Virology, Clinical Features and Diagnosis of COVID 19: Review Analysis.

COVID-19 requires unprecedented mobilization of the health systems to prevent the rapid spread of this unique virus, which spreads via respiratory droplet and causes respiratory disease. There is an urgent need for an accurate and rapid test method to quickly identify many infected patients and asymptomatic carriers to prevent virus transmission and assure timely treatment of the patients. This article aims as an outcome of review of the evidence on viral load and its virulence of SARS-CoV2,so that it will help in further understanding the fact useful for investigating and managing the COVID-19 cases. A search of available evidence was conducted in pub-med "COVID-19 viral load and virulence" and its associated characters world-wide and Google Scholar to capture the most recently published articles. The WHO and Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) database of publications on novel coronavirus were also screened for relevant publications. Abstracts of 55 articles were screened by two authors and 15 were included in this study based on the inclusion criteria. SARS-coV2, the causative agent of COVID-19 falls under the coronavirus family but it has higher infectivity compared to SARS and MERS with higher reproduction numbers(Ro). Virulence has been found to be different throughout the world,however lower compared to SARS and MERS,till date. The most common clinical features have been found to be cough and fever. RT - PCR remains the most sensitive and specific method for the diagnosis of COVID-19 although it is time consuming, costly and requires highly skilled human resources. Hence, newer modalities like RT- LAMP can be alternative for point of care diagnosis as this is both cost effective and requires less skilled human resources. Despite recent advances in disease diagnosis and treatment outcomes using latest technological advances in molecular biology, the global pandemic COVID-19 remains a major headache for governments across the world due to limited testing capacity and lack of appropriate treatment and vaccine.

Pressure-induced enhancement of thermoelectric power factor in pristine and hole-doped SnSe crystals.

We evaluate the influence of pressure on the thermoelectric power factors PF ≡ S 2 σ of pristine and Na-doped SnSe crystals by measuring their electrical conductivity σ(T) and Seebeck coefficient S(T) up to ∼22 kbar with a self-clamped piston-cylinder cell. For both cases, σ(T) is enhanced while S(T) reduced with increasing pressure as expected, but their imbalanced variations lead to a monotonic enhancement of PF under pressure. For pristine SnSe, σ(290 K) increases by ∼4 times from ∼10.1 to 38 S cm-1, while S(290 K) decreases by only ∼12% from 474 to 415 µV K-1, leading to about three-fold enhancement of PF from 2.24 to 6.61 µW cm-1 K-2, which is very close to the optimal value of SnSe above the structural transition at ∼800 K at ambient pressure. In comparison, the PF of Na-doped SnSe at 290 K is enhanced moderately by ∼30% up to 20 kbar. In contrast, the PF of isostructural black phosphorus with a simple band structure was found to decrease under pressure. The comparison with black phosphorus indicates that the multi-valley valence band structure of SnSe is beneficial for the enhancement of PF by retaining a large Seebeck coefficient under pressure. Our results also provide experimental confirmation on the previous theoretical prediction that high pressure can be used to optimize the thermoelectric efficiency of SnSe.

Reemergence of high-Tc superconductivity in the (Li1-xFe x )OHFe1-ySe under high pressure.

In order to elucidate pressure-induced second superconducting phase (SC-II) in A x Fe2-ySe2 (A = K, Rb, Cs, and Tl) having an intrinsic phase separation, we perform a detailed high-pressure magnetotransport study on the isoelectronic, phase-pure (Li1-xFe x )OHFe1-ySe single crystals. Here we show that its ambient-pressure superconducting phase (SC-I) with a critical temperature Tc ≈ 40 K is suppressed gradually to below 2 K and an SC-II phase emerges above Pc ≈ 5 GPa with Tc increasing progressively to above 50 K up to 12.5 GPa. Our high-precision resistivity data uncover a sharp transition of the normal state from Fermi liquid for SC-I to non-Fermi liquid for SC-II phase. In addition, the reemergence of high-Tc SC-II is found to accompany with a concurrent enhancement of electron carrier density. Without structural transition below 10 GPa, the observed SC-II with enhanced carrier density should be ascribed to an electronic origin presumably associated with pressure-induced Fermi surface reconstruction.

