Role of taxanes in advanced prostate cancer

[Abstract] Advanced prostate cancer is an androgen-dependent disease for which the initial treatment is an androgen deprivation maneuver. However, some primary resistances to hormonal treatment occur with increasing incidence throughout the evolution of the disease. The taxanes, docetaxel and cabazitaxel, exert their action at multiple levels at the tumor cell: besides inhibiting the mitosis and inducing the cell death, they induce the nuclear accumulation of FOXO1, a potent nuclear factor that acts against the activation of androgen receptor inhibiting the transcription of AR-V7 variant associated with the development of resistances to abiraterone and enzalutamide. Docetaxel, as first-line therapy, and cabazitaxel, as second-line therapy, have demonstrated to increase the survival in castration-resistant prostate cancer. The results from last studies either on high-risk localized disease or on androgen-sensitive tumors demonstrate the increasing role of taxanes at earlier states of prostate cancer

Development and assessment of a prototype as an innovative method for teaching agricultural machinery

An educational variable‐rate application (VRA) sprayer was developed and laboratory tested at the University of Seville (Spain). It was designed and built during 2009 by the undergraduate engineering students in a Precision Agriculture course and used as a teaching model in an Agricultural Machinery course during 2010. The first stage involved mounting all the instrumentation, sensors, and the hydraulic system on a metal platform. The second stage involved mounting a DGPS receiver, flowmeter, automated application control system, and all necessary electrical connections to the platform. Preliminary calibration tests of the equipment at a constant speed of 0.375 m s‐1 (1.35 km h‐1) showed good performance for pressure (kPa) and application rate (L ha‐1) (R2 = 0.998, p < 0.001). To evaluate the teaching method based on the prototype, a short‐answer assessment test was conducted consisting of ten multiple‐choice questions, each with one possible correct answer. Data were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA). The factors were the teaching method (TM), repeated course (R), and attended theory (AT). In addition, the effect of a covariate (number of times a student repeated the course) in the factors was controlled with an analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). The effect of teaching method was significant for the score on the VRA sprayer questions (SPS) variable and the score on the conventional sprayer questions (SCS) variable (p < 0.001 for both). The average success for students using the prototype sprayer was 86%, compared to 60% for those using a conventional sprayer. The total cost of the VRA prototype sprayer was 40% less than the cost of retrofitting a conventional sprayer with precision agriculture equipment. Since the students were engaged in their own learning, they maintained a high level of enthusiasm throughout the course when utilizing the VRA prototype sprayer. It has proved to be a complementary and beneficial alternative for improving the students' education in the Agricultural Machinery course

False news around COVID-19 circulated less on Sina Weibo than on Twitter. How to overcome false information?

Since the Coronavirus health emergency was declared, many are the fake news that have circulated around this topic, including rumours, conspiracy theories and myths. According to the World Economic Forum, fake news is one of the threats in today's societies, since this type of information circulates fast and is often inaccurate and misleading. Moreover, fake-news are far more shared than evidence-based news among social media users and thus, this can potentially lead to decisions that do not consider the individual’s best interest. Drawing from this evidence, the present study aims at comparing the type of Tweets and Sina Weibo posts regarding COVID-19 that contain either false or scientific veracious information. To that end 1923 messages from each social media were retrieved, classified and compared. Results show that there is more false news published and shared on Twitter than in Sina Weibo, at the same time science-based evidence is more shared on Twitter than in Weibo but less than false news. This stresses the need to find effective practices to limit the circulation of false information

False news around COVID-19 circulated less on Sina Weibo than on Twitter. How to overcome false information?

Since the Coronavirus health emergency was declared, many are the fake news that have circulated around this topic, including rumours, conspiracy theories and myths. According to the World Economic Forum, fake news is one of the threats in today's societies, since this type of information circulates fast and is often inaccurate and misleading. Moreover, fake-news are far more shared than evidence-based news among social media users and thus, this can potentially lead to decisions that do not consider the individual’s best interest. Drawing from this evidence, the present study aims at comparing the type of Tweets and Sina Weibo posts regarding COVID-19 that contain either false or scientific veracious information. To that end 1923 messages from each social media were retrieved, classified and compared. Results show that there is more false news published and shared on Twitter than in Sina Weibo, at the same time science-based evidence is more shared on Twitter than in Weibo but less than false news. This stresses the need to find effective practices to limit the circulation of false information

Study of the conformational rearrangement of a tetradentate hydrazone ligand

We report herein the first example of a tetradentate hydrazone structurally studied. The analysis of the conformations of this molecule together with the hydrogen bonding interactions allowed us to investigate the changes experienced by this ligand upon coordination to metal center

False news around COVID-19 circulated less on sina weibo than on twitter. How to overcome false information?

