Derivative markets and competitiveness

Swaps (Finance) ; Futures ; Foreign exchange

Cancer Treatment and Bone Health

Considerable advances in oncology over recent decades have led to improved survival, while raising concerns about long-term consequences of anticancer treatments. In patients with breast or prostate malignancies, bone health is a major issue due to the high risk of bone metastases and the frequent prolonged use of hormone therapies that alter physiological bone turnover, leading to increased fracture risk. Thus, the onset of cancer treatment-induced bone loss (CTIBL) should be considered by clinicians and recent guidelines should be routinely applied to these patients. In particular, baseline and periodic follow-up evaluations of bone health parameters enable the identification of patients at high risk of osteoporosis and fractures, which can be prevented by the use of bone-targeting agents (BTAs), calcium and vitamin D supplementation and modifications of lifestyle. This review will focus upon the pathophysiology of breast and prostate cancer treatment-induced bone loss and the most recent evidence about effective preventive and therapeutic strategies

Rdh12 Activity and Effects on Retinoid Processing in the Murine Retina*

RDH12 mutations are responsible for early-onset autosomal recessive retinal dystrophy, which results in profound retinal pathology and severe visual handicap in patients. To investigate the function of RDH12 within the network of retinoid dehydrogenases/reductases (RDHs) present in retina, we studied the retinal phenotype of Rdh12-deficient mice. In vivo rates of all-trans-retinal reduction and 11-cis-retinal formation during recovery from bleaching were similar in Rdh12-deficient and wild-type mice matched for an Rpe65 polymorphism that impacts visual cycle efficiency. However, retinal homogenates from Rdh12-deficient mice exhibited markedly decreased capacity to reduce exogenous retinaldehydes in vitro. Furthermore, in vivo levels of the bisretinoid compound diretinoid-pyridinium-ethanolamine (A2E) were increased in Rdh12-deficient mice of various genetic backgrounds. Conversely, in vivo levels of retinoic acid and total retinol were significantly decreased. Rdh12 transcript levels in wild-type mice homozygous for the Rpe65-Leu450 polymorphism were greater than in Rpe65-Met450 mice and increased during postnatal development in wild-type mice and Nrl-deficient mice having an all-cone retina. Rdh12-deficient mice did not exhibit increased retinal degeneration relative to wild-type mice at advanced ages, when bred on the light-sensitive BALB/c background, or when heterozygous for a null allele of superoxide dismutase 2 (Sod2+/−). Our findings suggest that a critical function of RDH12 is the reduction of all-trans-retinal that exceeds the reductive capacity of the photoreceptor outer segments

Pancreatic surgery outcomes: multicentre prospective snapshot study in 67 countries

Background: Pancreatic surgery remains associated with high morbidity rates. Although postoperative mortality appears to have improved with specialization, the outcomes reported in the literature reflect the activity of highly specialized centres. The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcomes following pancreatic surgery worldwide.Methods: This was an international, prospective, multicentre, cross-sectional snapshot study of consecutive patients undergoing pancreatic operations worldwide in a 3-month interval in 2021. The primary outcome was postoperative mortality within 90 days of surgery. Multivariable logistic regression was used to explore relationships with Human Development Index (HDI) and other parameters.Results: A total of 4223 patients from 67 countries were analysed. A complication of any severity was detected in 68.7 percent of patients (2901 of 4223). Major complication rates (Clavien-Dindo grade at least IIIa) were 24, 18, and 27 percent, and mortality rates were 10, 5, and 5 per cent in low-to-middle-, high-, and very high-HDI countries respectively. The 90-day postoperative mortality rate was 5.4 per cent (229 of 4223) overall, but was significantly higher in the low-to-middle-HDI group (adjusted OR 2.88, 95 per cent c.i. 1.80 to 4.48). The overall failure-to-rescue rate was 21 percent; however, it was 41 per cent in low-to-middle-compared with 19 per cent in very high-HDI countries.Conclusion: Excess mortality in low-to-middle-HDI countries could be attributable to failure to rescue of patients from severe complications. The authors call for a collaborative response from international and regional associations of pancreatic surgeons to address management related to death from postoperative complications to tackle the global disparities in the outcomes of pancreatic surgery (NCT04652271; ISRCTN95140761)