral migrations occurred between northern municipalities within Mexico City, i.e., Cuauhtémoc to Iztapalapa (5.2% of events), Iztapalapa to Gustavo A. Madero (5.4%), and Gustavo A. Madero to Cuauhtémoc (6.5%). Our analysis illustrates the complexity of HIV transmission within the Mexico City metropolitan area but also identifies a spatially active transmission area involving a few municipalities in the north of the city, where targeted interventions could have a more pronounced effect on the entire regional epidemic. IMPORTANCE Phylogeographic investigation of the Mexico City HIV epidemic illustrates the complexity of HIV transmission in the region. An active transmission area involving a few municipalities in the north of the city, with transmission links throughout the region, is identified and could be a location where targeted interventions could have a more pronounced effect on the entire regional epidemic, compared with those dispersed in other manners

Unveiling ecological/evolutionary insights in HIV viral load dynamics: Allowing random slopes to observe correlational changes to CpG-contents and other molecular and clinical predictors

In the context of infectious diseases, the dynamic interplay between ever-changing host populations and viral biology demands a more flexible modeling approach than common fixed correlations. Embracing random-effects regression models allows for a nuanced understanding of the intricate ecological and evolutionary dynamics underlying complex phenomena, offering valuable insights into disease progression and transmission patterns. In this article, we employed a random-effects regression to model an observed decreasing median plasma viral load (pVL) among individuals with HIV in Mexico City during 2019–2021. We identified how these functional slope changes (i.e. random slopes by year) improved predictions of the observed pVL median changes between 2019 and 2021, leading us to hypothesize underlying ecological and evolutionary factors. Our analysis involved a dataset of pVL values from 7325 ART-naïve individuals living with HIV, accompanied by their associated clinical and viral molecular predictors. A conventional fixed-effects linear model revealed significant correlations between pVL and predictors that evolved over time. However, this fixed-effects model could not fully explain the reduction in median pVL; thus, prompting us to adopt random-effects models. After applying a random effects regression model—with random slopes and intercepts by year—, we observed potential ''functional changes'' within the local HIV viral population, highlighting the importance of ecological and evolutionary considerations in HIV dynamics: A notably stronger negative correlation emerged between HIV pVL and the CpG content in the pol gene, suggesting a changing immune landscape influenced by CpG-induced innate immune responses that could impact viral load dynamics. Our study underscores the significance of random effects models in capturing dynamic correlations and the crucial role of molecular characteristics like CpG content. By enriching our understanding of changing host-virus interactions and HIV progression, our findings contribute to the broader relevance of such models in infectious disease research. They shed light on the changing interplay between host and pathogen, driving us closer to more effective strategies for managing infectious diseases. Significance of the study: This study highlights a decreasing trend in median plasma viral loads among ART-naïve individuals living with HIV in Mexico City between 2019 and 2021. It uncovers various predictors significantly correlated with pVL, shedding light on the complex interplay between host-virus interactions and disease progression. By employing a random-slopes model, the researchers move beyond traditional fixed-effects models to better capture dynamic correlations and evolutionary changes in HIV dynamics. The discovery of a stronger negative correlation between pVL and CpG content in HIV-pol sequences suggests potential changes in the immune landscape and innate immune responses, opening avenues for further research into adaptive changes and responses to environmental shifts in the context of HIV infection. The study's emphasis on molecular characteristics as predictors of pVL adds valuable insights to epidemiological and evolutionary studies of viruses, providing new avenues for understanding and managing HIV infection at the population level

PDR temporal trends.

<p>PDR was estimated by year of enrolment using the HIVdb tool from Sanger sequences. Individuals with drug resistance were defined as those with at least low-level resistance (Stanford penalty score ≥15) to any drug of the corresponding class. A. PDR temporal trends by drug class. B. PDR temporal trends for the most widely used antiretroviral regimens in Nicaragua. C-E PDR temporal trends by drug, divided by drug class; only drugs currently used in clinical practice in the Nicaraguan context are shown. *p<0.05; linear regression, slope different to 0; the color corresponds to the significant category.</p

HIV PDR and demographic variables in heterosexuals and MSM.

<p>HIV PDR and demographic variables in heterosexuals and MSM.</p

HIV pre-treatment drug resistance in Nicaragua.

<p>HIV pre-treatment drug resistance in Nicaragua.</p

HIV Pretreatment Drug Resistance Trends in Mexico City, 2017&ndash;2020

In response to increasing pretreatment drug resistance (PDR), Mexico changed its national antiretroviral treatment (ART) policy, recommending and procuring second-generation integrase strand-transfer inhibitor (INSTI)-based regimens as preferred first-line options since 2019. We present a four-year observational study describing PDR trends across 2017&ndash;2020 at the largest HIV diagnosis and primary care center in Mexico City. A total of 6688 baseline protease-reverse transcriptase and 6709 integrase sequences were included. PDR to any drug class was 14.4% (95% CI, 13.6&ndash;15.3%). A significant increasing trend for efavirenz/nevirapine PDR was observed (10.3 to 13.6%, p = 0.02). No increase in PDR to second-generation INSTI was observed, remaining under 0.3% across the study period. PDR was strongly associated with prior exposure to ART (aOR: 2.9, 95% CI: 1.9&ndash;4.6, p &lt; 0.0001). MSM had higher odds of PDR to efavirenz/nevirapine (aOR: 2.0, 95% CI: 1.0&ndash;3.7, p = 0.04), reflecting ongoing transmission of mutations such as K103NS and E138A. ART restarters showed higher representation of cisgender women and injectable drug users, higher age, and lower education level. PDR to dolutegravir/bictegravir remained low in Mexico City, although further surveillance is warranted given the short time of ART optimization. Our study identifies demographic characteristics of groups with higher risk of PDR and lost to follow-up, which may be useful to design differentiated interventions locally

Phylogenetic relations between HIV sequences with PDR.

<p>A Maximum Likelihood tree, built with the General Time Reversible + I + Γ model, without including drug resistance positions is shown. 1000 bootstrap repetitions were used to assess confidence. Viruses with PDR to PI (purple), NRTI (green), NNRTI (red) and more than one ARV class (blue) are colored. Reference sequences were obtained from Los Alamos HIV Database (bold). Five clusters of viral sequences with PDR with bootstrap values over 90% are amplified. Circle, females; empty triangle, heterosexual males; full triangle, self-identified men who have sex with men; square, unknown risk factor.</p