Recovering rhamnogalacturonan-I pectin from sugar beet pulp using a sequential ultrasound and microwave-assisted extraction: Study on extraction optimization and membrane purification.

This research focuses on the integrated recovery of rhamnogalacturonan-I (RG-I) pectin from sugar beet pulp (SBP). First, the extraction of RG-I pectin through sequential ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) and microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) was assessed. Optimization using a response surface methodology identified the optimal conditions as initial pH 4, 10 min of UAE, and 157 °C for MAE, achieving a 66.0 % recovery of pectooligosaccharides (POS). Additionally, purification through continuous diafiltration and concentration via ultrafiltration of the POS using membranes with different molecular weight cut-offs (MWCO) was explored. In contrast to previous research using discontinuous diafiltration, the use of continuous diafiltration allowed a decrease in the extract viscosity and obtained higher yields using a higher MWCO membrane. The refined RG-I pectin solids exhibited a high global yield (39-40 g pectin/100 g SBP), and high-methoxyl characteristics, as well as purity levels (70-80 %) similar to commercial prebiotics.

Differences and similarities between COVID-19 related-headache and COVID-19 vaccine related-headache. A case-control study. / Diferencias y similitudes entre la cefalea relacionada con la COVID-19 y la cefalea relacionada con la vacuna de la COVID-19. Un estudio de casos y controles.

INTRODUCTION: Headache is a frequent symptom at the acute phase of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and also one of the most frequent adverse effects following vaccination. In both cases, headache pathophysiology seems linked to the host immune response and could have similarities. We aimed to compare the clinical phenotype and the frequency and associated onset symptoms in patients with COVID-19 related-headache and COVID-19 vaccine related-headache. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A case-control study was conducted. Patients with confirmed COVID-19 infection and COVID-19-vaccine recipients who experienced new-onset headache were included. A standardised questionnaire was administered, including demographic variables, prior history of headaches, associated symptoms and headache-related variables. Both groups were matched for age, sex, and prior history of headache. A multivariate regression analysis was performed. RESULTS: A total of 238 patients fulfilled eligibility criteria (143 patients with COVID-19 related-headache and 95 subjects experiencing COVID-19 vaccine related-headache). Patients with COVID-19 related-headache exhibited a higher frequency of arthralgia, diarrhoea, dyspnoea, chest pain, expectoration, anosmia, myalgia, odynophagia, rhinorrhoea, cough, and dysgeusia. Further, patients with COVID-19 related-headache had a more prolonged daily duration of headache and described the headache as the worst headache ever experienced. Patients with COVID-19 vaccine-related headache, experienced more frequently pain in the parietal region, phonophobia, and worsening of the headache by head movements or eye movements. CONCLUSION: Headache caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 vaccination related-headache have more similarities than differences, supporting a shared pathophysiology, and the activation of the innate immune response. The main differences were related to associated symptoms.

