Unraveling the clinicopathological and molecular changes induced by neoadjuvant chemotherapy and endocrine therapy in hormone receptor-positive/HER2-low and HER2-0 breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: The characterization and comparison of gene expression and intrinsic subtype (IS) changes induced by neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) and endocrine therapy in hormone receptor-positive (HR+)/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-low versus HR+/HER2-0 breast cancer (BC) has not been conducted so far. Most evidence on the association of HER2 status with pathologic responses and prognosis in HR+/HER2-negative BC is controversial and restricted to NACT-treated disease. Similarly, a temporal heterogeneity in HER2 status has been described only with NACT. METHODS: We retrospectively recruited a consecutive cohort of 186 patients with stage I-IIIB HR+/HER2-negative BC treated with neoadjuvant therapy (NAT). Available diagnostic biopsies and surgical samples were characterized for main pathological features, PAM50 IS and ROR-P score, and gene expression. Associations with pathologic complete response, residual cancer burden-0/I, event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) based on HER2 status were assessed. Pre/post pathologic/molecular changes were analyzed in matched samples. RESULTS: The HER2-low (62.9%) and HER2-0 (37.1%) cohorts did not differ significantly in main baseline features, treatments administered, breast-conserving surgery, pathologic complete response and residual cancer burden-0/I rates, EFS, and OS. NAT induced, regardless of HER2 status, a significant reduction of estrogen receptor/progesterone receptor and Ki67 levels, a down-regulation of PAM50 proliferation- and luminal-related genes/signatures, an up-regulation of selected immune genes, and a shift towards less aggressive IS and lower ROR-P. Moreover, 25% of HER2-0 changed to HER2-low and 34% HER2-low became HER2-0. HER2 shifts were significant after NACT (P < 0.001), not neoadjuvant endocrine therapy (P = 0.063), with consistent ERBB2 mRNA level dynamics. HER2 changes were not associated with EFS/OS. CONCLUSIONS: HER2-low and HER2-0 status change after NAT in ∼30% of cases, mostly after NACT. Targeted adjuvant strategies should be investigated accordingly. Molecular downstaging with current chemo/endocrine agents and immunotherapy should not rely on HER2 immunohistochemical levels in HR+/HER2-negative BC. Instead, HER2-low-targeted approaches should be explored to pursue more effective and/or less toxic dimensional downstaging.

Aorto-left atrial fistula secondary to aortic infective endocarditis in a dog with a bicuspid aortic valve.

An 11-year-old male neutered American bulldog was presented for evaluation of thrombocytopenia, acute onset of ataxia, and vomiting. A new murmur was auscultated on physical examination. Transthoracic echocardiographic examination revealed a bicuspid aortic valve, vegetative lesions on the aortic valve, and continuous shunting from the aortic root to the left atrium through an aorta to left atrial fistula. The dog was euthanized due to its guarded prognosis and critical condition. Pathological examination confirmed presence of a bicuspid aortic valve, aorto-left atrial fistula, and aortic infective endocarditis. Antemortem blood culture revealed two unusual organisms: Achromobacter xylosoxidans and Fusobacterium mortiferum.

Epidemiology of ataxia and hereditary spastic paraplegia in Spain: A cross-sectional study.

INTRODUCTION: Ataxia and hereditary spastic paraplegia are rare neurodegenerative syndromes. We aimed to determine the prevalence of these disorders in Spain in 2019. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional, multicentre, retrospective, descriptive study of patients with ataxia and hereditary spastic paraplegia in Spain between March 2018 and December 2019. RESULTS: We gathered data from a total of 1933 patients from 11 autonomous communities, provided by 47 neurologists or geneticists. Mean (SD) age in our sample was 53.64 (20.51) years; 938 patients were men (48.5%) and 995 were women (51.5%). The genetic defect was unidentified in 920 patients (47.6%). A total of 1371 patients (70.9%) had ataxia and 562 (29.1%) had hereditary spastic paraplegia. Prevalence rates for ataxia and hereditary spastic paraplegia were estimated at 5.48 and 2.24 cases per 100 000 population, respectively. The most frequent type of dominant ataxia in our sample was SCA3, and the most frequent recessive ataxia was Friedreich ataxia. The most frequent type of dominant hereditary spastic paraplegia in our sample was SPG4, and the most frequent recessive type was SPG7. CONCLUSIONS: In our sample, the estimated prevalence of ataxia and hereditary spastic paraplegia was 7.73 cases per 100 000 population. This rate is similar to those reported for other countries. Genetic diagnosis was not available in 47.6% of cases. Despite these limitations, our study provides useful data for estimating the necessary healthcare resources for these patients, raising awareness of these diseases, determining the most frequent causal mutations for local screening programmes, and promoting the development of clinical trials.

