Widespread intra-axonal signal fraction abnormalities in bipolar disorder from multicompartment diffusion MRI: Sensitivity to diagnosis, association with clinical features and pharmacologic treatment.

Despite diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) evidence for widespread fractional anisotropy (FA) reductions in the brain white matter of patients with bipolar disorder, questions remain regarding the specificity and sensitivity of FA abnormalities as opposed to other diffusion metrics in the disorder. We conducted a whole-brain voxel-based multicompartment diffusion MRI study on 316 participants (i.e., 158 patients and 158 matched healthy controls) employing four diffusion metrics: the mean diffusivity (MD) and FA estimated from DTI, and the intra-axonal signal fraction (IASF) and microscopic axonal parallel diffusivity (Dpar) derived from the spherical mean technique. Our findings provide novel evidence about widespread abnormalities in other diffusion metrics in BD. An extensive overlap between the FA and IASF results suggests that the lower FA in patients may be caused by a reduced intra-axonal volume fraction or a higher macromolecular content in the intra-axonal water. We also found a diffuse alteration in MD involving white and grey matter tissue and more localised changes in Dpar. A Machine Learning analysis revealed that FA, followed by IASF, were the most helpful metric for the automatic diagnosis of BD patients, reaching an accuracy of 72%. Number of mood episodes, age of onset/duration of illness, psychotic symptoms, and current treatment with lithium, antipsychotics, antidepressants, and antiepileptics were all significantly associated with microstructure abnormalities. Lithium treatment was associated with less microstructure abnormality.

Advances and challenges in automated malaria diagnosis using digital microscopy imaging with artificial intelligence tools: A review.

Malaria is an infectious disease caused by parasites of the genus Plasmodium spp. It is transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected female Anopheles mosquito. It is the most common disease in resource-poor settings, with 241 million malaria cases reported in 2020 according to the World Health Organization. Optical microscopy examination of blood smears is the gold standard technique for malaria diagnosis; however, it is a time-consuming method and a well-trained microscopist is needed to perform the microbiological diagnosis. New techniques based on digital imaging analysis by deep learning and artificial intelligence methods are a challenging alternative tool for the diagnosis of infectious diseases. In particular, systems based on Convolutional Neural Networks for image detection of the malaria parasites emulate the microscopy visualization of an expert. Microscope automation provides a fast and low-cost diagnosis, requiring less supervision. Smartphones are a suitable option for microscopic diagnosis, allowing image capture and software identification of parasites. In addition, image analysis techniques could be a fast and optimal solution for the diagnosis of malaria, tuberculosis, or Neglected Tropical Diseases in endemic areas with low resources. The implementation of automated diagnosis by using smartphone applications and new digital imaging technologies in low-income areas is a challenge to achieve. Moreover, automating the movement of the microscope slide and image autofocusing of the samples by hardware implementation would systemize the procedure. These new diagnostic tools would join the global effort to fight against pandemic malaria and other infectious and poverty-related diseases.

Age- and gender-related differences in brain tissue microstructure revealed by multi-component T2 relaxometry.

In spite of extensive work, inconsistent findings and lack of specificity in most neuroimaging techniques used to examine age- and gender-related patterns in brain tissue microstructure indicate the need for additional research. Here, we performed the largest Multi-component T2 relaxometry cross-sectional study to date in healthy adults (N = 145, 18-60 years). Five quantitative microstructure parameters derived from various segments of the estimated T2 spectra were evaluated, allowing a more specific interpretation of results in terms of tissue microstructure. We found similar age-related myelin water fraction (MWF) patterns in men and women but we also observed differential male related results including increased MWF content in a few white matter tracts, a faster decline with age of the intra- and extra-cellular water fraction and its T2 relaxation time (i.e. steeper age related negative slopes) and a faster increase in the free and quasi-free water fraction, spanning the whole grey matter. Such results point to a sexual dimorphism in brain tissue microstructure and suggest a lesser vulnerability to age-related changes in women.

Development and Characterization of Polyester and Acrylate-Based Composites with Hydroxyapatite and Halloysite Nanotubes for Medical Applications.