TITLE: Diferencias y similitudes entre la cefalea relacionada con la COVID-19 y la cefalea relacionada con la vacuna de la COVID-19. Un estudio de casos y controles.Introducción. La cefalea es un síntoma frecuente en la fase aguda de la enfermedad por coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) y también uno de los efectos adversos más comunes tras la vacunación. En ambos casos, la fisiopatología de la cefalea parece estar relacionada con la respuesta inmunitaria del huésped y podría presentar similitudes. Nuestro objetivo fue comparar el fenotipo clínico y la frecuencia de los síntomas asociados y los síntomas de inicio en pacientes con cefalea relacionada con la COVID-19 y cefalea relacionada con la vacuna de la COVID-19. Sujetos y métodos. Se realizó un estudio de casos y controles. Se incluyó a pacientes con infección confirmada por COVID-19 y receptores de la vacuna de la COVID-19 que experimentaron un nuevo inicio de cefalea. Se administró un cuestionario estandarizado que incluyó variables demográficas, antecedentes previos de cefaleas, síntomas asociados y variables relacionadas con la cefalea. Ambos grupos se emparejaron por edad, sexo y antecedentes previos de cefaleas. Se realizó un análisis de regresión multivariante. Resultados. Un total de 238 pacientes cumplieron con los criterios de elegibilidad (143 pacientes con cefalea relacionada con la COVID-19 y 95 sujetos con cefalea relacionada con la vacuna de la COVID-19). Los pacientes con cefalea relacionada con la COVID-19 presentaron una mayor frecuencia de artralgia, diarrea, disnea, dolor torácico, expectoración, anosmia, mialgia, odinofagia, rinorrea, tos y disgeusia. Además, los pacientes con cefalea relacionada con la COVID-19 experimentaron una duración diaria más prolongada de la cefalea y describieron la cefalea como la peor que habían experimentado. Los pacientes con cefalea relacionada con la vacuna de la COVID-19 experimentaron con más frecuencia dolor en la región parietal, fonofobia y empeoramiento de la cefalea por movimientos de la cabeza o de los ojos. Conclusión. La cefalea causada por la infección por el SARS-CoV-2 y la cefalea relacionada con la vacunación de la COVID-19 presentan más similitudes que diferencias, lo que respalda una fisiopatología compartida y la activación de la respuesta inmunitaria innata. Las principales diferencias estuvieron relacionadas con los síntomas asociados.

Efficient recovery and characterization of humic acids from municipal and manure composts: A comparative study.

The recovery of humic acids from low-quality compost obtained in municipal solid waste treatment plants provides opportunities for its valorization. This study compares the recovery and properties of the humic acids obtained from municipal mixed waste compost (MMWC) and manure compost. The effects of temperature, time, and KOH concentration on the ratio of humic acids in the extracted liquid and the content of organic carbon of the precipitates were investigated by response surface methodology. Optimal conditions were 30 °C and 24 h for both composts, with a KOH concentration of 0.53 M for MMWC and 0.25 M for manure compost. The manure compost provided a liquid extract richer in humic acids than MMWC (76.6 % vs. 33.7 %), but the precipitates presented similar organic carbon contents (38.1 % vs. 42.4 %). Regarding composition, both humic acids presented higher organic carbon and nitrogen contents than the composts used as feedstock. The extraction and further precipitation of humic acids reduced the concentration of heavy metals. Humic acids from manure compost have a slightly higher average molecular weight (2650 Da) than those from MMWC (1980 Da), while both present similar C/N ratios and degree of aromaticity. Most contaminants of emerging concern present in the original composts were not detected in the humic acids. Thus, it was demonstrated that MMWC constitutes an attractive source of humic acids with properties similar to those obtained from a high-quality compost and, therefore, with potential economic value.

Genetic variants of antioxidant enzymes and environmental exposures as molecular biomarkers associated with the risk and aggressiveness of bladder cancer.

Bladder cancer (BC) is one of the top 10 most common tumours worldwide; however, no molecular markers are currently available for tumour management and follow-up. BC could benefit from molecular biomarkers in environmental disease, which provide mechanistic understanding of individual susceptibility to exposure-related cancers and allow characterizing genetic alterations in the molecular pathway for malignancy. This case-control study performed a molecular analysis in 99 BC and 125 controls. Buccal swabs were collected to assess SNPs in eleven genes coding for xenobiotic detoxification enzymes, cellular antioxidant defences, and hormone synthesis and signalling (NAT2 (rs1801280), GPX1 (rs1050450 and rs17650792), TXNRD1 (rs7310505), PRDX3 (rs3740562), PON1 (rs662), SOD1 (rs10432782), SOD2 (rs4880), CAT (rs1001179), CYP17A1 (rs743572) and ESR1 (rs746432)). A structured questionnaire was administered to study participants to assess environmental and dietary chemical exposures. Several miRNAs associated with BC and detoxification/antioxidant pathways were analysed in a subsample of the study population, including miR-93-5p, miR-221-3p, miR-126, miR-27a-3p, miR-193b, and miR-193a-5p. Levels of selected environmental pollutants (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and endocrine disrupting chemicals) were determined in urine from a subsample of BC cases and controls. We found that CYP17A1, CAT, SOD1, ESR1, PON1, and GPX1 (rs17650792) were associated with BC risk. Furthermore, exposure to smoke and/or dust, and alcohol intake were identified as risk factors for BC. Increased urinary levels of benzo[a]pyrene and bisphenol A were observed in BC patients relative to controls, along with an increased expression of miR-193b, miR-27a and miR-93-5p in BC. Nevertheless, further studies with a larger sample size are warranted to confirm these exploratory results. This study also shows that the combination of genetic markers (PON1 and CYP17A1) and miRNA (miR-221-3p and miR-93-5p) open a new scenario in the use of non-invasive biomarkers in the stratification of BC to guide personalized medicine, which is extremely urged in the current clinical setting.