Research Note: Retinal cryptochrome gene expression is not altered by presence of light in incubators.

Cryptochromes are blue-, or ultraviolet-, light-absorbing proteins involved in the circadian clock, blue/ultraviolet light perception and potentially magnetoreception. At least 4 separate cryptochrome genes have been identified in avian species. The purpose of this study was to first determine if cryptochrome genes are expressed in the developing duck retina, and second to determine if the presence of lights in incubators affects the expression of cryptochrome genes. To accomplish these goals, duck eggs were placed in one of 2 commercial incubators (Buckeye, Single Stage Incubator, Model, SS-112) at Maple Leaf Farms, Inc., one with "poultry" LEDs obtained from a commercial source (Once Innovation, Agrishift) and the other in the absence of light (dark). Eggs in the incubators were placed on a reciprocating tray, tilting to 45° to simulate the rotation of eggs; thus all eggs spent 50% facing the light source and the other 50% of time facing 45° away from light source. Temperature gradients and humidity were maintained at industry standards. Retinal tissue samples from light and dark incubators were collected on days 3, 7, 11, 16, and 21 of incubation (extraction day, ED) known to be anatomical hallmarks of visual system development (n = 9-18 treatment group/ED timepoint). Samples were prepped and assayed for Cry2 and GAPDH gene transcription using qRT-PCR. Data were analyzed by using 2-ddCt method and a 2-way ANOVA was performed. No significant differences in Cry2 gene expression were observed between the lighted or dark incubator (P > 0.10). When combining light and dark treatment groups there is a significant 9 P < 0.05) increase in retinal Cry2 at ED 21, compared to ED 3 and 7. The presence of cryptochrome does not necessitate a migratory drive as evidenced by the fact that the Cry2 expression has been shown in non-migratory birds. However, since blue/ultraviolet wavelengths also activate the Cry2 photoreceptor, its presence could explain reports that suggest duck welfare can be improved if housed under lights that include ultraviolet wavelengths.

Neurologic outcomes of carotid and other emergent interventions for ischemic stroke over 6 years with dataset enhanced by machine learning.

BACKGROUND: The current mainstays of ischemic stroke treatment include the use of thrombolysis (tissue plasminogen activator [tPA]), urgent carotid endarterectomy (uCEA) or urgent carotid artery stenting (uCAS), and mechanical endovascular reperfusion/thrombectomy (MER). Scarce data describe the presenting stroke severity and neurologic outcomes for these acute ischemic stroke interventions, alone or in combination. The authors hypothesize that patients undergoing carotid interventions experience better functional neurologic outcomes than other stroke interventions. METHODS: A comprehensive stroke center dataset was combined with data for stroke-related procedures, comorbidities, complications, and physician documentation collected from electronic medical record data. A total of 10,975 patient encounter records from January 1, 2015, through July 31, 2021, were retrieved. The presenting stroke severity was determined by vascular/stroke neurologists using the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS). Functional neurologic outcomes were reported using the modified Rankin scale (mRS) score, which quantifies the degree of neurologic disability. Because mRS values were only available for 3627 encounters in the original dataset, the authors developed a machine learning algorithm to analyze physician documentation and assign an mRS value. After the exclusion and machine learning analysis, a total of 5170 patient encounters were included for statistical analysis. Statistical analyses included the χ2 test, one-way analysis of variance and logistic regression on 30-day complications, stroke severity, and neurologic outcomes. RESULTS: Patients were divided into five cohorts: (1) uCEA or uCAS (n = 189), (2) tPA alone (n = 1053), (3) MER alone (n = 418), (4) tPA + MER (n = 199), and (5) no intervention (n = 3311). Patients undergoing uCEA/uCAS were significantly more likely to be male, smokers, and have a history of peripheral arterial disease compared with other stroke cohorts. The length of stay was shortest for patients who only received tPA or no intervention (6 days), followed by uCEA/uCAS (7.2 days), MER (10.2 days), and tPA + MER (8.8 days) cohorts (P < .001). The 30-day mortality was highest in the MER cohort (12.2%) and lowest in the uCEA/uCAS cohort (2.6%). The uCEA/uCAS cohort compared with other cohorts had the lowest presenting stroke severity (NIHSS 4.9 vs NIHSS 6.9-16.0), and best neurologic outcomes (mRS 1.7 vs mRS 1.8-2.6). CONCLUSIONS: After an ischemic stroke, patients undergoing urgent carotid interventions had the lowest presenting stroke severity (NIHSS) and highest rate of independent neurologic outcomes (mRS) compared with other stroke interventions. Incoming stroke severity correlates with functional neurologic outcomes, and patients who present with an NIHSS of 10 or less who undergo uCEA/uCAS have a high likelihood of independent neurologic functional outcome (mRS of ≤2).