Oncologist's knowledge and implementation of guidelines for breakthrough cancer pain in Spain: CONOCE study.

PURPOSE: Breakthrough cancer pain (BTcP) has been shown to be a prevalent and poor prognostic factor for oncologic patients, which remain under diagnosed and undertreated. In 2012, the Spanish Society of Medical Oncology (SEOM) published a clinical practice guideline (CPG) for the treatment of cancer pain which specifically addressed the management of BTcP. METHODS: Fundación ECO designed a qualitative study using an Internet-based survey to investigate the attitudes toward, compliance with, and use of SEOM Guideline. RESULTS: A total of 83 oncologists with a mean experience of 13 years responded. Overall, 82% were aware of different guidelines to manage BTcP. Notably, attitudes toward guidelines were highly positive and there was nearly unanimous agreement that CPG provided the best scientific evidence available (99%), on the minimum information to be gathered for the medical history (100%), on the need for a specific treatment for BTcP (100%), and fentanyl as the first-choice drug (99%). Interestingly, there were discrepancies between what oncologists agreed with and what they do in clinical practice. In fact, 87.6% declare full compliance with SEOM guideline, although adherence to registration of BTcP data in medical records ranged from 30.1 to 91.6% (mean 64.5%); therapeutic management compliance was higher ranging from 75.9 to 91.6%. Main barriers identified were time pressure together with vague statements and limited dissemination of the guidelines. CONCLUSION: Despite oncologist's clinical practice is increasingly guided by GPC, it suffers from limited compliance, at least in part due to suboptimal statements. Improved dissemination and education are needed to enhance guideline implementation.

GATA3 targets semaphorin 3B in mammary epithelial cells to suppress breast cancer progression and metastasis.

Semaphorin 3B (SEMA3B) is a secreted axonal guidance molecule that is expressed during development and throughout adulthood. Recently, SEMA3B has emerged as a tumor suppressor in non-neuronal cells. Here, we show that SEMA3B is a direct target of GATA3 transcriptional activity. GATA3 is a key transcription factor that regulates genes involved in mammary luminal cell differentiation and tumor suppression. We show that GATA3 relies on SEMA3B for suppression of tumor growth. Loss of SEMA3B renders GATA3 inactive and promotes aggressive breast cancer development. Overexpression of SEMA3B in cells lacking GATA3 induces a GATA3-like phenotype and higher levels of SEMA3B are associated with better cancer patient prognosis. Moreover, SEMA3B interferes with activation of LIM kinases (LIMK1 and LIMK2) to abrogate breast cancer progression. Our data provide new insights into the role of SEMA3B in mammary gland and provides a new branch of GATA3 signaling that is pivotal for inhibition of breast cancer progression and metastasis.

Pressure induced effects on the chemical and magnetic structure of spinel MnV2O4.

The influence of external pressure (P ⩽ 5 GPa) on both the structural and magnetic ordering in MnV2O4 has been investigated using neutron diffraction technique. The volume and the V-V distance decrease with pressure while the c/a ratio increases, suggesting a lowering of the distortion with pressure. Under ambient conditions this compound exhibits a structural transition (T S) from tetragonal to cubic at ~53 K and a magnetic transition (T N ) at ~56 K. It is found that with an increase in pressure to 5 GPa, T N increases (from 56 K to 80 K), dT N /dP > 0, while T S decreases (from 53 K to 37 K). The non collinear magnetic structure in the tetragonal phase at 5 GPa and 10 K remains the same as at ambient pressure. However, the Mn and V sublattice, now exhibits distinct transition temperatures, [Formula: see text] ~ 80 K, and [Formula: see text] ~ 60 K. The transition to the cubic phase at T S is accompanied by a collinear alignment of the Mn and V spins and a reduction in the Mn moment. The region in which the structure remains in the cubic phase with collinear magnetic structure increases with pressure from ~3 K at ambient pressure to ~43 K at 5 GPa pressure.