Liquid fertilizer production from organic waste by conventional and microwave-assisted extraction technologies: Techno-economic and environmental assessment.

The use of mineral fertilizers in agriculture has significantly increased to support the growing global food demand. Organic fertilizers are produced from renewable waste materials to overcome the drawbacks of inorganic fertilizers. The development of novel production processes of organic fertilizers entails a significant advance towards the circular economy that reincorporates waste materials into the production cycle. In this work, the economic and environmental feasibility of an industrial plant with a treatment capacity of 300 kg/h of organic waste for the production of liquid fertilizers has been performed. Two extraction technologies (conventional and microwave) and two solvents (water and alkaline) have been compared to select the most sustainable and profitable scenario for scaling-up. The extraction process consists of 2 steps: extraction followed by a concentration stage (necessary only if water extraction is applied). The resolution of the mass balances shows that the fertilizer production under alkaline conditions is ten times higher than for water-based extraction. The economic analysis demonstrated that the total investment cost of microwave technology (>3.5 M€) is three times higher compared to the conventional extraction technology (<1.5 M€), mainly due to the higher complexity of the equipment. These facts directly impact the minimum selling price, because the fertilizers obtained by conventional extraction with alkaline solvent would have a lower selling price (about 1 €/L). As for environmental assessment, the indicators show that the environmental impact produced by water-based extraction is higher than alkaline-solvent extraction, mainly due to the necessity of a concentration stage of the liquid extract to meet the requirements of European regulations. In view of the results obtained in the economic and environmental evaluation, it could be concluded that the most favourable scenario for scaling up the production of liquid fertilizers from organic waste is the conventional extraction under alkaline conditions.

Ideal conditions of microwave-assisted acid pretreatment of sugarcane straw allow fermentative butyric acid production without detoxification step.

Sugarcane straw (SCS) was pretreated with dilute sulfuric acid assisted by microwave to magnify fermentable sugars and to minimize the concentration of inhibitors in the hydrolysates. The optimum conditions for maximum recovery of sugars were 162 °C and 0.6% (w/v) H2SO4. The low level of inhibitors, such as acetate (2.9 g/L) and total phenolics (1.4 g/L), in the SCS slurry from the pretreatment stage allowed the enzymatic hydrolysis and fermentation steps to occur without detoxification. Besides consuming the total sugar content (31.0 g/L), Clostridium beijerinckii Br21 was able to use acetate from the SCS hydrolysate, to give butyric acid at high conversion factor (0.49 g of butyric acid /g of sugar). The optimized pretreatment conditions spared acid, time, and the detoxification stage, making bio-butyric acid production from SCS extremely attractive.

The role of prostate-specific antigen in light of new scientific evidence: An update in 2020. / Papel del antígeno prostático específico ante las nuevas evidencias científicas, una nueva actualización en 2020.