Epidemiology of ataxia and hereditary spastic paraplegia in Spain: a cross-sectional study. / Mapa epidemiológico transversal de las ataxias y paraparesias espásticas hereditarias en España.

INTRODUCTION: Ataxia and hereditary spastic paraplegia are rare neurodegenerative syndromes. We aimed to determine the prevalence of these disorders in Spain in 2019. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional, multicentre, retrospective, descriptive study of patients with ataxia and hereditary spastic paraplegia in Spain between March 2018 and December 2019. RESULTS: We gathered data from a total of 1.809 patients from 11 autonomous communities, provided by 47 neurologists or geneticists. Mean (SD) age in our sample was 53.64 (20.51) years; 920 patients were men (50.8%) and 889 were women (49.2%). The genetic defect was unidentified in 920 patients (47.6%). A total of 1371 patients (70.9%) had ataxia and 562 (29.1%) had hereditary spastic paraplegia. Prevalence rates for ataxia and hereditary spastic paraplegia were estimated at 5.48 and 2.24 cases per 100 000 population, respectively. The most frequent type of dominant ataxia in our sample was SCA3, and the most frequent recessive ataxia was Friedreich ataxia. The most frequent type of dominant hereditary spastic paraplegia in our sample was SPG4, and the most frequent recessive type was SPG7. CONCLUSIONS: In our sample, the estimated prevalence of ataxia and hereditary spastic paraplegia was 7.73 cases per 100 000 population. This rate is similar to those reported for other countries. Genetic diagnosis was not available in 47.6% of cases. Despite these limitations, our study provides useful data for estimating the necessary healthcare resources for these patients, raising awareness of these diseases, determining the most frequent causal mutations for local screening programmes, and promoting the development of clinical trials.

Tatuaje de amalgama: Pigmentación exógena más común de la cavidad oral / Amalgam tattoo: Most common exogenous pigmentation of the oral cavity

Resumen El propósito de este estudio es analizar las características clínicas de la pigmentación de amalgama en la cavidad oral, comúnmente, denominada también tatuaje de amalgama, el objetivo es aumentar el conocimiento de esta entidad patológica y diferenciarla de otras lesiones de mayor importancia clínica.

Abstract The purpose of this study is to analyze the clinical characteristics of amalgam pigmentation in the oral cavity, commonly known as amalgam tattoo, in order to increase the knowledge of this pathological entity and to differentiate it from other important lesions.

Caracterización de la población con obstrucción de poros faciales a quienes se les aplico laserterapia en la Unidad de Dermatología UNIMEL / Characterization of the population with facial pore obstruction to whom laser therapy was applied at the UNIMEL Dermatology Unit / Caracterização da população com obstrução dos poros faciais a quem foi aplicada terapia a laser no Serviço de Dermatologia da UNIMEL

INTRODUCCIÓN: el poro es un orificio de excreción que se encuentra en la epidermis de la piel, en donde pueden producirse problemas de eliminación deficiente del sebo en personas que presentan exceso de grasas. OBJETIVO: analizar las características y tratamiento laser aplicado a la población con obstrucción de poros faciales que acuden a la consulta de la Unidad de Dermatología UNIMEL. MATERIALES Y MÉTODOS: estudio descriptivo, de campo, prospectivo y transversal, la población fue de 653 pacientes de ambos sexos que acudieron a la consulta de dermatología y recibieron laserterapia por presentar obstrucción de poros faciales. Se aplicó estadística descriptiva para la representación de datos. El instrumento utilizado fue una lista de registro. RESULTADOS: los pacientes presentaron una edad promedio de 37 años, se aplicaron diferentes tratamientos según los criterios diagnósticos, se les realizó el procedimiento de fotona Black peel en un 0,15%, Vela de Nova en un 5,05% y Qs Quimioespectra a un 94,79% que representan un total de 619 personas. CONCLUSIÓN: el mayor grupo de pacientes que asistió a tratamiento se ubicó entre los 31 a 40 años de edad, un alto porcentaje mujeres afectadas por secuelas de daño facial producido por obstrucción de los poros y acumulación de sebo, un grupo importante 48,8% presenta acné posterior a los 18 años de edad.

