Astringency assessment of persimmon by hyperspectral imaging

[EN] One of the current challenges of persimmon postharvest research is the development of non-destructive methods that allow determination of the internal properties of the fruit, such as maturity, flesh firmness and astringency. This study evaluates the usefulness of hyperspectral imaging in the 460 1020 nm range as a non-destructive tool to achieve these aims in Persimmon cv. Rojo Brillante which is an astringent cultivar. Fruit were harvested at three different stages of commercial maturity and exposed to different treatments of CO2 (95% CO2 20 ºC from 0 to 24 h) in order to obtain fruit with different levels of astringency. Partial Least Square (PLS) based methods were used to classify persimmon fruits by maturity and to predict flesh firmness from the average spectrum of each fruit. The results showed a 97.9% rate of correct maturity classification and an R2P of 0.80 for firmness prediction with only five selected wavelengths. For astringency assessment, as our results showed that the soluble tannins that remain after CO2 treatments are distributed irregularly inside the flesh, a model based on PLS was built using the spectrum of every pixel in the fruit. The model obtained an R2P of 0.91 which allowed the creation of the predicted distribution maps of the tannins in the flesh of the fruit, thereby pointing to hyperspectral systems as a promising technology to assess the effectiveness of the deastringency treatments that are usually applied before commercialising persimmons from astringent cultivars.This work has been partially funded by the Instituto Nacional de Investigacion y Tecnologia Agraria y Alimentaria de Espana (INIA) through projects RTA2012-00062-C04-01, RTA2012-00062-C04-03 and RTA2013-00043-C02 with the support of FEDER funds and by the Conselleria d' Educacio, Investigacio, Cultura i Esport, Generalitat Valenciana, through the project AICO/2015/122. Sandra Munera thanks INIA for the grant FPI-INIA #43 (CPR2014-0082) partially supported by FSE funds.S354112

Hydrogen production via microwave-induced water splitting at low temperature

[EN] Hydrogen is a promising vector in the decarbonization of energy systems, but more efficient and scalable synthesis is required to enable its widespread deployment. Towards that aim, Serra et al. present a microwave-based approach that allows contactless water electrolysis that can be integrated with hydrocarbon production. Supplying global energy demand with CO2-free technologies is becoming feasible thanks to the rising affordability of renewable resources. Hydrogen is a promising vector in the decarbonization of energy systems, but more efficient and scalable synthesis is required to enable its widespread deployment. Here we report contactless H-2 production via water electrolysis mediated by the microwave-triggered redox activation of solid-state ionic materials at low temperatures (<250 degrees C). Water was reduced via reaction with non-equilibrium gadolinium-doped CeO2 that was previously in situ electrochemically deoxygenated by the sole application of microwaves. The microwave-driven reduction was identified by an instantaneous electrical conductivity rise and O-2 release. This process was cyclable, whereas H-2 yield and energy efficiency were material- and power-dependent. Deoxygenation of low-energy molecules (H2O or CO2) led to the formation of energy carriers and enabled CH4 production when integrated with a Sabatier reactor. This method could be extended to other reactions such as intensified hydrocarbons synthesis or oxidation.This work was supported by the Spanish Government (RTI2018-102161, SEV-2016-0683 and Juan de la Cierva grant IJCI-2017-34110). We thank the support of the Electronic Microscopy Service of the Universitat Politecnica de Valencia.Serra Alfaro, JM.; Borras-Morell, JF.; García-Baños, B.; Balaguer Ramirez, M.; Plaza González, PJ.; Santos-Blasco, J.; Catalán-Martínez, D.... (2020). Hydrogen production via microwave-induced water splitting at low temperature. 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Hypercytokinemia in COVID-19: Tear cytokine profile in hospitalized COVID-19 patients