OBJECTIVE: To review and update the latest scientific evidence gathered in recent years regarding prostate-specific antigen (PSA) for better implementation into routine clinical practice. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: Analysis of the available evidence on the current role of PSA, based on the experience of an expert panel in the subject under analysis. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: Currently, PSA cannot be considered only as a guide for the presence or absence of prostate cancer. This determination can also help the urologist to decide on the most convenient treatment for a patient with benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH) as a criterion for disease progression, and it can also suggest the suspicious existence of a prostatic tumor when there is PSA rise of>0.3 ng/ml over the level reached 6 months after having initiated treatment with 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor. However, the limits of this PSA rise with derivatives of alternative 5-alpha-reductase (5-ARI) inhibitors to dutasteride are controversial. Moreover, PSA is a key factor for the follow-up of patients with prostate adenocarcinoma at any stage who have received treatment (surgery, radiotherapy or focal therapies, hormone therapy), it acts as a guide to identify biochemical recurrence, to suspect the existence of local or distant recurrence, as well as to propose or discard adjuvant treatments. Finally, the role of PSA as a screening tool has been recently reinforced, demonstrating increased mortality rates or the existence of more aggressive cases of prostate cancer in those countries where the use of this tool has declined. CONCLUSIONS: We present new data about the current role of PSA in the management of patients treated for BPH and/or prostate cancer that should be implemented into routine clinical practice, with special emphasis on the relevant role of this biomarker in the screening and follow-up of prostate cancer, as well as in the progression of BPH in dutasteride treatment.

Role of IGF2 in the Study of Development and Evolution of Prostate Cancer.

Prostate Cancer (PC) is commonly known as one of the most frequent tumors among males. A significant problem of this tumor is that in early stages most of the cases course as indolent forms, so an active surveillance will anticipate the appearance of aggressive stages. One of the main strategies in medical and biomedical research is to find non-invasive biomarkers for improving monitoring and performing a more precise follow-up of diseases like PC. Here we report the relevant role of IGF2 and miR-93-5p as non-invasive biomarker for PC. This event could improve current medical strategies in PC.

Genetic variants in xenobiotic detoxification enzymes, antioxidant defenses and hormonal pathways as biomarkers of susceptibility to prostate cancer.

Cancer is considered a complex disease that in many cases results from the interaction between chemical exposures, either from environmental or dietary sources, and genetic polymorphisms of xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes (XME) or antioxidant enzymatic defenses. This study explored associations and interactions between genetic and environmental risk factors on the risk of prostate cancer (PCa) in 323 subjects that underwent prostate biopsy due to prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels above 4 ng/ml (161 PCa and 162 non-PCa). Eleven genes involved directly or indirectly in xenobiotic detoxification, oxidative stress and estrogen signaling were studied (GSTM1, GPX1 (rs1050450 and rs17650792), NAT2 (rs1801280), TXNRD1 (rs7310505), PRDX3 (rs3740562), CYP17A1 (rs743572), PON1 (rs662), SOD1 (rs10432782), SOD2 (rs4880), CAT (rs1001179), and ESR1 (rs746432)). A structured questionnaire was administered to all individuals to assess environmental and dietary chemical exposures. Medical data was collected by urologists. GPX1 rs17650792 polymorphism was the only one showing a significant inverse association with PCa risk. PRDX3 and GPX1 (rs17650792) genetic polymorphisms were significantly associated with Gleason score and PSA levels, respectively. The intake of nuts and soya products was associated with a reduced risk of PCa, as well as the performance of physical activity. Moreover, a number of gene-environmental interactions were found to increase the risk of PCa, particularly exposure to pesticides and rs1801280 (NAT2) and tobacco smoking and rs1050450 (GPX1). These findings suggest that the association of genetic and environmental risk factors with PCa risk should be assessed jointly for a better understanding of this complex disease.

Impact of oxidative stress SNPs and dietary antioxidant quality score on prostate cancer.