High-T_{c} Superconductivity in FeSe at High Pressure: Dominant Hole Carriers and Enhanced Spin Fluctuations.

The importance of electron-hole interband interactions is widely acknowledged for iron-pnictide superconductors with high transition temperatures (T_{c}). However, the absence of hole pockets near the Fermi level of the iron-selenide (FeSe) derived high-T_{c} superconductors raises a fundamental question of whether iron pnictides and chalcogenides have different pairing mechanisms. Here, we study the properties of electronic structure in the high-T_{c} phase induced by pressure in bulk FeSe from magnetotransport measurements and first-principles calculations. With increasing pressure, the low-T_{c} superconducting phase transforms into the high-T_{c} phase, where we find the normal-state Hall resistivity changes sign from negative to positive, demonstrating dominant hole carriers in contrast to other FeSe-derived high-T_{c} systems. Moreover, the Hall coefficient is enlarged and the magnetoresistance exhibits anomalous scaling behaviors, evidencing strongly enhanced interband spin fluctuations in the high-T_{c} phase. These results in FeSe highlight similarities with high-T_{c} phases of iron pnictides, constituting a step toward a unified understanding of iron-based superconductivity.

Tumoral angiogenesis and breast cancer.

Breast cancer (BC) is the most common neoplasm in women in Western countries. Tumoral angiogenesis (TA) is essential for the growth and spread of BC cells. There are at least 6 different angiogenic growth factors associated with TA in BC. The major mediator of TA is vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a homodimeric heparin-binding glycoprotein. VEGF signals through VEGF receptor-2 (VEGFR-2), the major VEGF signalling receptor that mediates sprouting angiogenesis. Recently, different antiangiogenic agents have shown efficacy in the treatment of advanced BC. Bevacizumab, a humanised monoclonal antibody against VEGF, in combination with taxanes improves progression-free survival and overall response rate in first-line therapy. Other new antiangiogenic agents, called multi-kinase inhibitors (sunitinib and pazopanib), are under investigation. Finally, a schedule of treatment called metronomic chemotherapy, with antiangiogenic activity, has also demonstrated efficacy in the treatment of advanced BC.

[Mediastinal germ-cell tumours]. / Tumores germinales mediastínicos.

Germ-cell tumours of male ussually arise from the testis. However, in 2-5% of the cases, they also occur outside of the testis as a primary site without evidence of testicular primary tumour. This infrequent entity often appears in the body midline, predominantly in mediastinum and retroperitoneum. Mediastinal germ-cell tumours (MGCT) shall be included in the differential diagnosis of any mediastinic tumour of unknown origin. An accurate diagnosis is essential, due to the fact that these tumours are curable with chemotherapy. The histopathologic and clinical features, and its differences with germ-cell tumours from testicular origin are revised in this article.

[Effectivity of cetuximab monotherapy in the treatment of refractory advanced cancer of the head and neck]. / Efectividad de Cetuximab en monoterapia en el tratamiento de cánceres de cabeza y cuello avanzado refractario.