The aim of this study is to analyze the concentrations of cytokines in tear of hospitalized COVID-19 patients compared to healthy controls. Tear samples were obtained from 41 healthy controls and 62 COVID-19 patients. Twenty-seven cytokines were assessed: interleukin (IL)-1b, IL-1RA, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-7, IL-8, IL9, IL-10, IL-12, IL-13, IL-15, IL-17, eotaxin, fibroblast growth factor basic, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), granulocyte-monocyte colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), interferon (IFN)-γ, interferon gamma-induced protein, monocyte chemo-attractant protein-1, macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1a, MIP-1b, platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), regulated on activation normal T cell expressed and secreted, tumor necrosis factor-α and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). In tear samples of COVID-19 patients, an increase in IL-9, IL-15, G-CSF, GM-CSF, IFN-γ, PDGF and VEGF was observed, along with a decrease in eotaxin compared to the control group (p < 0.05). A poor correlation between IL-6 levels in tear and blood was found. IL-1RA and GM-CSF were significantly lower in severe patients and those who needed treatment targeting the immune system (p < 0.05). Tear cytokine levels corroborate the inflammatory nature of SARS-CoV-2

Efficacy and safety of intermittent intravenous outpatient administration of levosimendan in patients with advanced heart failure: the LION-HEART multicentre randomised trial

Aims. The LION‐HEART study was a multicentre, double‐blind, randomised, parallel‐group, placebo‐controlled trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of intravenous administration of intermittent doses of levosimendan in outpatients with advanced chronic heart failure. Methods and results. Sixty‐nine patients from 12 centres were randomly assigned at a 2:1 ratio to levosimendan or placebo groups, receiving treatment by a 6‐hour intravenous infusion (0.2 μg/kg/min without bolus) every 2 weeks for 12 weeks. The primary endpoint was the effect on serum concentrations of N‐terminal pro‐B‐type natriuretic peptide (NT‐proBNP) throughout the treatment period in comparison with placebo. Secondary endpoints included evaluation of safety, clinical events and health‐related quality of life (HRQoL). The area under the curve (AUC, pg.day/mL) of the levels of NT‐proBNP over time for patients who received levosimendan was significantly lower than for the placebo group (344 × 103 [95% Confidence Interval (CI) 283 × 103−404 × 103] vs. 535 × 103 [443 × 103−626 × 103], p = 0.003). In comparison with the placebo group, the patients on levosimendan experienced a reduction in the rate of heart failure hospitalisation (hazard ratio 0.25; 95% CI 0.11-0.56; P = 0.001). Patients on levosimendan were less likely to experience a clinically significant decline in HRQoL over time (P = 0.022). Adverse event rates were similar in the two treatment groups. Conclusions. In this small pilot study, intermittent administration of levosimendan to ambulatory patients with advanced systolic heart failure reduced plasma concentrations of NT‐proBNP, worsening of HRQoL and hospitalisation for heart failure. The efficacy and safety of this intervention should be confirmed in larger trials

Combined Use of the Ab105-2φΔCI Lytic Mutant Phage and Different Antibiotics in Clinical Isolates of Multi-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii

Phage therapy is an abandoned antimicrobial therapy that has been resumed in recent years. In this study, we mutated a lysogenic phage from Acinetobacter baumannii into a lytic phage (Ab105-2phi∆CI) that displayed antimicrobial activity against A. baumannii clinical strain Ab177_GEIH-2000 (isolated in the GEIH-REIPI Spanish Multicenter A. baumannii Study II 2000/2010, Umbrella Genbank Bioproject PRJNA422585, and for which meropenem and imipenem MICs of respectively, 32 μg/mL, and 16 μg/mL were obtained). We observed an in vitro synergistic antimicrobial effect (reduction of 4 log–7 log CFU/mL) between meropenem and the lytic phage in all combinations analyzed (Ab105-2phi∆CI mutant at 0.1, 1 and 10 MOI and meropenem at 1/4 and 1/8 MIC). Moreover, bacterial growth was reduced by 8 log CFU/mL for the combination of imipenem at 1/4 MIC plus lytic phage (Ab105-2phi∆CI mutant) and by 4 log CFU/mL for the combination of imipenem at 1/8 MIC plus lytic phage (Ab105-2phi∆CI mutant) at both MOI 1 and 10. These results were confirmed in an in vivo model (G. mellonella), and the combination of imipenem and mutant Ab105-2phi∆CI was most effective (p < 0.05). This approach could help to reduce the emergence of phage resistant bacteria and restore sensitivity to antibiotics used to combat multi-resistant strains of Acinetobacter baumannii