INTRODUCTION: the pore is an excretion hole found in the epidermis of the skin, where problems of poor sebum removal can occur in people with excess fat; irregular synthesis occurs in the production of sebum increases its production with occlusion of the pores by dead cells. OBJECTIVE: to analyze the characteristics and laser treatment applied to the population with facial pore obstruction that come to the UNIMEL Dermatology Unit consultation. METHODS: a descriptive, field, prospective and cross-sectional study, the study population was 653 patients of both sexes who attended the dermatology consultation and received laser therapy for presenting facial pore obstruction. Descriptive statistics were applied for data representation. The instrument used was a registration list. RESULTS: the patients had an average age of 37 years, different treatments were applied according to the diagnostic criteria, and the photone Black peel procedure was performed in 0.15%, Nova candle in 5.05% and Qs Chemospectra at 94.79% representing a total of 619 people. CONCLUSION: the largest group of patients who attended treatment was between 31 to 40 years of age, a high percentage of women affected by sequelae of facial damage caused by pore obstruction and sebum accumulation, an important group 48.8% you have acne after 18 years of age.

INTRODUÇÃO: o poro é um orifício de excreção que se encontra na epiderme da pele, onde podem ocorrer problemas com a má remoção de sebo em pessoas com excesso de gordura. OBJETIVO: analisar as características e o tratamento a laser aplicado à população com obstrução de poro facial que frequenta a consulta do Serviço de Dermatologia da UNIMEL MATERIAIS E MÉTODOS: estudo descritivo, de campo, prospectivo e transversal, a população foi de 653 pacientes de ambos os sexos que compareceu à consulta de dermatologia e recebeu terapia a laser devido à obstrução dos poros faciais. Estatísticas descritivas foram aplicadas para representar os dados. O instrumento utilizado foi uma lista de registro. RESULTADOS: os pacientes tinham idade média de 37 anos, diferentes tratamentos foram aplicados de acordo com os critérios diagnósticos, o procedimento de fotone Black peel foi realizado em 0,15%, Vela de Nova em 5,05% e Qs Chemospectra em 94,79% representando um total de 619 pessoas. CONCLUSÃO: o maior grupo de pacientes que frequentou o tratamento teve entre 31 e 40 anos de idade, elevado percentual de mulheres acometidas por sequelas de lesões faciais causadas por obstrução de poros e acúmulo de sebo, importante grupo 48,8% tem acne após 18 anos de idade.

Cardiovascular images: constrictive pericarditis and tricavitary effusion in a dog with pericardial mesothelioma.

This report describes the transthoracic echocardiographic findings and computed tomography features of a 12-year-old West Highland white terrier with constrictive pericarditis (CP) secondary to pericardial mesothelioma. Although pericardial mesothelioma is well described in dogs, its association with CP in the canine population is not as widely reported. In this clinical case, a multidisciplinary imaging approach was helpful to identify anatomical and hemodynamic abnormalities that allowed for a diagnosis of CP.

Uso de enzimas como tratamiento dermatológico regenerador de las líneas de expresión / Use of enzymes as a regenerative dermatological treatment of expression lines / Uso de enzimas como tratamento dermatológico regenerativo de linhas de expressão

INTRODUCCIÓN: el tratamiento con enzimas es una alternativa estética mínimamente invasiva para mejorar la apariencia facial y disminuir las líneas de expresión. OBJETIVO: Determinar el uso de las enzimas hialuronidasa, colagenasa y lipasa como tratamiento enzimático dermatológico para las líneas de expresión facial. MATERIALES Y MÉTODO: estudio de campo, prospectivo, población 457 pacientes que acudieron a la consulta dermatológica entre los años 2013 y 2018 para tratamiento con enzimas. El instrumento de recolección de datos fue la hoja de registro y la fuente documental las historias clínicas. El método estadístico fue descriptivo, la información se presenta en tablas y gráficos. RESULTADOS: la edad promedio de los pacientes fue de 45,2 ± 10,1 años, 40,9% recibió 2 kits de enzimas con los 3 componentes básicos de colagenasa, hialuronidasas y lipasas. Se encontró diferencia significativa en la relación de atención entre hombres y mujeres, de 1:14, es decir las mujeres acudieron más a la consulta solicitando la colocación de este tratamiento. CONCLUSIÓN: el tratamiento con enzimas aporta beneficios al incrementar la permeabilidad dérmica, aumenta el flujo sanguíneo y el drenaje linfático, disminuye los tabiques fibrosos de la celulitis, la flacidez, adiposidades, y rejuvenece el aspecto general. Por lo que se plantea como un tratamiento efectivo para disminuir las líneas de expresión.