Since the Coronavirus health emergency was declared, many are the fake news that have circulated around this topic, including rumours, conspiracy theories and myths. According to the World Economic Forum, fake news is one of the threats in today's societies, since this type of information circulates fast and is often inaccurate and misleading. Moreover, fake-news are far more shared than evidence-based news among social media users and thus, this can potentially lead to decisions that do not consider the individual's best interest. Drawing from this evidence, the present study aims at comparing the type of Tweets and Sina Weibo posts regarding COVID-19 that contain either false or scientific veracious information. To that end 1923 messages from each social media were retrieved, classified and compared. Results show that there is more false news published and shared on Twitter than in Sina Weibo, at the same time science-based evidence is more shared on Twitter than in Weibo but less than false news. This stresses the need to find effective practices to limit the circulation of false information

A Novel Penile Splint as Early Traction Therapy After Grafting Techniques for Peyronie's Disease.

Background Some studies showed encouraging results on the efficacy and safety of penile traction therapy after Peyronie's disease (PD) surgery. The early traction therapy (ETT) could be an effective and safe approach to minimize penile shortening in patients undergoing PD surgery. Aim To evaluate the feasibility, efficacy, and safety of a novel penile splint as ETT in patients with PD undergoing grafting techniques. Methods Patients with PD underwent plaque incision and grafting technique; at the end of the procedure, a novel penile splint (ETT) was applied to all patient. The device consisted of 2 10CH intubating stylets, self-adapted to each patient, that kept the penis stretched with the aid of non-absorbable sutures. The total expense for the materials needed to build each penile splint was less than 15 euros. This active traction was maintained for 1–3 weeks; then, we removed the stitches leaving the device on-site for a passive traction. Within 3–4 weeks from surgery, the penile splint was replaced by a standard penile traction device. Outcomes The main outcomes evaluated at 6 months included stretched penile length (SPL), penile curvature, International Index of Erectile Function-erectile function (IIEF-EF) domain, patient satisfaction, and time to first satisfactory sexual intercourse. Results A total of 46 patients were enrolled. The median preoperative IIEF-EF, penile curvature, and SPL were 27 points, 70°, and 13 cm, respectively. The median follow-up was 15 months. The median postoperative IIEF-EF was 25 points (P < .001). The median residual penile curvature was 10° (P < .001). The median postoperative SPL was 13 cm (P = .269). 8 patients (17.4%) lost 1 cm of SPL; no shortening greater than 1 cm was recorded. The median time to first satisfactory sexual intercourse and patient satisfaction score was 6 weeks and 9 points, respectively. Clinical Implications Our results could pave the way for a new line of research, which in turn could lead to an improvement in the postoperative management of the patient undergoing surgery for PD. Strength & Limitations This is the first study evaluating the ETT after PD surgery. The main limitation of this study is the lack of a randomized control group. Other weaknesses are the small sample size and the short follow-up time. Conclusion Our novel penile splint is inexpensive, easy to assemble, and adaptable to the patient. ETT using this novel device, followed by standard traction therapy, seems to be feasible, effective, and safe.pre-print449 K

mpMRI-US Fusion-Guided Targeted Cryotherapy in Patients with Primary Localized Prostate Cancer: A Prospective Analysis of Oncological and Functional Outcomes.

Targeted therapy (TT) for prostate cancer (PCa) aims to ablate the malignant lesion with an adequate margin of safety in order to obtain similar oncological outcomes, but with less toxicity than radical treatments. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the recurrence rate (RR) in patients with primary localized PCa undergoing mpMRI/US fusion targeted cryotherapy (FTC). A secondary objective was to evaluate prostate-specific antigen (PSA) as a predictor of recurrences. We designed a prospective single-center single-cohort study. Patients with primary localized PCa, mono or multifocal lesions, PSA 15 ng/mL, and a Gleason score (GS) 4 + 3 undergoing FTC were enrolled. RR was chosen as the primary outcome. Recurrence was defined as the presence of clinically significant prostate cancer in the treated areas. PSA values measured at different times were tested as predictors of recurrence. Continuous variables were assessed with the Bayesian t-test and categorical assessments with the chix-squared test. Univariate and logistic regression assessment were used for predictions. A total of 75 cases were included in the study. Ten subjects developed a recurrence (RR: 15.2%), while fifty-six (84.8%) patients showed a recurrence-free status. A %PSA drop of 31.5% during the first 12 months after treatment predicted a recurrence with a sensitivity of 53.8% and a specificity of 79.2%. A PSA drop of 55.3% 12 months after treatment predicted a recurrence with a sensitivity of 91.7% and a specificity of 51.9%. FTC for primary localized PCa seems to be associated with a low but not negligible percentage of recurrences. Serum PSA levels may have a role indicating RR.post-print644 K

