Expectancy survival of malignant pleural effusion patients treated with thoracoscopic pleurodesis related to histology

No abstract availabl

First-line imatinib vs second- and third-generation TKIs for chronic-phase CML: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Imatinib, the first tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) for the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), improves overall survival (OS), but the introduction of newer TKIs requires the definition of the optimal first-line TKI for newly diagnosed Philadelphia chromosome-positive (Ph+) chronic-phase (CP) CML. This systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) compares the efficacy and safety of imatinib vs second-generation (dasatinib, nilotinib, bosutinib) and third-generation TKIs (ponatinib) in adults with newly diagnosed Ph+ CP CML, concentrating on OS, progression-free survival (PFS), and hematological and nonhematological adverse events. The quality of the evidence was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) method. Seven RCTs published between 1990 and 2019 (involving 3262 participants) satisfied the eligibility criteria. Two RCTs (imatinib vs nilotinib and imatinib vs dasatinib) found no difference in 5-year OS or PFS. Second- and third-generation TKIs improved 3-month major molecular responses (relative risk [RR], 4.28; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.20-8.32) and other efficacy outcomes, decreased accelerated/blastic-phase transformations (RR, 0.44; 95% CI, 0.26-0.74), but were associated with more cases of thrombocytopenia (RR, 1.57; 95% CI, 1.20-2.05), cardiovascular events (RR, 2.54; 95% CI, 1.49-4.33), and pancreatic (RR, 2.29; 95% CI, 1.32-3.96) and hepatic effects (RR, 3.51; 95% CI 1.55-7.92). GRADE showed that the certainty of the evidence ranged from high to moderate. This study shows that, in comparison with imatinib, second- and third-generation TKIs improve clinical responses, but the safer toxicity profile of imatinib may make it a better option for patients with comorbidities

ICES Viewpoint background document: Evaluating and mitigating introduction of marine non-native species via vessel biofouling

Biofouled vessels create novel, mobile habitats characterized by great abundances of opportunistic and non-native species. Vessel biofouling1 affects the environment as well as the economics of vessel management..

Cryotolerance and pregnancy rates after exposure of bovine in vitro-produced embryos to forskolin and linoleic acid before vitrification.

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effects of supplementation of in vitro culture (IVC) medium with drugs that stimulates the lipolysis (Forskolin: Forsk) and inhibit the lipogenesis (Linoleic Acid LA) on the intracytoplasmic lipid content and cryotolerance of bovine embryos (Experiment 1), as well as to evaluate the effect of treatment of embryos with Forsk on the pregnancy rates after transfer to synchronized recipients (Experiment 2).Proceedings of the 30th Annual Meeting of the Brazilian Embryo Technology Society (SBTE); Foz do Iguaçu, PR, Brazil, August 25th to 27th, 2016, and 32nd Meeting of the European Embryo Transfer Association (AETE); Barcelona, Spain, September 9th and 10th, 2016. A327 Support Biotechnologies: Cryopreservation and cryobiology, diagnosis through imaging, molecular biology and ?omics?. Título em português: Criotolerância e taxa de concepção após exposição de embriões bovinos produzidos in vitro ao Forskolin ou ácido linoleico antes da vitrificação

Somatic mutations of thymic epithelial tumors with myasthenia gravis

BackgroundThymic epithelial tumors are rare malignant neoplasms that are frequently associated with paraneoplastic syndromes, especially myasthenia gravis. GTF2I is an oncogene mutated in a subgroup of thymomas that is reputed to drive their growth. However, for GTF2I wild-type tumors, the relevant mutations remain to be identified.MethodsWe performed a meta-analysis and identified 4,208 mutations in 339 patients. We defined a panel of 63 genes frequently mutated in thymic epithelial tumors, which we used to design a custom assay for next-generation sequencing. We sequenced tumor DNA from 67 thymomas of patients with myasthenia gravis who underwent resection in our institution.ResultsAmong the 67 thymomas, there were 238 mutations, 83 of which were in coding sequences. There were 14 GTF2I mutations in 6 A, 5 AB, 2 B2 thymomas, and one in a thymoma with unspecified histology. No other oncogenes showed recurrent mutations, while sixteen tumor suppressor genes were predicted to be inactivated. Even with a dedicated assay for the identification of specific somatic mutations in thymic epithelial tumors, only GTF2I mutations were found to be significantly recurrent.ConclusionOur evaluation provides insights into the mutational landscape of thymic epithelial tumors, identifies recurrent mutations in different histotypes, and describes the design and implementation of a custom panel for targeted resequencing. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the genetic basis of thymic epithelial tumors and may have implications for future research and treatment strategies

Diagnostic accuracy and interobserver variability of CO-RADS in patients with suspected coronavirus disease-2019: a multireader validation study

