The tumour volume influence on tumour recurrence and progression-free survival in the case of atypical meningiomas: Our experience on a series of 81 cases

Objective: The objective of our study was to evaluate a possible relation between the volume of atypical meningiomas (AMs) and the risk of tumour recurrence, as well as progression-free survival (PFS). Material and methods: We evaluated 81 patients diagnosed with AMs (WHO grade II meningioma) who have undergone surgery at the "Prof. Dr. N. Oblu" Emergency Clinical Hospital Iasi between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2019. The recorded data were demographic and imagistic (MRI, contrast-enhanced T1WI). We calculated the tumour volume prior to the surgery and evaluated the tumour recurrence using MRI at 12, 24, 36, 48 and 60 months after the surgery. Results: 50.6% of patients had meningioma volume < 26.4 cm3. Women had larger tumour volumes than men (52.6%). Patients of age ? 60 years old, had tumour volumes ? 26.4 cm3 in 58.5% of cases and meningiomas with volumes ? 26.4 cm3 recurred earlier (p=0.010). Also, patients who had tumour volumes ? 26.4 cm3, had a shorter PFS (40.976 months), compared to patients with tumour volumes < 26.4 cm3, who had better PFS (53.4 months). Conclusions: the tumour volume of AMs ? 26.4 cm3 represents a negative prognostic factor for both early tumour recurrence and reduced PFS

Optimisation of Perioperative Cardiovascular Management to Improve Surgical Outcome II (OPTIMISE II) trial: study protocol for a multicentre international trial of cardiac output-guided fluid therapy with low-dose inotrope infusion compared with usual care in patients undergoing major elective gastrointestinal surgery.

INTRODUCTION: Postoperative morbidity and mortality in older patients with comorbidities undergoing gastrointestinal surgery are a major burden on healthcare systems. Infections after surgery are common in such patients, prolonging hospitalisation and reducing postoperative short-term and long-term survival. Optimal management of perioperative intravenous fluids and inotropic drugs may reduce infection rates and improve outcomes from surgery. Previous small trials of cardiac-output-guided haemodynamic therapy algorithms suggested a modest reduction in postoperative morbidity. A large definitive trial is needed to confirm or refute this and inform widespread clinical practice. METHODS: The Optimisation of Perioperative Cardiovascular Management to Improve Surgical Outcome II (OPTIMISE II) trial is a multicentre, international, parallel group, open, randomised controlled trial. 2502 high-risk patients undergoing major elective gastrointestinal surgery will be randomly allocated in a 1:1 ratio using minimisation to minimally invasive cardiac output monitoring to guide protocolised administration of intravenous fluid combined with low-dose inotrope infusion, or usual care. The trial intervention will be carried out during and for 4 hours after surgery. The primary outcome is postoperative infection of Clavien-Dindo grade II or higher within 30 days of randomisation. Participants and those delivering the intervention will not be blinded to treatment allocation; however, outcome assessors will be blinded when feasible. Participant recruitment started in January 2017 and is scheduled to last 3 years, within 50 hospitals worldwide. ETHICS/DISSEMINATION: The OPTIMISE II trial has been approved by the UK National Research Ethics Service and has been approved by responsible ethics committees in all participating countries. The findings will be disseminated through publication in a widely accessible peer-reviewed scientific journal. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ISRCTN39653756.The OPTIMISE II trial is supported by Edwards Lifesciences (Irvine, CA) and the UK National Institute for Health Research through RMP’s NIHR Professorship

Assessment of the mechanisms and pathways of fish contamination and mercury-selenium antagonism

AIM Mercury (Hg) is one of the most dangerous chemical contaminants for humans and the environment. This is due to its extreme toxicity, particularly in the methylated form, denominated methylmercury (CH3Hg), which is easily absorbed by the body (bioaccumulation). CH3Hg is present in low concentrations in water and in water sediments, and can greatly increase its concentration in aquatic organisms, often reaching more than 85% of total Hg. Therefore, the main source of exposure to CH3Hg is fish consumption, in particular fish from higher trophic levels, since its content tends to increase along the food chain (biomagnification). Nevertheless, it is interesting to note that mercury´s bioavailability seems to be linked to selenium (Se) levels. The Se protective effects against Hg bioaccumulation and toxicity has been identified for the last decades, although the mechanism is still poorly understood. The aim of this study is to accurately assess the Hg-Se interaction in fish and the human dietary exposure. MATERIAL AND METHODS A bioassay was carried out in a representative freshwater fish (rainbow trout) in collaboration with the fish viral pathology unit of ANSES (Ploufragan-Plouzané laboratory). Fish were dietary exposed to CH3Hg under controlled conditions, in the presence or absence of SeMet. The final concentration of CH3Hg and SeMet in the diets was respectively 0,2 μg g-1 and 5 μg g-1. Briefly, six feeding protocols were compared: a non-supplemented diet (control group), a diet supplemented with SeMet, a diet supplemented with MeHg, a diet supplemented with both MeHg and SeMet, a diet supplemented first with MeHg for 1 month and then with SeMet for 2 months and a diet supplemented with SeMet for 1 month and then with MeHg for 2 months. The edible part of fish (muscle) was analysed for SeT and Hgt concentrations by ICP-MS after different time of exposure (1 month, 2 months and 3 months).Este trabalho foi desenvolvido com o apoio da FCT - Project MERSEL-FISH.N/

Simultaneous speciation analysis of Hg and Se in fish by high-performance liquid chromatography and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry following microwave-assisted enzymatic hydrolysis

This study reports the development and validation of a new analytical method for simultaneous speciation analysis of Se and Hg in fish muscle. For this purpose, four Se species (selenite/Se(IV), selenate/Se(VI), selenomethionine/SeMet, and selenocysteine/SeCys) and two Hg species (inorganic mercury/iHg and methylmercury/MeHg) were extracted simultaneously by microwave-assisted enzymatic hydrolysis and then separated by HPLC in less than 15 min by using a column with both anion and cation exchange mechanisms and a mobile phase consisting of a mixture of methanol 5% (v/v), 45 mM HNO3, 0.015% 2-mercaptoethanol, and 1.5 mM sodium 3-mercapto-1-propanesulfonate. The separated species of Hg and Se were detected online by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The speciation analysis method was validated by means of the accuracy profile approach by carrying out three series of measurements in duplicate on three different days over a time-span of 3 weeks. The limits of quantification (LOQ) are in the range of 0.010–0.013 mg/kg wet weight (ww) for all selenium species, except for Se(IV) (0.15 mg/kg ww), while the coefficient of variation in terms of intermediate reproducibility (CVR) was < 7%. The LOQ for MeHg was 0.006 mg/kg ww, while the CVR was 3%. The method was successfully applied to the analysis of muscle samples from four different fish species: rainbow trout, tuna, swordfish, and dogfish.This study is a contribution to the Ph.D. research project (MERSEL-FISH) and it was jointly funded by ANSES (France) and INSA (Portugal).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Assessment of the mercury-selenium antagonism in rainbow trout fish

This study aims at the assessment of mercury (Hg)-selenium (Se) antagonism in fish. For this purpose, rainbow trout fish (Oncorhynchus mykiss) were exposed to methylmercury (MeHg) under controlled conditions, in the presence or absence of selenomethionine (SeMet) using an in-house prepared diet (enriched with MeHg and SeMet at 0.2 μg/g and 5.0 μg/g, respectively). The total duration of the exposure study was 3 months. Fish was sampled and analysed for total Se (SeT) and total mercury (HgT) content after 1, 2 and 3 months of exposure. Six feeding protocols were compared, depending on the exposure type: (i) no MeHg nor SeMet exposure (control group); (ii) exposure to SeMet solely; (iii) exposure to MeHg solely; (iv) exposure to both MeHg and SeMet; (v) exposure first to MeHg during 1 month and then to SeMet during 2 months and (vi), exposure to SeMet during 1 month and then to MeHg for 2 months. The levels of SeT and HgT in the fish (control and supplemented with MeHg/SeMet) were measured by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICPMS). Steadily (linear) bioaccumulation of MeHg in the fish muscle occurred when the fish were exposed individually to this species during the period. The bioaccumulation of MeHg is diminished when the fish are firstly exposed to SeMet and then to MeHg, hence indicating the MeHg detoxification due to SeMet supplementation.Highlights: Assessment of mercury (Hg)-selenium (Se) antagonism in fish through dietary exposure; MeHg saturation intake is reached in fish simultaneously exposed to MeHg and SeMet; This study confirms the detoxification effect of Se and Hg in rainbow trout fish.This project (MERSEL-FISH) was funded by ANSES and INSA.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

ATOMIC STRUCTURE AND MAGNETIC PROPERTIES OF COBALT DOPED ZnO THIN FILMS PREPARED BY THE SOL-GEL METHOD

The ability of a sol-gel route for the synthesis of cobalt doped ZnO (Zn 1-x Co x O, x = 0.04-0.11) films grown on Si (100) and glass substrates is investigated. A homogeneous and stable Zn 1-x Co x O sol was prepared by dissolving zinc nitrate hexahydrate and cobalt acetate tetrahydrate in a PVP (polyvinylpyrrolidone) solution, followed by annealing at 800 ºC. Local structure studies of the Zn 1-x Co x O thin films by XANES (X-ray absorption near-edge structure) and EXAFS (extended X-ray absorption fine structure) proved the co-existence of a few amount of small metal cobalt aggregates with Co in nonstoichiometric Co n O m aggregates, with n &gt; m, and m ~ 4. Low temperature magnetooptical Kerr effect (Faraday rotation) measurements of the magnetization versus field give a direct proof of a superparamagnetic behavior of the magnetic aggregates and allowed an estimate of the number of magnetically active atoms in Co aggregates, which is close to the number of Co excess atoms inferred from XANES and EXAFS considerations: n -m ~ 3 atoms per aggregate. To this main superparamagnetic phase, a weak ferromagnetic phase with coercitive field of ~ 50 Oe is superimposed, most probably due to metal cobalt nanoclusters