INTRODUCTION: enzyme treatment represents a minimally invasive aesthetic alternative to improve facial appearance and decrease expression lines. OBJECTIVE: to determine the use of the enzymes hyaluronidase, collagenase and lipase as a dermatological enzyme treatment as a regenerative treatment for expression lines. METHODS: a prospective field study was conducted of a population made up of 457 patients who attended the UNIMEL dermatological consultation between 2013 and 2018 to be treated with enzymes. The data collection instrument was the record sheet and the documentary source was the medical records. The statistical method was descriptive, the information is presented in tables and graphs. RESULTS: the average age was 45.2 ± 10.1 years of age, to whom a majority of 40.9% were applied 2 kits of enzymes with the 3 basic components of collagenase, hyaluronidases and lipases to act synergistically each other enhancing functions and revitalizing the cells of the face. A significant difference was found in the care ratio between men and women, 1:14, that is, the women attended the consultation more requesting the placement of this treatment. CONCLUSION: the use of enzymes provides great benefits to increase skin permeability, increases lymphatic drainage, reduces fibrous septa of cellulite, sagging and fat, increases blood flow and rejuvenates the general appearance. So, it is proposed as an effective treatment to reduce expression lines

INTRODUÇÃO: o tratamento enzimático é uma alternativa estética minimamente invasiva para melhorar a aparência facial e diminuir as linhas de expressão. OBJETIVO: determinar o uso das enzimas hialuronidase, colagenase e lipase como tratamento enzimático dermatológico para linhas de expressão facial. MATERIAIS E MÉTODOS: estudo de campo em perspectiva, população de 457 pacientes que compareceram à consulta dermatológica entre 2013 e 2018 para tratamento enzimático. O instrumento de coleta de dados foi a folha de registros e a fonte documental foram os registros médicos. O método estatístico foi descritivo, as informações são apresentadas em tabelas e gráficos. RESULTADOS: a idade média dos pacientes foi de 45,2 ± 10,1 anos, 40,9% receberam 2 kits de enzimas com os 3 componentes básicos de colagenase, hialuronidases e lipases. Foi encontrada diferença significativa de 1:14 na relação de atenção entre homens e mulheres, ou seja, as mulheres compareceram mais frequentemente as consultas para a colocação desse tratamento do que aos homes. CONCLUSÃO: o tratamento enzimático oferece benefícios ao aumentar a permeabilidade dérmica, aumenta o fluxo sanguíneo e a drenagem linfática, reduz os septos fibrosos da celulite, flacidez, adiposidade e rejuvenesce a aparência geral. Por isso, é proposto como um tratamento eficaz para diminuir as linhas de expressão.

A novel approach to childhood obesity: circulating chemokines and growth factors as biomarkers of insulin resistance.

BACKGROUND: Insulin resistance (IR) in children with obesity constitutes a risk factor that should be precisely diagnosed to prevent further comorbidities. OBJECTIVE: Chemokines were evaluated to identify novel predictors of IR with clinical application. METHODS: We analysed the levels of cytokines (tumour necrosis factor [TNF] α and interleukins [ILs] 1ß, 4, 6 and 10), chemokines (stromal cell derived factor 1α, monocyte chemoattract protein [MCP] 1, eotaxin and fractalkine) and growth factors (brain-derived neurotrophic factor, pro-fibrotic platelet-derived growth factor [PDGF-BB] and insulin-like growth factor 1) in serum of prepubertal children with obesity (61 girls/59 boys, 50% IR and 50% non-IR) and 32 controls. Factor analysis, correlation, binary logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic analysis of combined biomarkers were used to validate their capability for preventive interventions of IR. RESULTS: Changes in MCP1, eotaxin, IL1ß and PDGF-BB were observed in IR children with obesity. Bivariate correlation between stromal cell derived factor 1α, MCP1, eotaxin, TNFα, brain-derived neurotrophic factor and/or PDGF-BB explained the high variance (65.9%) defined by three components related to inflammation and growth that contribute towards IR. The combination of leptin, triglyceride/high-density lipoprotein, insulin-like growth factor 1, TNFα, MCP1 and PDGF-BB showed a sensitivity and specificity of 93.2% for the identification of IR. The percentage of correct predictions was 89.6. CONCLUSIONS: Combined set of cytokines, adipokines and chemokines constitutes a model that predicts IR, suggesting a potential application in clinical practice as biomarkers to identify children with obesity and hyperinsulinaemia.

Low intensity sonosynthesis of iron carbide@iron oxide core-shell nanoparticles.

Here we demonstrate a simple method for the organic sonosynthesis of stable Iron Carbide@Iron Oxide core-shell nanoparticles (ICIONPs) stabilized by oleic acid surface modification. This robust synthesis route is based on the sonochemistry reaction of organometallic precursor like Fe(CO)5 in octanol using low intensity ultrasonic bath. As obtained, nanoparticles diameter sizes were measured around 6.38 nm ±â€¯1.34 with a hydrodynamic diameter around 25 nm and an estimated polydispersity of 0.27. Core-Shell structure of nanoparticles was confirmed using HR-TEM and XPS characterization tools in which a core made up of iron carbide (Fe3C) and a shell of magnetite (γ-Fe2O3) was found. The overall nanoparticle presented ferromagnetic behavior at 4 K by SQUID. With these characteristics, the ICIONPs can be potentially used in various applications such as theranostic agent due to their properties obtained from the iron oxides and iron carbide phases.