INTRODUCTION: More than 90% of carcinoma of the head and neck (CHN) have an overexpression of the EGFR gene, and that overexpression is associated with a worse prognosis. Cetuximab is a monoclonal antibody against EGFR. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We have conducted a retrospective study of 10 consecutive cases with metastatic and/or recurrent CHN treated with cetuximab monotherapy as second line therapy, with the main objective of analyzing the progression-free survival (PFS); we also analyzed the response rate, the overall survival (OS), and toxicity profile as second end points. RESULTS: The median age was 55 years, and 100% of patients were males. Fourty percent of the patients received cetuximab as second line, and 60% as third line therapy. With a median follow-up of 13.5 months, the median PFS was 4 months (95%CI: 3.4-4.6 months), with a median OS of 9.7 months (95%CI: 2.9-16.6 months).The objective response rate was 10%, and the disease control rate was 60% (Partial response = 10% and stable disease for > 16 weeks = 50%). Thirty percent of patients had grade 3 rash. CONCLUSIONS: Cetuximab monotherapy has a modest effectivity in the treatment of refractory CHN, but with a limited toxicity. Future studies should use combinations of cetuximab with others effective chemotherapeutic drugs in the treatment of CHN, such as taxanes.

[Adrenal failure caused by primary adrenal non-Hodgkin lymphoma: a case report and review of the literature]. / Insuficiencia suprarrenal causada por un linfoma no-Hodgkin B primario suprarrenal: presentación de un caso y revisión de la literatura.

We report a case of 78-year old man who presented with symptoms of adrenal insufficiency. The computed tomography (CT) scan showed the presence of bilateral adrenal masses. A CT-scan guided needle biopsy revealed diffuse large- B cell lymphoma. The absence of pathological findings in clinical, bone marrow and CT scan examinations supported the diagnosis of primary non-Hodgkin Lymphoma of the adrenal glands. The patient was treated with four cycles of R-CHOP chemotherapy with Rituximab, liposomal Doxorubicin, Cyclophosphamide, Vincristine and Prednisolone. At the end of fourth cycle there was radiological improvement but the chemotherapy was stopped because of IV grade toxicity. He completed treatment with radiotherapy of right adrenal mass. Few days after finishing radiation therapy the patient died due to a disseminated infection. No progressive disease was founded.

[Efficiency of bortezomib and dexamethasone in relapsed multiple myeloma treatment: retrospective study in consecutive cases]. / Efectividad de bortezomib y dexametasona en el tratamiento de mieloma múltiple refractario: estudio retrospectivo de una serie de casos consecutivos.

INTRODUCTION: Multiple myeloma (MM) is a plasm-cell neoplasm, that is characterized by a monoclonal protein in the serum or urine. Bortezomib is an efficacy drug for the second line treatment of MM. PATIENTS AND METHOD: We conducted a retrospective study of 21 consecutive cases with refractory MM treated with bortezomib and dexamethasone as second line therapy, with the objective of analyzing the overall response rate (primary end point), the progression-free survival (PFS), the overall survival (OS), the duration of response (DR) and toxicity profile (second end points). RESULTS: In our study we found an overall response rate of 70%. With a median follow-up of 15 months, we had a median PFS of 12 months (95% CI: 2-21 months), with a median OS of 17 months (95% CI: 2-32 months), and a median DR of 9 months (95% CI: 5-13 months). Fourty-seven percent of patients had neuropathy, the 33% thrombocytopenia, 13.33% anemia and 26.66% diarrhea. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of bortezomib and dexamethasone is an effective and safe treatment in second line of refractory MM, with a manageable toxicity.

[Adjuvant treatment of operable breast cancer]. / Tratamiento adyuvante en el cáncer de mama operable.

Breast cancer(BC) is the most frequent neoplasm in women of the west countries. The treatment of BC is very complex, and include the combination of surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, hormone therapy and immunotherapy. Surgery is the gold standard in the radical treatment of BC. Anthracyclines and taxanes are very important in the adjuvant treatment of BC. These drugs have shown an increased disease-free-survival and overall survival in several studies. Tamoxifen has been the gold standard adjuvant hormone therapy for the treatment of postmenopausal women with hormone-receptor-positive early BC for many years, but the third-generation aromatase inhibitors (letrozole, anastrozole, and exemestane) are now recommended as the preferred therapy. Trastuzumab in combination with adjuvant chemotherapy has changed the natural history of early Her-2 positive BC. New drugs are under investigation in the treatment of BC.