Purpose: To analyse the relation between antioxidant genotypes and Dietary Antioxidant Quality score (DAQs) effect on prostate cancer (PCa) risk and aggressiveness in a Spanish population.Methods: Men (N = 155 patients and 152 controls) with PSA values >4 ng/ml were enrolled in the project. DAQs were used considering the daily recommended intake for Spanish people (DRI). Genotyping of 5 SNPs rs662 (PON1), rs10432782 (SOD1), rs4880 (SOD2), rs17650792 (GPX1) and rs1001179 (CAT) were included for the analysis.Results: rs17650792 was statistically significant between case and controls subjects. When comparing D´Amico risk, we found that rs662 (CC), rs10432782 (G allele) and rs17650792 (GG) confer a protection. When testing SNP-antioxidant nutrients interactions, we found an intake of vitamin A and rs100179 (T carriers) and selenium and rs17650792 (G carriers) confers a protection of being in low risk classification.Conclusions: We reported by the first time a correlation between rs662 (PON1) and PCa aggressiveness.

Liquid biopsy and prostate cancer. Current evidence applied to clinical practice. / Biopsia líquida y cáncer de próstata. Evidencia actual aplicada a la clínica.

CONTEXT: Despite being a validated source of biomarkers, liquid biopsy has not yet succeeded in becoming part of the standard clinical practice in prostate cancer patients. Few biomarkers undergo adequate validation, prospective and independent, of their predictive and/or prognostic value, which results in a lack of the different available tests in the clinical practice. OBJECTIVE: To carry out a pragmatic synthesis of current scientific evidence on liquid biopsy for prostate cancer patients. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: Non-systematic literature review, narrowing the search to papers on liquid biopsy from blood samples in prostate cancer patients. We mainly selected works evaluating clinical endpoints in prostate cancer. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: The most clinically advanced forms of liquid biopsy are circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA). Both CTCs and ctDNA have demonstrated their prognostic value in metastatic disease. ARV7 determination is the first predictive biomarker of the disease. Its implementation into routine clinical practice requires methodological standardization and adequate clinical validation of the different available ways to detect it. The detection of CTCs in the early stages of the disease still depends on the optimization of the diagnostic methods and on the development of the biological characterization of these cells. The biological information provided by CTCs and ctDNA is different; therefore, the study of its adequate combination is the object of cutting-edge research. CONCLUSIONS: The absence of protocols and methodological standards is the limiting factor when aiming to reach conclusions that could have a potential impact on clinical practice. Therefore, the real short-term challenge for liquid biopsy is the establishment of consensus and common criteria.

Emerging non-13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) serotypes causing adult invasive pneumococcal disease in the late-PCV13 period in Spain.

OBJECTIVE: An early reduction of adult invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) was observed after the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) introduction for children in Spain. We analysed the epidemiology of adult IPD in the late-PCV13 period. METHODS: This was a prospective multicentre study of adult IPD involving six hospitals. Strains were serotyped, genotyped and studied for antimicrobial susceptibility. The late-PCV13 period was compared with the pre- and early-PCV13 periods. RESULTS: A total of 2197 episodes were collected-949 in 2008-2009, 609 in 2012-2013 and 639 in 2015-2016. The initial decrease of IPD observed (from 12.3/100 000 to 8.1/100 000; 2008-2009 versus 2012-2013) plateaued in 2015-2016 (8.3/100 000). IPD due to PCV13 serotypes decreased (from 7.7 to 3.5 to 2.3/100 000; p < 0.05), whereas IPD caused by non-PCV13 serotypes increased (from 4.5 to 4.6 to 6.0/100 000; p < 0.05). The most frequent serotypes in the late-PCV13 period were: 8 (15.1%), 3 (10.5%), 12F (7.9%) and 9N (5.4%). These serotypes were related to major genotypes: CC53 (59.8%) and CC404 (30.4%) for serotype 8, CC180 (64.1%) and CC260 (28.1%) for serotype 3, CC989 (91.7%) for serotype 12F and CC67 (84.8%) for serotype 9N. Penicillin-non-susceptibility (21.2%) was associated with serotypes 11A (CC156), 14 (CC156) and 19A (CC320), and macrolide-resistance was related to serotypes 24F and 19A. Rates of pneumococcal meningitis remained stable throughout the periods (ranges 0.9, 0.8 and 1.0/100 000). CONCLUSIONS: The initial decrease of adult IPD observed after PCV13 introduction for children has been balanced by the rise of non-PCV13 serotypes. The spread of antibiotic-resistant lineages related to non-PCV13 serotypes (11A and 24F) could be a threat for the treatment of serious pneumococcal diseases.