Effect of freeze-thawing conditions for preparation of chitosan-poly (vinyl alcohol) hydrogels and drug release studies.

The freezing-thawing is an advantageous method to produce hydrogels without crosslinking agents. In this study chitosan-poly(vinyl alcohol) (CS-PVA) hydrogels were prepared by varying the freezing conditions and composition, which affect the final characteristics of the products. The swelling degree, morphology, porosity, and diflunisal drug loading, as well as the drug release profiles were evaluated. The hydrogel swelling ratio was found to be mainly affected by the CS content, the number of freezing cycles and the temperature. SEM micrographs and porosity data confirm that pore size increases with the chitosan content. However, the use of either lower temperatures or longer freezing times, results in higher porosity and smaller pores. The drug release times of the CS-PVA hydrogels were as long as 30 h, and according to the mathematical fitting, a simple diffusion mechanism dominates the process. Moreover, a mathematical model predicting the hydrogels physical and structural behavior is proposed.

[Myths and evidence on the use of botulinum toxin: neuropharmacology and dystonia]. / Mitos y evidencias en el empleo de la toxina botulinica: neurofarmacologia y distonias.

INTRODUCTION: Botulinum toxin type A (BTA) is a bacterial endotoxin, whose therapeutic use has had a dramatic impact on different neurological disorders, such as dystonia and spasticity. AIM: To analyze and summarize different questions about the use of BTA in our clinical practice. DEVELOPMENT: A group of experts in neurology developed a list of topics related with the use of BTA. Two groups were considered: neuropharmacology and dystonia. A literature search at PubMed, mainly for English language articles published up to June 2016 was performed. The manuscript was structured as a questionnaire that includes those questions that, according to the panel opinion, could generate more controversy or doubt. The initial draft was reviewed by the expert panel members to allow modifications, and after subsequent revisions for achieving the highest degree of consensus, the final text was then validated. Different questions about diverse aspects of neuropharmacology, such as mechanism of action, bioequivalence of the different preparations, immunogenicity, etc. were included. Regarding dystonia, the document included questions about methods of evaluation, cervical dystonia, blepharospasm, etc. CONCLUSION: This review does not pretend to be a guide, but rather a tool for continuous training of residents and specialists in neurology, about different specific areas of the management of BTA.

TITLE: Mitos y evidencias en el empleo de la toxina botulinica: neurofarmacologia y distonias.Introduccion. La toxina botulinica de tipo A (TBA) ha supuesto una verdadera revolucion terapeutica en neurologia, y en la actualidad es el tratamiento rutinario en las distonias focales y la espasticidad. Objetivo. Plantear, revisar y responder cuestiones controvertidas en relacion con la neurofarmacologia de la TBA y su uso en las distonias en la practica clinica habitual. Desarrollo. Un grupo de expertos en trastornos del movimiento reviso una lista de temas controvertidos relacionados con la farmacologia de la TBA y su uso en las distonias. Revisamos la bibliografia e incluimos articulos relevantes especialmente en ingles, pero tambien, si su importancia lo merece, en castellano y en frances, hasta junio de 2016. El documento se estructuro como un cuestionario que incluyo las preguntas que podrian generar mayor controversia o duda. El borrador inicial del documento fue revisado por los miembros del panel y se realizaron las modificaciones necesarias hasta alcanzar el mayor grado de consenso. Incluimos preguntas sobre diferentes aspectos de la neurofarmacologia, especialmente el mecanismo de accion, la bioequivalencia de los diferentes preparados y la inmunogenicidad. En relacion con el subapartado de las distonias, se incluyeron aspectos sobre la evaluacion y el tratamiento de las distonias focales. Conclusiones. Esta revision no pretende ser una guia, sino una herramienta practica destinada a neurologos y medicos internos residentes interesados en esta area, dentro de diferentes ambitos especificos del manejo de la TBA.

Cooperative role of the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor and ß3-adrenergic-mediated signalling on fat mass reduction through the downregulation of PKA/AKT/AMPK signalling in the adipose tissue and muscle of rats.

AIM: To explore the cooperation of GLP-1 receptor and ß3-adrenergic receptor (ß3-AR)-mediated signalling in the control of fat mass/feeding behaviour by studying the effects of a combined therapy composed of the GLP-1R agonist liraglutide and the ß3-AR agonist CL316243. METHODS: The study included the analysis of key mechanisms regulating lipid/cholesterol metabolism, and thermogenesis in brown (BAT) and epididymal white (eWAT) adipose tissues, abdominal muscle and liver of male rats. RESULTS: CL316243 (1 mg kg-1 ) and liraglutide (100 µg kg-1 ) co-administration over 6 days potentiated an overall negative energy balance (reduction in food intake, body weight gain, fat/non-fat mass ratio, liver fat content, and circulating levels of non-essential fatty acids, triglycerides, very low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol and leptin). These effects were accompanied by increased plasma levels of insulin and IL6. We also observed increased gene expression of uncoupling proteins regulating thermogenesis in BAT/eWAT (Ucp1) and muscle (Ucp2/3). Expression of transcription factor and enzymes involved either in de novo lipogenesis (Chrebp, Acaca, Fasn, Scd1, Insig1, Srebp1) or in fatty acid ß-oxidation (Cpt1b) was enhanced in eWAT and/or muscle but decreased in BAT. Pparα and Pparγ, essentials in lipid flux/storage, were decreased in BAT/eWAT but increased in the muscle and liver. Cholesterol synthesis regulators (Insig2, Srebp2, Hmgcr) were particularly over-expressed in muscle. These GLP-1R/ß3-AR-induced metabolic effects were associated with the downregulation of cAMP-dependent signalling pathways (PKA/AKT/AMPK). CONCLUSION: Combined activation of GLP-1 and ß3-ARs potentiate changes in peripheral pathways regulating lipid/cholesterol metabolism in a tissue-specific manner that favours a switch in energy availability/expenditure and may be useful for obesity treatment.

Ivabradina en el manejo de la falla cardiaca aguda por miocarditis / Ivabradine in acute heart failure due to myocarditis

Resumen Presentamos el caso de una paciente de 47 años de edad, remitida a nuestra institución por cuadro de la falla cardiaca aguda secundaria a la miocarditis viral, en quien se utilizó la ivabradina como terapia coadyuvante para el control de la frecuencia cardiaca en el contexto del choque cardiogénico.

Abstract The case of a 47 year-old female patient is presented. She was referred to our institution due to acute heart failure secondary to viral myocarditis, where ivabradine was used as an adjuvant therapy for controlling the heart rate in the context of a cardiogenic shock.

[The level of knowledge regarding the concept of brain death among undergraduates at the Universitat de Lleida]. / Nivel de conocimiento del concepto de muerte encefalica entre estudiantes de grado de la Universitat de Lleida.

INTRODUCTION: Brain death is a death situation which is diagnosed by means of neurological criteria and is the ideal situation for organ donation, as, thanks to intensive care, the organs maintain their viability. Very few studies have analysed the knowledge that the population has about this situation. AIM: To determine how much university students know about brain death by comparing the results between undergraduates pursuing a degree in medicine and those on other bachelor's degree courses. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A closed on-line survey was administered to undergraduate students at the Universitat de Lleida about their knowledge regarding the concept of brain death, donor legislation and willingness to donate. RESULTS: The survey was answered by a total of 488 people, 192 (39.3%) from the degree in medicine. Only 164 (33.6%) were males. The mean age was 22.1 ± 4.4 years. Only 63 (12.9%) respondents defined brain death as death. While 19.1% replied correctly to the question about organ donation legislation, 79.7% said they would be willing to donate their organs. The level of knowledge was significantly higher in the later courses of the degree in medicine, although there was still plenty of room for improvement in this respect. Only 31.7% of sixth-year students had a good idea of the concept of brain death. CONCLUSION: The extent of knowledge about brain death and legislation on organ donation is poor among university students, even in the degree in medicine. It would be advisable to design strategies aimed at improving this knowledge, especially among future healthcare professionals.

TITLE: Nivel de conocimiento del concepto de muerte encefalica entre estudiantes de grado de la Universitat de Lleida.Introduccion. La muerte encefalica es una situacion de muerte que se diagnostica a traves de criterios neurologicos y es la situacion ideal para donar los organos, ya que, gracias a los cuidados intensivos, los organos mantienen su viabilidad. Muy pocos estudios previos han analizado el conocimiento de la poblacion sobre esta situacion. Objetivo. Determinar el grado de conocimiento del concepto de muerte encefalica entre estudiantes universitarios, comparando resultados entre Medicina y otros estudios de grado. Sujetos y metodos. Se realizo una encuesta electronica cerrada a estudiantes de la Universitat de Lleida sobre el conocimiento del concepto de muerte encefalica, la legislacion de donante y la voluntad de donar. Resultados. Respondieron un total de 488 personas, 192 (39,3%) del grado de Medicina. Solo 164 (33,6%) eran hombres. La edad media fue de 22,1 ± 4,4 años. Solo 63 (12,9%) encuestados definieron la muerte encefalica como muerte. Un 19,1% contesto correctamente a la pregunta de la legislacion de organos, aunque un 79,7% mostro voluntad para donar sus organos. El grado de conocimiento fue significativamente mayor en los cursos mas elevados del grado de Medicina, pero con un margen de mejoria importante. Solo el 31,7% de los estudiantes de sexto curso tuvo un buen conocimiento del concepto de muerte encefalica. Conclusion. El grado de conocimiento de la muerte encefalica y la legislacion de donante es pobre entre la poblacion universitaria, incluso en el grado de Medicina. Seria conveniente diseñar estrategias para mejorar el conocimiento, sobre todo en los futuros profesionales sanitarios.

