Immobilization of Trichosporon cutaneum R 57 Cells onto Methylcellulose/SiO2 Hybrids and Biosorption of Cadmium and Copper Ions

Methylcellulose/Silica (MC/SiO2) hybrids were synthesized via poly step sol-gel method. SiO2 was included into the hybrids from two silica precursors - methyltriethoxysilane (MTES) and ethyltrimethoxysilane (ETMS) with different quantity of organic part-5, 20 and 50 wt.%. The filamentous yeasts Trichosporon cutaneum strain R 57 was immobilized onto the synthesized MC/SiO2 hybrids. After immobilization the hybrid materials were used in the processes of sorption of cadmium and copper ions. The obtained results of protein content analysis indicated that the amount of protein increased with increasing of MC in the hybrids. It was established that the maximal efficiency of copper and cadmium removal were observed for hybrid materials containing MTES and 50 wt.% MC - 66% and 26% respectively. For ETMS and 50 wt.% MC a high value of copper removal was 56% and for cadmium - 45% removal, respectively. FTIR analysis of free and immobilized cells with metal ions was conducted. SEM images showed successful immobilization of the yeasts cells. Second order model was employed in order to investigate the kinetics of copper and cadmium biosorption

Hysteresis of the Contact Angle of a Meniscus Inside a Capillary with Smooth, Homogeneous Solid Walls

This paper was accepted for publication in the journal Langmuir: the ACS journal of surfaces and colloids and the definitive published version is available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.langmuir.6b00721.A theory of contact angle hysteresis of a meniscus inside thin capillaries with smooth, homogeneous solid walls is developed in terms of surface forces (disjoining/ conjoining pressure isotherm) using a quasi-equilibrium approach. The disjoining /conjoining pressure isotherm includes electrostatic, intermolecular, and structural components. The values of the static receding θr, advancing θa , and equilibrium θe contact angles in thin capillaries were calculated on the basis of the shape of the disjoining/conjoining pressure isotherm. It was shown that both advancing and receding contact angles depend on the capillary radius. The suggested mechanism of the contact angle hysteresis has a direct experimental confirmation: the process of receding is accompanied by the formation of thick β-films on the capillary walls. The effect of the transition from partial to complete wetting in thin capillaries is predicted and analyzed. This effect takes place in very thin capillaries, when the receding contact angle decreases to zero

Hysteresis of Contact Angle of Sessile Droplets on Smooth Homogeneous Solid Substrates via Disjoining/Conjoining Pressure

This document is the Accepted Manuscript version of a Published Work that appeared in final form in Langmuir copyright © American Chemical Society after peer review and technical editing by the publisher. To access the final edited and published work see http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.langmuir.5b01075A theory of contact angle hysteresis of liquid droplets on smooth, homogeneous solid substrates is developed in terms of the shape of the disjoining/conjoining pressure isotherm and quasi-equilibrium phenomena. It is shown that all contact angles, θ, in the range θr < θ < θa, which are different from the unique equilibrium contact angle θ ≠ θe, correspond to the state of slow “microscopic” advancing or receding motion of the liquid if θe < θ < θa or θr < θ < θe, respectively. This “microscopic” motion almost abruptly becomes fast “macroscopic” advancing or receding motion after the contact angle reaches the critical values θa or θr, correspondingly. The values of the static receding, θr, and static advancing, θa, contact angles in cylindrical capillaries were calculated earlier, based on the shape of disjoining/conjoining pressure isotherm. It is shown now that (i) both advancing and receding contact angles of a droplet on a on smooth, homogeneous solid substrate can be calculated based on shape of disjoining/conjoining pressure isotherm, and (ii) both advancing and receding contact angles depend on the drop volume and are not unique characteristics of the liquid–solid system. The latter is different from advancing/receding contact angles in thin capillaries. It is shown also that the receding contact angle is much closer to the equilibrium contact angle than the advancing contact angle. The latter conclusion is unexpected and is in a contradiction with the commonly accepted view that the advancing contact angle can be taken as the first approximation for the equilibrium contact angle. The dependency of hysteresis contact angles on the drop volume has a direct experimental confirmation

The impact of neoadjuvant therapy in patients with left-sided resectable pancreatic cancer:an international multicenter study