Therapeutic targeting of tumor growth and angiogenesis with a novel anti-S100A4 monoclonal antibody

S100A4, a member of the S100 calcium-binding protein family secreted by tumor and stromal cells, supports tumorigenesis by stimulating angiogenesis. We demonstrated that S100A4 synergizes with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), via the RAGE receptor, in promoting endothelial cell migration by increasing KDR expression and MMP-9 activity. In vivo overexpression of S100A4 led to a significant increase in tumor growth and vascularization in a human melanoma xenograft M21 model. Conversely, when silencing S100A4 by shRNA technology, a dramatic decrease in tumor development of the pancreatic MiaPACA-2 cell line was observed. Based on these results we developed 5C3, a neutralizing monoclonal antibody against S100A4. This antibody abolished endothelial cell migration, tumor growth and angiogenesis in immunodeficient mouse xenograft models of MiaPACA-2 and M21-S100A4 cells. It is concluded that extracellular S100A4 inhibition is an attractive approach for the treatment of human cancer

Proinflammatory cytokine profile differences between primary open angle and pseudoexfoliative glaucoma

Introduction: Few studies have investigated glaucoma biomarkers in aqueous humor and tear and have found elevations of proinflammatory cytokines in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) and pseudoexfoliative glaucoma (PXG). In this study we investigate differences in inflammatory cytokines between POAG and PXG patients to find specific disease biomarkers. Methods: For this purpose, tear and aqueous humor samples of 14 eyes with POAG and 15 eyes with PXG undergoing cataract surgery were immunoassayed for 27 pro-inflammatory cytokines. The concentrations of cytokines in tear and aqueous humor and their association with clinical variables were analysed, correlated and compared between the groups. Results: We found that the levels of three cytokines differed significantly in the aqueous humor of POAG and PXG patients: IL-12 and IL-13 were higher in the POAG group, while MCP-1(MCAF) was higher in the PXG group. The number of topical hypotensive medications was correlated with diminished levels of two cytokines (IL-7 and basic fibroblast growth factor) in aqueous humor in the POAG group and with diminished levels of IL-12 in tear in the PXG group. Conclusion: We conclude that both POAG and PXG show elevated concentrations of proinflammatory cytokines in tear and aqueous humor that could be used as biomarkers for these types of glaucoma and that the concentrations in aqueous humor of three cytokines: IL-12, IL-13 and MCP-1(MCAF) could be used to differentiate POAG and PXG

Comprehensive cross-platform comparison of methods for non-invasive EGFR mutation testing : results of the RING observational trial.

Abstract Several platforms for noninvasive EGFR testing are currently used in the clinical setting with sensitivities ranging from 30% to 100%. Prospective studies evaluating agreement and sources for discordant results remain lacking. Herein, seven methodologies including two next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based methods, three high-sensitivity PCR-based platforms, and two FDA-approved methods were compared using 72 plasma samples, from EGFR-mutant non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients progressing on a first-line tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI). NGS platforms as well as high-sensitivity PCR-based methodologies showed excellent agreement for EGFR-sensitizing mutations (K = 0.80-0.89) and substantial agreement for T790M testing (K = 0.77 and 0.68, respectively). Mutant allele frequencies (MAFs) obtained by different quantitative methods showed an excellent reproducibility (intraclass correlation coefficients 0.86-0.98). Among other technical factors, discordant calls mostly occurred at mutant allele frequencies (MAFs) ≤ 0.5%. Agreement significantly improved when discarding samples with MAF ≤ 0.5%. EGFR mutations were detected at significantly lower MAFs in patients with brain metastases, suggesting that these patients risk for a false-positive result. Our results support the use of liquid biopsies for noninvasive EGFR testing and highlight the need to systematically report MAFs. Keywords: NGS; circulating free DNA; epidermal growth factor receptor; non-small-cell lung cancer; osimertinib; tyrosine kinase inhibitor