Non-local means filter denoising for DEXA images.

Dual high and low energy images of Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DEXA) suffer from noises due to the use of weak amount of X-rays. Denoising these DEXA images could be a key process to enhance and improve a Bone Mineral Density (BMD) map which is derived from a pair of high and low energy images. This could further improve the accuracy of diagnosis of bone fractures, osteoporosis, and etc. In this paper, we present a denoising technique for dual high and low energy images of DEXA via non-local means filter (NLMF). The noise of dual DEXA images is modeled based on both source and detector noises of a DEXA system. Then, the parameters of the proposed NLMF are optimized for denoising utilizing the experimental data from uniform phantoms. The optimized NLMF is tested and verified with the DEXA images of the uniform phantoms and real human spine. The quantitative evaluation shows the improvement of Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) for the high and low phantom images on the order of 30.36% and 27.02% and for the high and low real spine images on the order of 22.28% and 33.43%, respectively. Our work suggests that denoising via NLMF could be a key preprocessing process for clinical DEXA imaging.

Detection and classification of the breast abnormalities in digital mammograms via regional Convolutional Neural Network.

Automatic detection and classification of the masses in mammograms are still a big challenge and play a crucial role to assist radiologists for accurate diagnosis. In this paper, we propose a novel computer-aided diagnose (CAD) system based on one of the regional deep learning techniques: a ROI-based Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) which is called You Only Look Once (YOLO). Our proposed YOLO-based CAD system contains four main stages: mammograms preprocessing, feature extraction utilizing multi convolutional deep layers, mass detection with confidence model, and finally mass classification using fully connected neural network (FC-NN). A set of training mammograms with the information of ROI masses and their types are used to train YOLO. The trained YOLO-based CAD system detects the masses and classifies their types into benign or malignant. Our results show that the proposed YOLO-based CAD system detects the mass location with an overall accuracy of 96.33%. The system also distinguishes between benign and malignant lesions with an overall accuracy of 85.52%. Our proposed system seems to be feasible as a CAD system capable of detection and classification at the same time. It also overcomes some challenging breast cancer cases such as the mass existing in the pectoral muscles or dense regions.

Patients' preference of trastuzumab administration (subcutaneous versus intravenous) in HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer: Results of the randomised MetaspHer study.

HannaH (NCT00950300) and PrefHer (NCT01401166) studies validated the subcutaneous (H-s.c.) formulation of trastuzumab as effective and safe as intravenous (H-i.v.) and highly preferred by patients in early breast cancer. The present randomised MetaspHer trial (NCT01810393) is the first study assessing patient's preference in metastatic setting. METHODS: Patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer who completed a first line chemotherapy with trastuzumab and achieved a long-term response lasting more than 3 years were randomised to receive 3 cycles of 600-mg fixed-dose adjuvant H-s.c., followed by 3 cycles of standard H-i.v., or the reverse sequence. Primary end-point was overall preference for H-s.c. or H-i.v. at cycle six, assessed by Patient Preference Questionnaire (PPQ). Secondary end-points included healthcare professional (HCP) satisfaction; safety and tolerability; quality of life. RESULTS: Hundred and thirteen patients were randomised and treated. H-s.c. was preferred by 79/92 evaluable intent-to-treat patients (85.9%, 95% confidence interval [CI; 78.8-93.0]; p < 0.001), 13/92 preferred H-i.v. (14.1%, 95% CI [7.0-21.3]). HCPs were most satisfied with H-s.c. (56/88 available data, 63.6%, [53.6-73.7]). On the safety population, adverse events occurred in 73 (67.6%) and 49 (44.1%) patients during the H-s.c. and H-i.v. periods, respectively; 7 (6.5%) and 4 (3.6%) were grade ≥ III, 3 (2.8%) and 2 (1.8%) were serious. CONCLUSION: The safety was consistent with the known H-i.v. and H-s.c. profiles without safety concern raised. Definitively, patients preferred H-s.c. as reported in early stage by PrefHer study.