[Neoplastic angiogenesis]. / Angiogénesis neoplásica.

Neoplastic angiogenesis is an essential process in the progressive growth of neoplasms and the production of metastasis. Angiogenesis consists of a series of linked and sequential steps that ultimately leads to the development of a neovascular blood supply to the tumor mass. VEGF has got an essential role in neoplastic angiogenesis, therefore it is an important target in the treatment of neoplasms. Bevacizumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody, inhibits VEGF, and may also improve the delivery of chemotherapy to the tumor mass. Multi-kinase ihibitors (sorafenib and sunitinib) are orally administered small-molecules, that inhibit different receptors (essentials in the neoplastic angiogenesis), such as the VEGFR or PDGFR. These agents are useful in the treatment of advanced renal-cell carcinoma, and are under investigation in several tumors.

Clonal variability and its relevance in generation of new pathotypes in the spot blotch pathogen, Bipolaris sorokiniana.

Spot blotch pathogen Bipolaris sorokiniana of wheat was investigated with threefold objectives: to establish a relationship between morphological and pathological variability of isolates, identify clonal genotype(s) acting as a source for the generation of new variability, and to determine the mechanism of generation of such variability in the pathogen. Isolates were collected from the leaves and seeds of field-grown wheat crop at four different sites in eastern Gangetic plains of India. Eighty-six clonal isolates derived from a single isolate (gray with white patches, Group III), which segregated in an equal proportion of parental and nonparental types, were studied. Morphological characters-i.e., colony morphology, growth rate, and sporulation-were studied along with disease-causing ability of the isolate clones. Clonal isolates were grouped into three categories. Microscopic analysis of nuclei was done to determine the causes of such variability. Morphological variability appeared to be related to the pathological variability. The isolate having epidemic potential appeared different than that acting as the reservoir for variability. The cause of such variability could be attributed either to hyphal fusion and heterokaryosis, nuclear migration and occurrence of multinucleate state, or a combination of these factors. Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) assay suggested that the unique fragments for different groups could be utilized as molecular markers to identify the isolates of specific groups.

Management of gastric adenocarcinoma.

Gastric adenocarcinoma is the second most common cause of cancer death worldwide. The prognosis for patients with gastric adenocarcinoma depends on the stage of the disease at the time of diagnosis and treatment. Early gastric cancer, limited to the mucosa and submucosa, is best treated surgically and has a five-year survival rate of 70-95%. Surgical resection remains the primary curative treatment for localised disease. Despite this, the overall survival remains poor. The management of localised gastric adenocarcinoma is complex, and at present there is proven benefit of both preoperative chemotherapy and postoperative chemoradiotherapy. There is no standard regimen of chemotherapy for metastatic disease, although the regimen of ECF (epirubicin, cisplatin and fluorouracil) is the most used regimen, with a median survival of 7-9 months. With new regimens of chemotherapy, such as DCF (docetaxel, cisplatin and fluorouracil) or the combination of irinotecan, cisplatin and bevacizumab, the median survival has increased. Other new agents are under investigation.

[Mantle cell lymphoma]. / Linfoma del manto.

Mantle cell lymphoma accounts for approximately 7% of adult Non-Hodgkin Lymphomas. It is a neoplasm of monomorphous small to medium-sized B cells with irregular nuclei. The tumor cells express strong IgM and IgD, and B-cell-associated antigens. Nuclear cyclin D1 protein is present in all cases and is the gold standard for the diagnosis. The t(11;14) (q13;q32) in the majority of the cases results in rearrangement of the BCL-1 locus and overexpression of the cyclin D1 gene. Most patients present with disseminated disease. Mantle cell lymphoma is an incurable neoplasm, but it may be treated with different chemotherapy regimen (R-Hyper-CVAD, R-CHOP, bortezomib) and young patients should be considered for high-dose therapy and autologous or allogeneic bone marrow transplantation.