Optic nerve and macular optical coherence tomography in recovered COVID-19 patients

Purpose: To investigate the peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (RNFLT), macular RNFLT, ganglion cell layer (GCL), and inner plexiform layer (IPL) thickness in recovered COVID-19 patients compared to controls. Methods: Patients previously diagnosed with COVID-19 were included, while healthy patients formed the historic control group. All patients underwent an ophthalmological examination, including macular and optic nerve optical coherence tomography. In the case group, socio-demographic data, medical history, and neurological symptoms were collected. Results: One hundred sixty patients were included; 90 recovered COVID-19 patients and 70 controls. COVID-19 patients presented increases in global RNFLT (mean difference 4.3; CI95% 0.8 to 7.7), nasal superior (mean difference 6.9; CI95% 0.4 to 13.4), and nasal inferior (mean difference 10.2; CI95% 2.4 to 18.1) sectors of peripapillary RNFLT. Macular RNFL showed decreases in COVID-19 patients in volume (mean difference −0.05; CI95% −0.08 to −0.02), superior inner (mean difference −1.4; CI95% −2.5 to −0.4), nasal inner (mean difference −1.1; CI95% −1.8 to −0.3), and nasal outer (mean difference −4.7; CI95% −7.0 to −2.4) quadrants. COVID-19 patients presented increased GCL thickness in volume (mean difference 0.04; CI95% 0.01 to 0.07), superior outer (mean difference 2.1; CI95% 0.8 to 3.3), nasal outer (mean difference 2.5; CI95% 1.1 to 4.0), and inferior outer (mean difference1.2; CI95% 0.1 to 2.4) quadrants. COVID-19 patients with anosmia and ageusia presented an increase in peripapillary RNFLT and macular GCL compared to patients without these symptoms. Conclusions: SARS-CoV-2 may affect the optic nerve and cause changes in the retinal layers once the infection has resolved

Risk and outcomes of COVID-19 in patients with multiple sclerosis

Background and purpose Limited information is available on incidence and outcomes of COVID-19 in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). This study investigated the risks of SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19-related outcomes in patients with MS, and compared these with the general population. Methods A regional registry was created to collect data on incidence, hospitalization rates, intensive care unit admission, and death in patients with MS and COVID-19. National government outcomes and seroprevalence data were used for comparison. The study was conducted at 14 specialist MS treatment centers in Madrid, Spain, between February and May 2020. Results Two-hundred nineteen patients were included in the registry, 51 of whom were hospitalized with COVID-19. The mean age ± standard deviation was 45.3 ± 12.4 years, and the mean duration of MS was 11.9 ± 8.9 years. The infection incidence rate was lower in patients with MS than the general population (adjusted incidence rate ratio = 0.78, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.70–0.80), but hospitalization rates were higher (relative risk = 5.03, 95% CI = 3.76–6.62). Disease severity was generally low, with only one admission to an intensive care unit and five deaths. Males with MS had higher incidence rates and risk of hospitalization than females. No association was found between the use of any disease-modifying treatment and hospitalization risk. Conclusions Patients with MS do not appear to have greater risks of SARS-CoV-2 infection or severe COVID-19 outcomes compared with the general population. The decision to start or continue disease-modifying treatment should be based on a careful risk–benefit assessment.post-print996 K