The role of miRNAs as biomarkers in prostate cancer.

There is an urged need of non-invasive biomarkers for the implementation of precision medicine. These biomarkers are required to these days for improving prostate cancer (PCa) screening, treatment or stratification in current clinical strategies. There are several commercial kits (Oncotype DX genomic prostate score®, Prolaris®, among others) that use genomic changes, rearrangement or even non-coding RNA events. However, none of them are currently used in the routine clinical practice. Many recent studies indicate that miRNAs are relevant molecules (small single-stranded non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression of more than 30% of human genes) to be implement non-invasive biomarkers. However, contrasting to others tumors, such as breast cancer where miR-21 seems to be consistently upregulated; PCa data are controversial. Here we reported an extended revision about the role of miRNAs in PCa including data of AR signaling, cell cycle, EMT process, CSCs regulation and even the role of miRNAs as PCa diagnostic, prognostic and predictive tool. It is known that current biomedical research uses big-data analysis like Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) analysis. We also conducted an extensive online search, including the main platforms and kits for miRNAs massive analysis (like MiSeq, Nextseq 550, or Ion S5™ systems) indicating their pros, cons and including pre-analytical and analytical issues of miRNA studies.

Eficacia analgésica del bloqueo pectoral modificado más bloqueo del plano del serrato en mamoplastia subpectoral: ensayo clínico, controlado, aleatorizado, triple ciego / Analgesic efficacy of modified pectoral block plus serratus plane block in breast augmentation surgery: A randomised, controlled, triple-blind clinical trial

Introducción: La cirugía protésica de mama es un procedimiento de cirugía plástica muy común, cuyo manejo analgésico postoperatorio es un reto para el equipo quirúrgico. El propósito del presente estudio fue validar la eficacia analgésica del bloqueo de los nervios pectorales y plano del serrato en mamoplastia de aumento retropectoral. Pacientes y métodos: Se diseñó un ensayo clínico, controlado, aleatorizado, triple ciego, que incluyó a 30 pacientes intervenidas mediante mamoplastia de aumento retropectoral. En ambos grupos se realizaron bloqueo pectoral modificado y bloqueo del plano serrato con un volumen total de 40ml por mama. En 15 de ellas se inyectó bupivacaína 0,25% con epinefrina (GPEC), y en las otras 15 se administró suero fisiológico (GC). Se hizo manejo estandarizado de la anestesia y la analgesia postoperatoria. Se midieron parámetros hemodinámicos intraoperatorios, necesidad de analgesia postoperatoria y la escala numérica verbal a su llegada a reanimación, a las 3, 6 y 24h, así como la calidad percibida por los pacientes y cirujanos. Resultados: En el postoperatorio inmediato, se pudo percibir una disminución del dolor en las pacientes del GPEC (5,3±2,3 vs. 2,9±2,7; p=0,018). No se observaron diferencias significativas a las 3, 6 y 24h. Los cirujanos valoraron la calidad anestésico-analgésica como muy buena en el 80% de los casos en el GPEC frente al 33% en el GC (p=0,01). Conclusiones: El uso de estos bloqueos es una buena estrategia analgésica perioperatoria en el manejo multimodal en la mamoplastia de aumento retropectoral