Background: Left-sided pancreatic cancer is associated with worse overall survival (OS) compared with right-sided pancreatic cancer. Although neoadjuvant therapy is currently seen as not effective in patients with resectable pancreatic cancer (RPC), current randomized trials included mostly patients with right-sided RPC. The purpose of this study was to assess the association between neoadjuvant therapy and OS in patients with left-sided RPC compared with upfront surgery. Patients and methods: This was an international multicenter retrospective study including consecutive patients after left-sided pancreatic resection for pathology-proven RPC, either after neoadjuvant therapy or upfront surgery in 76 centers from 18 countries on 4 continents (2013-2019). The primary endpoint was OS from diagnosis. Time-dependent Cox regression analysis was carried out to investigate the association of neoadjuvant therapy with OS, adjusting for confounders at the time of diagnosis. Adjusted OS probabilities were calculated. Results: Overall, 2282 patients after left-sided pancreatic resection for RPC were included of whom 290 patients (13%) received neoadjuvant therapy. The most common neoadjuvant regimens were (m)FOLFIRINOX (38%) and gemcitabine-nab-paclitaxel (22%). After upfront surgery, 72% of patients received adjuvant chemotherapy, mostly a single-agent regimen (74%). Neoadjuvant therapy was associated with prolonged OS compared with upfront surgery (adjusted hazard ratio 0.69, 95% confidence interval 0.58-0.83) with an adjusted median OS of 53 versus 37 months (P = 0.0003) and adjusted 5-year OS rates of 47% versus 35% (P = 0.0001) compared with upfront surgery. Interaction analysis demonstrated a stronger effect of neoadjuvant therapy in patients with a larger tumor (Pinteraction = 0.003) and higher serum carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9; Pinteraction = 0.005). In contrast, the effect of neoadjuvant therapy was not enhanced for splenic artery (Pinteraction = 0.43), splenic vein (Pinteraction = 0.30), retroperitoneal (Pinteraction = 0.84), and multivisceral (Pinteraction = 0.96) involvement. Conclusions: Neoadjuvant therapy in patients with left-sided RPC was associated with improved OS compared with upfront surgery. The impact of neoadjuvant therapy increased with larger tumor size and higher serum CA19-9 at diagnosis. Randomized controlled trials on neoadjuvant therapy specifically in patients with left-sided RPC are needed.</p

REDISCOVER guidelines for borderline-resectable and locally advanced pancreatic cancer: management algorithm, unanswered questions, and future perspectives

The REDISCOVER guidelines present 34 recommendations for the selection and perioperative care of borderline-resectable (BR-PDAC) and locally advanced ductal adenocarcinoma of the pancreas (LA-PDAC). These guidelines represent a significant shift from previous approaches, prioritizing tumor biology over anatomical features as the primary indication for resection. Condensed herein, they provide a practical management algorithm for clinical practice. However, the guidelines also highlight the need to redefine LA-PDAC to align with modern treatment strategies and to solve some contradictions within the current definition, such as grouping "difficult" and "impossible" to resect tumors together. Furthermore, the REDISCOVER guidelines highlight several areas requiring urgent research. These include the resection of the superior mesenteric artery, the management strategies for patients with LA-PDAC who are fit for surgery but unable to receive multi-agent neoadjuvant chemotherapy, the approach to patients with LA-PDAC who are fit for surgery but demonstrate high serum Ca 19.9 levels even after neoadjuvant treatment, and the optimal timing and number of chemotherapy cycles prior to surgery. Additionally, the role of primary chemoradiotherapy versus chemotherapy alone in LA-PDAC, the timing of surgical resection post-neoadjuvant/primary chemoradiotherapy, the efficacy of ablation therapies, and the management of oligometastasis in patients with LA-PDAC warrant investigation. Given the limited evidence for many issues, refining existing management strategies is imperative. The establishment of the REDISCOVER registry (https://rediscover.unipi.it/) offers promise of a unified research platform to advance understanding and improve the management of BR-PDAC and LA-PDAC

REDISCOVER guidelines for borderline-resectable and locally advanced pancreatic cancer: management algorithm, unanswered questions, and future perspectives