Effectiveness of ozone therapy to reduce pain in patients with temporomandibular disorders

Introducción: los trastornos temporomandibulares constituyen un problema de salud importante que afecta a más del 50% de la población mundial en algún momento de su vida. Objetivo: evaluar la efectividad de la ozonoterapia para disminuir el dolor en los pacientes con trastornos temporomandibulares. Método: se realizó un estudio cuasi-experimental prospectivo en enfermos con trastornos temporomandibulares pertenecientes a la Clínica Estomatológica “Mártires de Sagua” atendidos en la Sala de Rehabilitación del Policlínico Docente “Idalberto Revuelta” en 2016. La muestra estuvo constituida por 30 pacientes, la selección se realizó a través de un muestreo no probabilístico por criterios y quedó conformada por un grupo experimental de 10 enfermos en los que se añadió la ozonoterapia al tratamiento convencional y un grupo control de 20 pacientes con solo tratamiento convencional. En ambos grupos se solicitó el consentimiento informado para participar en la investigación según el tratamiento asignado y brindar datos acerca de su evolución. Resultados: predominaron las edades entre 50 y 59 años y el sexo femenino; antes del tratamiento predominó la intensidad del dolor moderada y los indicadores empleados para valorar la evolución clínica mostraron resultados porcentualmente superiores en el grupo experimental. Conclusiones: la modalidad de tratamiento que combina la terapia convencional con el ozono es más efectiva que la aplicación de la terapia convencional sola en los pacientes con trastornos temporomandibulares.Introduction: temporomandibular disorders are a major health problem that affects more than 50% of the world population at some point in their lives. Objective: to evaluate the effectiveness of ozone therapy to reduce pain in patients with temporomandibular disorders. Method: a prospective quasi-experimental study was carried out in patients with temporomandibular disorders belonging to the "Mártires de Sagua" Stomatological Clinic attended in the Rehabilitation Room of "Idalberto Revuelta" Teaching Polyclinic in 2016. The sample consisted of 30 patients, the selection was made through a non-probabilistic sampling by criteria and was made up of an experimental group of 10 patients in whom ozone therapy was added to conventional treatment and a control group of 20 patients with only conventional treatment. In both groups, it was requested the informed consent to participate in the research according to the assigned treatment and provide information about its evolution. Results: the ages between 50 and 59 years old and the female sex predominated; before the treatment, the intensity of moderate pain predominated and the indicators used to assess the clinical evolution showed percentage results higher in the experimental group. Conclusions: the treatment modality that combines conventional therapy with ozone is more effective than the application of conventional therapy alone in patients with temporomandibular disorders

Efficacy and Tolerability of 6-Month Treatment with Tamsulosin Plus the Hexanic Extract of Serenoa repens versus Tamsulosin Plus 5-Alpha-Reductase Inhibitors for Moderate-to-Severe LUTS-BPH Patients: Results of a Paired Matched Clinical Study

The objective of this subset analysis was to evaluate and compare the efficacy and tolerability of two combination treatments for men with moderate-to-severe lower urinary tract symptoms associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia (LUTS/BPH). Data were from a real-world, open-label, prospective, and multicenter study performed in outpatient urology clinics. Men with moderate-to-severe LUTS/BPH received 6-month treatment with tamsulosin (TAM) in combination with either the hexanic extract of S. repens (HESr) or a 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor (5ARI). Changes in urinary symptoms and quality of life were measured using the IPSS and BII questionnaires, respectively. Treatment tolerability was assessed by recording adverse effects (AEs). Patients in the two study groups were matched using iterative and propensity score matching approaches. After iterative matching, data were available from 136 patients (n = 68 treated with TAM + 5ARI, n = 68 with TAM + HESr). After 6 months of treatment, mean (SD) IPSS total score improved by 7.7 (6.3) and 6.7 (5.0) points in the TAM + 5ARI and TAM + HESr groups, respectively (p = 0.272); mean BII total scores improved by 3.1 (2.9) and 2.9 (2.4) points (p = 0.751), respectively. AEs were reported by 26.5% and 10.3% of patients in the same groups, mostly affecting sexual function (p < 0.027). When used in a real-world setting to treat patients with moderate-severe LUTS/BPH, 6-month treatment with TAM + HESr was as effective as TAM + 5ARI, but with better tolerability. © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland