Introduction
Recent worldwide advances in cancer therapies have resulted in an increased number of people receiving chemotherapy in ambulatory care settings. In Spain, emergency departments are the ...single point of entry to acute inpatient services and they play a pivotal role in the management of chemotherapy complications. Little research exists in patterns of emergency department utilisation by oncology patients with chemotherapy‐related complications. However, it is important for the oncology patients and the healthcare system to gain understanding in the disease pathway and the organisational factors influencing the quality of care.
Methods
This critical review's main aims were to describe the clinical characteristics of patients who presented to an emergency department after chemotherapy treatment as reported in international literature; to map reported patterns of care in emergency department access; and quality of care exploring the management of febrile neutropenic patients described in the literature, against best practice guidelines.
Results
The search strategy yield 701 articles from MEDLINE, TROVE and SCOPUS and 26 were included. The review combines systematic reviews, observational, cross‐sectional case–control studies and randomised control trials.
Conclusion
All articles showed areas and opportunities for improvement in the management of this population, especially with regard to time from triage to antibiotic administration in febrile neutropenic patients.
Display omitted
Febrile neutropenia is a common complication in cancer patients. Emergency departments are in most countries the unique entry point to tertiary care. However, some challenges restrain ...emergency department professionals from complying with the protocol.
To update the published review in 2018: “Critical review of emergency department management of chemotherapy complications in cancer patients”, and explore improvement opportunities.
MEDLINE, TROVE and SCOPUS databases were used to conduct a broad electronic literature search. Out of 74 articles yielded, nine responding to our questions were selected.
Febrile neutropenia management in cancer patients still represents a challenge for emergency departments that have difficulties to comply with international guidelines. It is critical to identify the best venue and which professionals to manage the target population.
Appropriate care pathways and a more efficient tool to classify low and high risk patients, would improve clinical outcomes, while costs would be reduced.
Introducción: La popularidad de que gozan las bebidas energéticas entre los adolescentes y jóvenes, ha aumentado en los últimos años. El aumento del consumo entre los estudiantes motivó el diseño de ...un taller educativo en un grupo de adolescentes, con el objetivo de aumentar el nivel de conocimientos sobre las características de estos refrescos y sobre sus posibles efectos para la salud; así como de evaluar el impacto del taller respecto a estos conocimientos.Material y Métodos: Se realizó un estudio de intervención con evaluación pre- y post- intervención en un instituto de Manresa, Barcelona. Se aplicó un cuestionario de conocimientos sobre las Bebidas Energéticas antes y después de realizar un taller educativo, en el que se emplearon técnicas de enseñanza afines a los Estilos de Aprendizaje preferentes de los participantes.Resultados: Las técnicas de enseñanza, correspondieron a las estrategias preferentes para los estilos auditivo (32,3%) y quinestésico (23,7%) predominantes en el colectivo. En la evaluación previa: el 76,3% de los adolescentes definen las Bebidas Energéticas como isotónicas para deportistas, la mayoría reconocen su elevado contenido en cafeína (95%), el 61,3% considera que aportan energía para el deporte, el 76,3% que pueden provocar nerviosismo y el 28% creen que no han de ser consumidas por adolescentes. En la evaluación posintervención aumentó el número de estudiantes que respondió correctamente en todas las preguntas del cuestionario.Conclusiones: Un gran número de adolescentes tiene poco o nulo conocimiento sobre las características de las bebidas energéticas y las consecuencias de su consumo para la salud, que mejora significativamente tras la realización de un taller a través de técnicas de enseñanza participativas y cooperativas afines a las estrategias de aprendizaje preferente de los participantes.
This study develops an empirical analysis of the relevance of accounting information when biological assets are measured at fair value. We use an international sample of firms with biological assets. ...We find that biological assets influence unpredictability when they are measured at historical cost (HC). In this case, the ability of accounting data to predict future cash flows diminishes as the proportion of biological assets on total assets increases. The valuation at fair value (FV) switches this negative influence of biological assets to a positive one. We find that when they are measured at FV, the prediction accuracy of future cash flows improves as the ratio of biological assets to total assets increases. This evidence is robust to differentmeasures of prediction accuracy, as well as to the improvement of accounting standards, regardless of FV, over time. The evidence is weaker for bearer plants.