Introduction: Prosthetic breast surgery is a very common plastic surgery procedure, but its postoperative analgesic management is a challenge for the surgical team. The purpose of the present study is to validate the analgesic efficacy of pectoral block and serratus plane block in retropectoral mammoplasty. Patients and methods: A randomised, controlled, triple-blind, clinical trial was designed, and included 30 patients undergoing retropectoral augmentation mammoplasty. All of them had a modified PECII block and a serratus plane block with a total volume of 40ml per breast. In 15 of them bupivacaine 0.25% (GPEC) was injected and in the other 15 patients saline was used (GC). Standardised management of anaesthesia and postoperative analgesia was performed. Intra-operative haemodynamic parameters required for postoperative analgesia, and a numeric verbal scale on arrival in the recovery unit were measured and at 3, 6, and 24h. The quality perceived by patients and surgeons was also measured. Results: Post-operative pain was significantly better in GPEC (5.3±2.3 vs. 2.9±2.7; P=.018). No significant differences were observed at 3, 6, and 24h. The surgeons rated the anaesthetic-analgesic quality as very good in 80% of the cases in GPEC versus 33% in CG (P=.01). Conclusions: The use of these blocks is a good perioperative analgesic strategy in the multimodal management of retropectoral augmentation mammoplasty

Analgesic efficacy of modified pectoral block plus serratus plane block in breast augmentation surgery: A randomised, controlled, triple-blind clinical trial. / Eficacia analgésica del bloqueo pectoral modificado más bloqueo del plano del serrato en mamoplastia subpectoral: ensayo clínico, controlado, aleatorizado, triple ciego.

INTRODUCTION: Prosthetic breast surgery is a very common plastic surgery procedure, but its postoperative analgesic management is a challenge for the surgical team. The purpose of the present study is to validate the analgesic efficacy of pectoral block and serratus plane block in retropectoral mammoplasty. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A randomised, controlled, triple-blind, clinical trial was designed, and included 30 patients undergoing retropectoral augmentation mammoplasty. All of them had a modified PECII block and a serratus plane block with a total volume of 40ml per breast. In 15 of them bupivacaine 0.25% (GPEC) was injected and in the other 15 patients saline was used (GC). Standardised management of anaesthesia and postoperative analgesia was performed. Intra-operative haemodynamic parameters required for postoperative analgesia, and a numeric verbal scale on arrival in the recovery unit were measured and at 3, 6, and 24h. The quality perceived by patients and surgeons was also measured. RESULTS: Post-operative pain was significantly better in GPEC (5.3±2.3 vs. 2.9±2.7; P=.018). No significant differences were observed at 3, 6, and 24h. The surgeons rated the anaesthetic-analgesic quality as very good in 80% of the cases in GPEC versus 33% in CG (P=.01). CONCLUSIONS: The use of these blocks is a good perioperative analgesic strategy in the multimodal management of retropectoral augmentation mammoplasty.

Methodology for Y Chromosome Capture: A complete genome sequence of Y chromosome using flow cytometry, laser microdissection and magnetic streptavidin-beads.

This study is a comparison of the efficiency of three technologies used for Y chromosome capture and the next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies applied for determining its whole sequence. Our main findings disclose that streptavidin-biotin magnetic particle-based capture methodology offers better and a deeper sequence coverage for Y chromosome capture, compared to chromosome sorting and microdissection procedures. Moreover, this methodology is less time consuming and the most selective for capturing only Y chromosomal material, in contrast with other methodologies that result in considerable background material from other, non-targeted chromosomes. NGS results compared between two platforms, NextSeq 500 and SOLID 5500xl, produce the same coverage results. This is the first study to explore a methodological comparison of Y chromosome capture and genetic analysis. Our results indicate an improved strategy for Y chromosome research with applications in several scientific fields where this chromosome plays an important role, such as forensics, medical sciences, molecular anthropology and cancer sciences.

Genetic markers a landscape in prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer (PC) is one of the most common cancers worldwide. The observed variability in progression and responses to the same treatment between patients underlie the genetic heterogeneity of the disease. Nowadays, screening and follow-up biomarkers in PC are still having a deep lack of information, which makes difficult the cancer diagnosis, prognosis and the selection of the most suitable therapies. This is making that currently unnecessary biopsies, over-treatments and hormonoresistances have high rates of prevalence among patients. New biomarkers are urgently needed and in this sense genomic biomarkers could be the most suitable tools. These genetic markers will be helpful for improving the precision of prognostic and the predictive current tools which are employed in the clinical practice. A recent literature search up was conducted, including clinical trials and pre-clinical basic research studies. Keywords included germline variants, prostate cancer, biomarkers, androgen deprivation therapy, screening and liquid biopsy; among others. We have reviewed how germline variants, CNVs and repetitive regions are relevant to prostate carcinogenesis, treatment and progression. Moreover, we have also considered novel biomarkers for PC prognosis based on differentially expressed genes. Finally, we have included new strategies in recent markers of liquid biopsy or updated technologies for minimal samples analysis. The improvement of genetic markers use and their application to the clinical practice, will enhance the variability of simple, non-invasive, tools such as liquid biopsy and germline variants, these will reduce the number of PC needle biopsies and current over-treatments that are usual in the management of this cancer.

Biobutanol production from brewer's spent grain hydrolysates by Clostridium beijerinckii.

Brewer's spent grain (BSG) is a promising feedstock for ABE fermentation. Sulfuric acid pretreatment of BSG at pH 1, 121°C and different solid loadings (5-15% w/w) was investigated. Enzymatic hydrolysis and ABE fermentation by Clostridium beijerinckii DSM 6422 of non-washed and washed pretreated BSG were performed to compare monosaccharide release and butanol production. Pretreatment at 15% w/w BSG resulted in higher availability of sugars in both the enzymatic hydrolysates and pretreatment liquid, and overall yields of 75gbutanol/kg BSG and 95gABE/kg BSG were obtained. When the enzymatic hydrolysate from the washed pretreated BSG was fermented, butanol (6.0±0.5g/L) and ABE (7.4±1.0g/L) concentrations were lower compared with 7.5±0.6g/L butanol and 10.0±0.8g/L ABE from a control. The fermentation of the liquid released in the pretreatment at 15% w/w resulted in a butanol production of 6.6±0.8g/L with a total ABE of 8.6±1.3g/L after overliming.

Circulating Tumor Cells: Markers and Methodologies for Enrichment and Detection.

Cancer is a leading cause of disease worldwide; however, nowadays many points of its initiation processes are unknown. In this chapter, we are focusing on the role of liquid biopsies in cancer detection and progression. CTCs are one of the main components of liquid biopsies, they represent a subset of tumor cells that have acquired the ability to disseminate from the primary tumor and intravasate to the circulatory system. The greatest challenge in the detection of CTCs is their rarity in the blood. Human blood consists of white blood cells (5-10 × 106/mL), red blood cells (5-9 × 109/mL), and platelets (2.5-4 × 108/mL); very few CTCs will be present even in patients with known metastatic disease, with often less than one CTC per mL of blood. CTCs are found in frequencies on the order of 1-10 CTCs per mL of whole blood in patients with metastatic disease, and it is reduced in half for non-metastatic stages. Therefore, accurate methodologies for their capture and analysis are really important. The main aim of the present chapter is to describe different methodologies for CTCs capturing and analysis.

Scattering of the Halo Nucleus

Angular distributions of the elastic, inelastic, and breakup cross sections of the halo nucleus ^{11}Be on ^{197}Au were measured at energies below (E_{lab}=31.9 MeV) and around (39.6 MeV) the Coulomb barrier. These three channels were unambiguously separated for the first time for reactions of ^{11}Be on a high-Z target at low energies. The experiment was performed at TRIUMF (Vancouver, Canada). The differential cross sections were compared with three different calculations: semiclassical, inert-core continuum-coupled-channels and continuum-coupled-channels ones with including core deformation. These results show conclusively that the elastic and inelastic differential cross sections can only be accounted for if core-excited admixtures are taken into account. The cross sections for these channels strongly depend on the B(E1) distribution in ^{11}Be, and the reaction mechanism is sensitive to the entanglement of core and halo degrees of freedom in ^{11}Be.