We aimed to study the distribution of hydroxyapatite (HA) and halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) as fillers and their influence on the hydrophobic character of conventional polymers used in the biomedical field. The hydrophobic polyester poly (ε-caprolactone) (PCL) was blended with its more hydrophilic counterpart poly (lactic acid) (PLA) and the hydrophilic acrylate poly (2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA) was analogously compared to poly (ethyl methacrylate) (PEMA) and its copolymer. The addition of HA and HNTs clearly improve surface wettability in neat samples (PCL and PHEMA), but not that of the corresponding binary blends. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy mapping analyses show a homogenous distribution of HA with appropriate Ca/P ratios between 1.3 and 2, even on samples that were incubated for seven days in simulated body fluid, with the exception of PHEMA, which is excessively hydrophilic to promote the deposition of salts on its surface. HNTs promote large aggregates on more hydrophilic polymers. The degradation process of the biodegradable polyester PCL blended with PLA, and the addition of HA and HNTs, provide hydrophilic units and decrease the overall crystallinity of PCL. Consequently, after 12 weeks of incubation in phosphate buffered saline the mass loss increases up to 48% and mechanical properties decrease above 60% compared with the PCL/PLA blend.

Association Between ABCB1 Genetic Variants and Persistent Chemotherapy-Induced Alopecia in Women With Breast Cancer.

Importance: Persistent chemotherapy-induced alopecia (pCIA) has been recently described in patients with breast cancer and in its most severe form occurs in up to 10% of these patients. Genetic risk factors associated with pCIA have not been adequately explored. Objective: To identify genetic variants associated with pCIA. Design, Setting, and Participants: In this genetic association study, 215 women with breast cancer treated with docetaxel-based chemotherapy with a follow-up of 1.5 to 10 years after the end of the treatment were recruited retrospectively through 3 hospital oncology units across Spain between 2005 and 2018. Severe pCIA was defined as lack of scalp hair recovery (Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events, version 3.0, grade 2) 18 months or more after the end of treatment. Patients with grade 2 pCIA were selected as cases, and those with no sign of residual alopecia 12 months after the end of docetaxel treatment were selected as controls. A genome-wide association study in a discovery phase was conducted, and logistic regression was used to identify variants associated with the risk to develop this adverse effect. The validity of the association was addressed through a replication phase. Exposures: Docetaxel-based chemotherapy. Main Outcomes and Measures: Genotypes of single-nucleotide variants associated with pCIA. Results: In total, 215 women with breast cancer (median age, 51.6 years; interquartile range, 44-60 years) were recruited (173 patients for the discovery phase and 42 patients for the replication phase). In the discovery phase, ABCB1 genetic variants were associated with risk to develop pCIA. In particular, single-nucleotide variation rs1202179, a regulatory variant located in an enhancer element that interacts with the ABCB1 promoter, was associated with the occurrence of pCIA. This finding was validated in the replication cohort (combined odds ratio, 4.05; 95% CI, 2.46-6.67; P = 3.946 × 10-8). This variant is associated with ABCB1 mRNA expression, and the risk allele was associated with decreased ABCB1 expression levels (P = 1.64 × 10-20). Conclusions and Relevance: This is the first study, to our knowledge, that identifies an association between a regulatory variant in the ABCB1 gene and the occurrence of pCIA in patients with breast cancer who were treated with docetaxel-based therapies. This finding suggests an important insight into the biological mechanisms underlying pCIA and opens the opportunity to explore personalized treatment of these patients.

Contribution of trastuzumab to the prognostic improvement of HER2-positive early breast cancer in Spain: an estimation of life years and disease-free life years gained since its approval.

INTRODUCTION: Trastuzumab has become the standard treatment for both HER2-positive early and metastatic breast cancer (HER2+ eBC or mBC) since its approval. The objective of the study is to estimate the benefit of adjuvant trastuzumab in the treatment of patients with HER2+ eBC in terms of life years gained (LYG) and disease-free life years gained (DFLYG) since its approval in Spain in 2006. RESULTS: 35,851 women make up the cohorts from 2006 to 2017. In the T (trastuzumab)+CT (chemotherapy) scenario, the sum of life years was 605,358 (525,964 disease-free) versus 564,137 (489,916 disease-free) in the CT scenario, resulting in 41,221 LYG (36,048 disease-free) due to trastuzumab. The general population for the same age range would have generated 704,331 LY. The estimated incremental cost was 880.43 million€ (€24,558.13 per patient) from 2006 to 2035. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratios obtained were €20,644 and €23,960 per LYG and DFLYG, respectively. METHODS: An epidemiological model was developed with a time horizon until 2035 and a 3% discount rate. The model compared two scenarios, with and without trastuzumab as adjuvant therapy. The effectiveness data to model the survival curves were obtained from BCIRG 006 study and direct costs were included. CONCLUSIONS: Adjuvant trastuzumab has substantially improved the survival of patients with HER2+ eBC, contributing over 41,000 LYG to Spanish society (over 36,000 DFLYG) in a cost-effective manner. However, the sum of LYG with trastuzumab is still far from the LY estimated for the general population, supporting the need of further advances in HER2+ eBC.

Randomized phase III trial of pegylated liposomal doxorubicin versus vinorelbine or mitomycin C plus vinblastine in women with taxane-refractory advanced breast cancer.

PURPOSE: To compare the efficacy of pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD) with that of a common salvage regimen (comparator) in patients with taxane-refractory advanced breast cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Following failure of a first- or second-line taxane-containing regimen for metastatic disease, 301 women were randomly assigned to receive PLD (50 mg/m(2) every 28 days); or comparator-vinorelbine (30 mg/m(2) weekly) or mitomycin C (10 mg/m(2) day 1 and every 28 days) plus vinblastine (5 mg/m(2) day 1, day 14, day 28, and day 42) every 6 to 8 weeks. Patients were stratified before random assignment based on number of previous chemotherapy regimens for metastatic disease and presence of bone metastases only. RESULTS: Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were similar for PLD and comparator (PFS: hazard ratio [HR], 1.26; 95% CI, 0.98 to 1.62; P =.11; median, 2.9 months [PLD] and 2.5 months [comparator]; OS: HR, 1.05; 95% CI, 0.82 to 1.33; P =.71; median, 11.0 months [PLD] and 9.0 months [comparator]). In anthracycline-naïve patients, PFS was somewhat longer with PLD, relative to the comparator (n = 44; median PFS, 5.8 v 2.1 months; HR, 2.40; 95% CI, 1.16 to 4.95; P =.01). Most frequently reported adverse events were nausea (23% to 31%), vomiting (17% to 20%), and fatigue (9% to 20%) and were similar among treatment groups. PLD-treated patients experienced more palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia (37%; 18% grade 3, 1 patient grade 4) and stomatitis (22%; 5% grades 3/4). Neuropathy (11%), constipation (16%), and neutropenia (14%) were more common with vinorelbine. Alopecia was low in both the PLD and vinorelbine groups (3% and 5%). CONCLUSION: PLD has efficacy comparable to that of common salvage regimens in patients with taxane-refractory metastatic breast cancer, thereby representing a useful therapeutic option.

Oxidative Decomplexation of Chromium Fischer Carbene Complexes Induced by Dioxiranes.

The reaction course of the oxidative decomplexation of Fischer carbene complexes with dioxiranes was examined. The portionwise addition of 2.2 equiv of dimethyldioxirane (DMD) to Fischer carbene complex 1 afforded ethyl phenylpropiolate in 90% yield. When the reaction was carried out using a CO(2)-free DMD solution in a N(2) atmosphere ester 2 was formed in 40% yield, whereas in the presence of an O(2) atmosphere the yield increased to 70%. This same assay performed in the presence of (18)O(2) atmosphere afforded the ester 2 partially labeled at the C=O moiety (approximately 50%, GC-MS) with (18)O. On the other hand, treatment of Fischer carbene complex 1 with a [(18)O(2)]dimesityldioxirane solution led to the formation of (18)O-labeled CO(2) (trapped as BaCO(3) and detected by IRMS). From these results it can be suggested that the oxidative decomplexation of Fischer carbene complexes by dioxiranes involves an initial attack of the dioxirane to the metal coordination sphere. In this step a CO ligand is oxidized to CO(2) thus leaving an unstable chromium tetracarbonyl intermediate which would react with O(2) to give the final ester product and chromium(III) oxide.

Deficiency in p53 is required for doxorubicin induced transcriptional activation of NF-кB target genes in human breast cancer.

NF-кB has been linked to doxorubicin resistance in breast cancer patients. NF-кB nuclear translocation and DNA binding in doxorubicin treated-breast cancer cells have been extensively examined; however its functional relevance at transcriptional level on NF-кB-dependent genes and the biological consequences are unclear. We studied NF-кB-dependent gene expression induced by doxorubicin in breast cancer cells and fresh human cancer specimens with different genetic backgrounds focusing on their p53 status. NF-кB-dependent signature of doxorubicin was identified by gene expression microarrays in breast cancer cells treated with doxorubicin and the IKKß-inhibitor MLN120B, and confirmed ex vivo in human cancer samples. The association with p53 was functionally validated. Finally, NF-кB activation and p53 status was determined in a cohort of breast cancer patients treated with adjuvant doxorubicin-based chemotherapy. Doxorubicin treatment in the p53-mutated MDA-MB-231 cells resulted in NF-кB driven-gene transcription signature. Modulation of genes related with invasion, metastasis and chemoresistance (ICAM-1, CXCL1, TNFAIP3, IL8) were confirmed in additional doxorubicin-treated cell lines and fresh primary human breast tumors. In both systems, p53-deficient background correlated with the activation of the NF-кB-dependent signature. Furthermore, restoration of p53WT in the mutant p53 MDA-MB-231 cells impaired NF-кB driven transcription induced by doxorubicin. Moreover, a p53 deficient background and nuclear NF-кB/p65 in breast cancer patients correlated with reduced disease free-survival. This study supports that p53 deficiency is necessary for a doxorubicin driven NF-кB-response that limits doxorubicin cytotoxicity in breast cancer and is linked to an aggressive clinical behavior.

Randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, phase II study of axitinib plus docetaxel versus docetaxel plus placebo in patients with metastatic breast cancer.

PURPOSE: This multicenter, randomized, double-blind, phase II study assessed safety and efficacy of axitinib plus docetaxel in metastatic breast cancer (MBC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Women with MBC were randomly assigned 2:1 to receive docetaxel 80 mg/m2 once every 3 weeks plus axitinib 5 mg twice per day (combination arm) or placebo (placebo arm), following a lead-in phase I trial. The primary end point was time to progression (TTP). RESULTS: In all, 168 patients were enrolled; 112 were randomly assigned to axitinib and 56 to placebo. Median TTP was numerically longer in the combination arm than in the placebo arm (8.1 v 7.1 months), but this difference was not statistically significant (hazard ratio, 1.24; 95% CI, 0.82 to 1.87; one-sided P = .156). The difference in median TTP was greatest among patients who had received prior adjuvant chemotherapy (9.2 v 7.0 months; P = .043, prespecified subgroup analysis). Objective response rate was higher in the combination arm (41.1% v 23.6%; P = .011). The most common grades 3 to 4 treatment-related adverse events (combination/placebo) included diarrhea (10.8%/0%), fatigue (10.8%/5.4%), stomatitis (12.6%/1.8%), mucositis (9.0%/0%), asthenia (7.2%/0%), and hypertension (4.5%/0%). Three patients in the combination arm experienced serious thromboembolic events (one death). Febrile neutropenia was more frequent in the combination arm (15.3% v 7.1%); rates of other hematologic toxicities were comparable. Increased toxicity with axitinib was generally managed by dose reduction and/or growth factor support. CONCLUSION: The addition of axitinib to docetaxel did not improve TTP in first-line MBC treatment. Combination therapy may be more effective in patients previously exposed to adjuvant chemotherapy.

[In vitro fertilization laboratory. Clinical features of assisted reproduction techniques. Male infertility treatment in a reproduction medicine centre]. / El laboratorio de fecundación in vitro. Aspectos clínicos de las técnicas de fecundación asistida. Tratamiento de la infertilidad masculina en el laboratorio.

The development of fertilization techniques such as ICSI, complementary to conventional in vitro fertilization, have been a great advance in the treatment of the male factor. ICSI with spermatozoa from ejaculate allows successful treatment of severe male factor, patients with previous failures of fertilization, and also cases without apparent cause. ICSI with spermatozoa obtained directly from the testicle allows couples in which the male suffers azoospermia, either obstructive or secretory, achieving pregnancy. After ICSI, pregnancy rates are similar to the ones after conventional in vitro fertilization. It is necessary to evaluate the genetic risk for children born after ICSI. On the one hand there are anomalies bound to subfertile population they come from, on the other chromosome anomalies generated de novo. ICSI does not increase the incidence of major malformations. It is recommendable to perform prenatal diagnosis in pregnancies obtained by ICSI.