Este estudio realiza un análisis empírico sobre la relevancia de la información contable cuando los activos biológicos son valorados al valor razonable. Utilizamos una muestra internacional de empresas que utilizan activos biológicos, mediante la cual encontramos que los activos biológicos influencian negativamente la capacidad de predicción cuando están valorados a coste histórico. En este caso la habilidad de la información contable para predecir futuros flujos de efectivo disminuye a medida que aumenta la proporción de los activos biológicos en el total del activo. La aplicación del valor razonable convierte en positiva esta influencia negativa. Según nuestros resultados, cuando los activos biológicos están valorados a valor razonable mejora el acierto de predicción de los flujos futuros de efectivo a medida que aumenta la proporción de los activos biológicos sobre el total del activo. Estos resultados son robustos a diferentes indicadores del acierto de predicción, así como a la mejora de la calidad de la información contable a lo largo del tiempo, independientemente de la aplicación del valor razonable, como consecuencia de la implementación de nuevas normas contables. En cambio esta evidencia es débil para los cultivos o plantaciones permanentes.
The development of physiological models that reproduce SARS-CoV-2 infection in primary human cells will be instrumental to identify host-pathogen interactions and potential therapeutics. Here, using ...cell suspensions directly from primary human lung tissues (HLT), we have developed a rapid platform for the identification of viral targets and the expression of viral entry factors, as well as for the screening of viral entry inhibitors and anti-inflammatory compounds. The direct use of HLT cells, without long-term cell culture and in vitro differentiation approaches, preserves main immune and structural cell populations, including the most susceptible cell targets for SARS-CoV-2; alveolar type II (AT-II) cells, while maintaining the expression of proteins involved in viral infection, such as ACE2, TMPRSS2, CD147 and AXL. Further, antiviral testing of 39 drug candidates reveals a highly reproducible method, suitable for different SARS-CoV-2 variants, and provides the identification of new compounds missed by conventional systems, such as VeroE6. Using this method, we also show that interferons do not modulate ACE2 expression, and that stimulation of local inflammatory responses can be modulated by different compounds with antiviral activity. Overall, we present a relevant and rapid method for the study of SARS-CoV-2.
Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1) is a genetic condition affecting approximately 1:3500 persons worldwide. The NF1 gene codes for neurofibromin protein, a GTPase activating protein (GAP) and a negative ...regulator of RAS. The NF1 gene undergoes alternative splicing of exon 23a (E23a) that codes for 21 amino acids placed at the center of the GAP related domain (GRD). E23a-containing type II neurofibromin exhibits a weaker Ras-GAP activity compared to E23a-less type I isoform. Exon E23a has been related with the cognitive impairment present in NF1 individuals. We designed antisense Phosphorodiamidate Morpholino Oligomers (PMOs) to modulate E23a alternative splicing at physiological conditions of gene expression and tested their impact during PC12 cell line neuronal differentiation. Results show that any dynamic modification of the natural ratio between type I and type II isoforms disturbed neuronal differentiation, altering the proper formation of neurites and deregulating both the MAPK/ERK and cAMP/PKA signaling pathways. Our results suggest an opposite regulation of these pathways by neurofibromin and the possible existence of a feedback loop sensing neurofibromin-related signaling. The present work illustrates the utility of PMOs to study alternative splicing that could be applied to other alternatively spliced genes in vitro and in vivo.
Both Fenton oxidation and the combination of aerobic Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR)
+
Fenton oxidation were investigated in a bench-scale study to degrade and reuse a real textile wastewater with a ...TOC
=
465
mg
L
−
1
C, COD
=
2100
mg
L
−
1
O
2 and
Escherichia coli
=
80,000
CFU
mL
−
1
, according to RD 1620/2007 (Spanish Normative for wastewater reclamation and reuse). The independent variables considered for the optimization of the oxidative process were temperature, H
2O
2 and Fe (II) concentrations. Under the best stand-alone Fenton operating conditions: T
=
25
°C, pH
=
3; H
2O
2
=
1650
mg
L
−
1
and Fe (II)
=
216
mg
L
−
1
, we achieved 64% TOC reduction and >
99%
E. coli removal. However, the best results were obtained when applying Fenton process with H
2O
2
=
1518
mg
L
−
1
and Fe (II)
=
66.5
mg
L
−
1
, as a biological polishing step. The aerobic biological treatment was conducted using a SBR with 1
day HRT. In this case 92% TOC and >
99%
E. coli removal were accomplished.
The obtained results showed the feasibility of both processes to achieve suitable water qualities for internal reuse, according to RD 1620/2007.
► Oxidation of real textile wastewater with high COD (2100
mg
L
−
1
O
2). ► Fenton and biological-Fenton coupled processes to reuse textile wastewater. ► Abatement of
Escherichia coli by Fenton and biological-Fenton coupled processes. ► Achievement of suitable water qualities for internal reuse.
Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNST) are aggressive soft tissue sarcomas with poor prognosis, developing either sporadically or in persons with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1). Loss of
...CDKN2A/B
is an important early event in MPNST progression. However, many reported MPNSTs exhibit partial or no inactivation of
CDKN2A/B
, raising the question of whether there is more than one molecular path for MPNST initiation. We present here a comprehensive genomic analysis of MPNST cell lines and tumors to explore in depth the status of
CDKN2A
. After accounting for
CDKN2A
deletions and point mutations, we uncovered a previously unnoticed high frequency of chromosomal translocations involving
CDKN2A
in both MPNST cell lines and primary tumors. Most identified translocation breakpoints were validated by PCR amplification and Sanger sequencing. Many breakpoints clustered in an intronic 500 bp hotspot region adjacent to
CDKN2A
exon 2. We demonstrate the bi-allelic inactivation of
CDKN2A
in all tumors (
n
= 15) and cell lines (
n
= 8) analyzed, supporting a single molecular path for MPNST initiation in both sporadic and NF1-related MPNSTs. This general
CDKN2A
inactivation in MPNSTs has implications for MPNST diagnostics and treatment. Our findings might be relevant for other tumor types with high frequencies of
CDKN2A
inactivation.
Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is a tumor predisposition genetic disease caused by mutations in the NF1 tumor suppressor gene. Plexiform neurofibromas (PNFs) are benign Schwann cell (SC) tumors of ...the peripheral nerve sheath that develop through NF1 inactivation and can progress toward a malignant soft tissue sarcoma. There is a lack of non-perishable model systems to investigate PNF development. We reprogrammed PNF-derived NF1(−/−) cells, descendants from the tumor originating cell. These NF1(−/−)-induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) captured the genomic status of PNFs and were able to differentiate toward neural crest stem cells and further to SCs. iPSC-derived NF1(−/−) SCs exhibited a continuous high proliferation rate, poor myelination ability, and a tendency to form 3D spheres that expressed the same markers as their PNF-derived primary SC counterparts. They represent a valuable model to study and treat PNFs. PNF-derived iPSC lines were banked for making them available.
Display omitted
•We generated iPSCs from neurofibromatosis type 1 plexiform neurofibroma (PNF) cells•PNF-derived iPSCs were differentiated into neural crest and Schwann cells (SCs)•iPSC-differentiated NF1(−/−) SCs exhibit a high proliferation rate and form spheres•Sphere-forming SCs express the same markers as their primary PNF counterparts
In this article, Eduard Serra and colleagues describe the generation of iPSCs directly from plexiform neurofibromas (PNFs), benign Schwann cell (SC) tumors associated with neurofibromatosis type 1. iPSCs bearing the double inactivation of the NF1 gene were differentiated into SCs that exhibited a high proliferation rate, a poor myelination ability, and a tendency to form spheres, resembling PNF-derived SCs.
PDF