The REDISCOVER guidelines present 34 recommendations for the selection and perioperative care of borderline-resectable (BR-PDAC) and locally advanced ductal adenocarcinoma of the pancreas (LA-PDAC). These guidelines represent a significant shift from previous approaches, prioritizing tumor biology over anatomical features as the primary indication for resection. Condensed herein, they provide a practical management algorithm for clinical practice. However, the guidelines also highlight the need to redefine LA-PDAC to align with modern treatment strategies and to solve some contradictions within the current definition, such as grouping "difficult" and "impossible" to resect tumors together. Furthermore, the REDISCOVER guidelines highlight several areas requiring urgent research. These include the resection of the superior mesenteric artery, the management strategies for patients with LA-PDAC who are fit for surgery but unable to receive multi-agent neoadjuvant chemotherapy, the approach to patients with LA-PDAC who are fit for surgery but demonstrate high serum Ca 19.9 levels even after neoadjuvant treatment, and the optimal timing and number of chemotherapy cycles prior to surgery. Additionally, the role of primary chemoradiotherapy versus chemotherapy alone in LA-PDAC, the timing of surgical resection post-neoadjuvant/primary chemoradiotherapy, the efficacy of ablation therapies, and the management of oligometastasis in patients with LA-PDAC warrant investigation. Given the limited evidence for many issues, refining existing management strategies is imperative. The establishment of the REDISCOVER registry (https://rediscover.unipi.it/) offers promise of a unified research platform to advance understanding and improve the management of BR-PDAC and LA-PDAC

REDISCOVER International Guidelines on the Perioperative Care of Surgical Patients With Borderline-resectable and Locally Advanced Pancreatic Cancer

Objective: The REDISCOVER consensus conference aimed at developing and validating guidelines on the perioperative care of patients with borderline-resectable (BR-) and locally advanced (LA) pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Background: Coupled with improvements in chemotherapy and radiation, the contemporary approach to pancreatic surgery supports the resection of BR-PDAC and, to a lesser extent, LA-PDAC. Guidelines outlining the selection and perioperative care for these patients are lacking. Methods: The Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) methodology was used to develop the REDISCOVER guidelines and create recommendations. The Delphi approach was used to reach a consensus (agreement ≥80%) among experts. Recommendations were approved after a debate and vote among international experts in pancreatic surgery and pancreatic cancer management. A Validation Committee used the AGREE II-GRS tool to assess the methodological quality of the guidelines. Moreover, an independent multidisciplinary advisory group revised the statements to ensure adherence to nonsurgical guidelines. Results: Overall, 34 recommendations were created targeting centralization, training, staging, patient selection for surgery, possibility of surgery in uncommon scenarios, timing of surgery, avoidance of vascular reconstruction, details of vascular resection/reconstruction, arterial divestment, frozen section histology of perivascular tissue, extent of lymphadenectomy, anticoagulation prophylaxis, and role of minimally invasive surgery. The level of evidence was however low for 29 of 34 clinical questions. Participants agreed that the most conducive means to promptly advance our understanding in this field is to establish an international registry addressing this patient population (https://rediscover.unipi.it/). Conclusions: The REDISCOVER guidelines provide clinical recommendations pertaining to pancreatectomy with vascular resection for patients with BR-PDAC and LA-PDAC, and serve as the basis of a new international registry for this patient population

Burdens of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease attributable to sugar-sweetened beverages in 184 countries

The consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) is associated with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and cardiovascular diseases (CVD). However, an updated and comprehensive assessment of the global burden attributable to SSBs remains scarce. Here we estimated SSB-attributable T2D and CVD burdens across 184 countries in 1990 and 2020 globally, regionally and nationally, incorporating data from the Global Dietary Database, jointly stratified by age, sex, educational attainment and urbanicity. In 2020, 2.2 million (95% uncertainty interval 2.0–2.3) new T2D cases and 1.2 million (95% uncertainty interval 1.1–1.3) new CVD cases were attributable to SSBs worldwide, representing 9.8% and 3.1%, respectively, of all incident cases. Globally, proportional SSB-attributable burdens were higher among men versus women, younger versus older adults, higher- versus lower-educated adults, and adults in urban versus rural areas. By world region, the highest SSB-attributable percentage burdens were in Latin America and the Caribbean (T2D: 24.4%; CVD: 11.3%) and sub-Saharan Africa (T2D: 21.5%; CVD: 10.5%). From 1990 to 2020, the largest proportional increases in SSB-attributable incident T2D and CVD cases were in sub-Saharan Africa (+8.8% and +4.4%, respectively). Our study highlights the countries and subpopulations most affected by cardiometabolic disease associated with SSB consumption, assisting in shaping effective policies and interventions to reduce these burdens globally