Objective: To conduct a multireader validation study to evaluate the interobserver variability and the diagnostic accuracy for the lung involvement by COVID-19 of COVID-19 Reporting and Data System (CO-RADS) score. Methods: This retrospective study included consecutive symptomatic patients who underwent chest CT and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) from March 2020 to May 2020 for suspected COVID-19. Twelve readers with different levels of expertise independently scored each CT using the CO-RADS scheme for detecting pulmonary involvement by COVID-19. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were computed to investigate diagnostic yield. Fleiss’ kappa statistics was used to evaluate interreader agreement. Results: A total of 572 patients (mean age, 63 ± 20 [standard deviation]; 329 men; 142 patients with COVID-19 and 430 patients without COVID-19) were evaluated. There was a moderate agreement for CO-RADS rating among all readers (Fleiss’ K = 0.43 [95% CI 0.42–0.44]) with a substantial agreement for CO-RADS 1 category (Fleiss’ K = 0.61 [95% CI 0.60–0.62]) and moderate agreement for CO-RADS 5 category (Fleiss’ K = 0.60 [95% CI 0.58–0.61]). ROC analysis showed the CO-RADS score ≥ 4 as the optimal threshold, with a cumulative area under the curve of 0.72 (95% CI 66–78%), sensitivity 61% (95% CI 52–69%), and specificity 81% (95% CI 77–84%). Conclusion: CO-RADS showed high diagnostic accuracy and moderate interrater agreement across readers with different levels of expertise. Specificity is higher than previously thought and that could lead to reconsider the role of CT in this clinical setting. Key Points: • COVID-19 Reporting and Data System (CO-RADS) demonstrated a good diagnostic accuracy for lung involvement by COVID-19 with an average AUC of 0.72 (95% CI 67–75%). • When a threshold of ≥ 4 was used, sensitivity and specificity were 61% (95% CI 52–69%) and 81% (95% CI 76–84%), respectively. • There was an overall moderate agreement for CO-RADS rating across readers with different levels of expertise (Fleiss’ K = 0.43 [95% CI 0.42–0.44])

Nutrient-based dietary patterns and the risk of head and neck cancer: a pooled analysis in the International Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology consortium

Background The association between dietary patterns and head and neck cancer has rarely been addressed. Patients and methods We used individual-level pooled data from five case-control studies (2452 cases and 5013 controls) participating in the International Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology consortium. A posteriori dietary patterns were identified through a principal component factor analysis carried out on 24 nutrients derived from study-specific food-frequency questionnaires. Odds ratios (ORs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using unconditional logistic regression models on quintiles of factor scores. Results We identified three major dietary patterns named ‘animal products and cereals', ‘antioxidant vitamins and fiber', and ‘fats'. The ‘antioxidant vitamins and fiber' pattern was inversely related to oral and pharyngeal cancer (OR= 0.57, 95% CI 0.43-0.76 for the highest versus the lowest score quintile). The ‘animal products and cereals' pattern was positively associated with laryngeal cancer (OR= 1.54, 95% CI 1.12-2.11), whereas the ‘fats' pattern was inversely associated with oral and pharyngeal cancer (OR= 0.78, 95% CI 0.63-0.97) and positively associated with laryngeal cancer (OR= 1.69, 95% CI 1.22-2.34). Conclusions These findings suggest that diets rich in animal products, cereals, and fats are positively related to laryngeal cancer, and those rich in fruit and vegetables inversely related to oral and pharyngeal cance

Effects of seagrasses and algae of the Caulerpa family on hydrodynamics and particle-trapping rates

The widespread decline of seagrass beds within the Mediterranean often results in the replacement of seagrasses by opportunistic green algae of the Caulerpa family. Because Caulerpa beds have a different height, stiffness and density compared to seagrasses, these changes in habitat type modify the interaction of the seafloor with hydrodynamics, influencing key processes such as sediment resuspension and particle trapping. Here, we compare the effects on hydrodynamics and particle trapping of Caulerpa taxifolia, C. racemosa, and C. prolifera with the Mediterranean seagrasses Cymodocea nodosa and Posidonia oceanica. All macrophyte canopies reduced near-bed volumetric flow rates compared to bare sediment, vertical profiles of turbulent kinetic energy revealed peak values around the top of the canopies, and maximum values of Reynolds stress increased by a factor of between 1.4 (C. nodosa) and 324.1 (P. oceanica) when vegetation was present. All canopies enhanced particle retention rates compared to bare sediment. The experimental C. prolifera canopy was the most effective at particle retention (m2 habitat); however, C. racemosa had the largest particle retention capacity per structure surface area. Hence, in terms of enhancing particle trapping and reducing hydrodynamic forces at the sediment surface, Caulerpa beds provided a similar or enhanced function compared to P.oceanica and C. nodosa. However, strong seasonality in the leaf area index of C. racemosa and C. taxifolia within the Mediterranean, combined with a weak rhizome structure, suggests that sediments maybe unprotected during winter storms, when most erosion occurs. Hence, replacement of seagrass beds with Caulerpa is likely to have a major influence on annual sediment dynamics at ecosystem scales.This research was funded by the European Network of Excellence ‘‘Marine Biodiversity and Ecosystem Function’’ (MarBEF); FP6, EC contract no. 505446 and a grant from the Fundacio ´n BBVA. EPM was supported by a European Union Marie Curie host fellowship for transfer of knowledge, MTKD-CT-2004-509254, the Spanish national project EVAMARIA (CTM2005-00395/MAR) and the regional government of Andalusia project FUNDIV(P07-RNM-2516)