Impact of COVID-19 on cardiovascular testing in the United States versus the rest of the world

Objectives: This study sought to quantify and compare the decline in volumes of cardiovascular procedures between the United States and non-US institutions during the early phase of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the care of many non-COVID-19 illnesses. Reductions in diagnostic cardiovascular testing around the world have led to concerns over the implications of reduced testing for cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity and mortality. Methods: Data were submitted to the INCAPS-COVID (International Atomic Energy Agency Non-Invasive Cardiology Protocols Study of COVID-19), a multinational registry comprising 909 institutions in 108 countries (including 155 facilities in 40 U.S. states), assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on volumes of diagnostic cardiovascular procedures. Data were obtained for April 2020 and compared with volumes of baseline procedures from March 2019. We compared laboratory characteristics, practices, and procedure volumes between U.S. and non-U.S. facilities and between U.S. geographic regions and identified factors associated with volume reduction in the United States. Results: Reductions in the volumes of procedures in the United States were similar to those in non-U.S. facilities (68% vs. 63%, respectively; p = 0.237), although U.S. facilities reported greater reductions in invasive coronary angiography (69% vs. 53%, respectively; p < 0.001). Significantly more U.S. facilities reported increased use of telehealth and patient screening measures than non-U.S. facilities, such as temperature checks, symptom screenings, and COVID-19 testing. Reductions in volumes of procedures differed between U.S. regions, with larger declines observed in the Northeast (76%) and Midwest (74%) than in the South (62%) and West (44%). Prevalence of COVID-19, staff redeployments, outpatient centers, and urban centers were associated with greater reductions in volume in U.S. facilities in a multivariable analysis. Conclusions: We observed marked reductions in U.S. cardiovascular testing in the early phase of the pandemic and significant variability between U.S. regions. The association between reductions of volumes and COVID-19 prevalence in the United States highlighted the need for proactive efforts to maintain access to cardiovascular testing in areas most affected by outbreaks of COVID-19 infection

Barley adaptation. Lessons learned from landraces will help to cope with climate change

27 Pags., with Figs. y Tabls.Adaptation of crops to temperate climates depends to a large extent on plants having the appropriate combination of genes to respond to environmental cues. Global warming poses new challenges to plant breeding. In many places, current cultivars will no longer be suited for cultivation. We present several findings on barley adaptation to Mediterranean climates, which resulted from the study of adaptations presented by local landraces. Winter barley is widely grown in the Mediterranean region. We found that local winter landraces have some degree of vernalization requirement, tuned to respond to the winter temperatures typical for each region. Our results demonstrate that the allelic series of the main vernalization gene, VrnH1, is essential to determine the length of the cold period needed to promote flowering in barley. The presence of photoperiod gene HvFT3 in most Mediterranean landraces is presented as a safety mechanism to promote flowering, which comes into play at least when vernalization conditions are not optimum (rather often in some areas). This mechanism is coordinated with the vernalization pathway through repression by VrnH2. A latitudinal pattern of distribution of HvFT1 in Spanish barleys suggests a role in adaptation. This gene integrates the photoperiod and vernalization pathways in barley, and seems to present an allelic series of at least five functionally different alleles. We present evidences from several independent sets of materials that demonstrate the effect of three of these alelles, in accordance with the latitudinal distribution observed. A combination of these three mechanisms optimizes the growth cycle of Mediterranean landraces. These mechanisms have a wider interest in a climate change scenario, as temperatures in most of Europe will increase, and may become beneficial in higher latitudes. Cultivars with new combinations of vernalization, photoperiod and frost tolerance alleles will have to be bred for the upcoming conditions.Funded by Spanish Ministries of Economy and Competitiveness (former Science and Innovation) and Agriculture.Peer reviewe

The European contribution to "Sugarbaker's protocol" for the treatment of colorectal peritoneal carcinomatosis Aportación europea al "protocolo de Sugarbaker" en el tratamiento de la carcinomatosis peritoneal colorrectal

Introduction: in 1981, Dr. PH Sugarbaker, challenging oncological orthodoxy, considered carcinomatosis to be a locoregional stage of the disease that was still susceptible to treatment with curative intent. To this end he developed a new therapeutic alternative based on the combined treatment. The macroscopic disease treated by maximum radical oncological cytoreductive surgery (through the peritonectomies described by him), followed by treatment of the residual microscopic disease with the direct intra-abdominal application of intraoperative chemotherapy with locoregional intensification, modulated by hyperthermia and early normothermic postoperative intra-abdominal chemotherapy. Using this new therapeutic regimen, known as "Sugarbaker's Protocol", his group has reported 45% survival rates in carcinomatosis of colorectal origin at 5 years, and, in selected groups of patients, 50% survival rates at 5 years. The scientific community, however, has criticized these results considering that: it is a personal experience, with a not homogenous treatment protocol with developmental modifications over time, that it is a retrospective non-randomized study, and finally that the cytostatics used in his protocol are obsolete. Various European groups have replied to these main criticisms confirming the good results that this new therapeutic alternative offers for patients with carcinomatosis of colorectal origin. The purpose of this article is to present these contributions. Material and methods: all the articles published in the English language by European groups in the world's medical literature have been reviewed using the Pubmed-MEDLINE database to identify the relevant articles related to the treatment of carcinomatosis of colorectal origin using cytoreduction and intraperitoneal chemotherapy from January 1980 to January 2008. Results: the European contribution during these 25 years in favour of the "Sugarbaker's Protocol" has consisted fundamentally in: a) one multicenter retrospective study; b) two randomized prospective phase III studies; and c) the use of oxaliplatin and irinotecan as new cytostatic agents in the protocols for intraperitoneal chemotherapy. At the same time, two new transcendental European contributions have been made in which the possibility has been considered of combined simultaneous treatment for patients with hepatic metastases and carcinomatosis, and the introduction, as a selection factor, of patients responsive to intravenous induction chemotherapy within the regimen of sandwich treatment (with systemic neoadjuvant and adjuvant chemotherapy) complementary to intraperitoneal chemotherapy. Conclusions: the results obtained by European groups using "Sugarbaker's protocol" and "Elias' protocol" with oxaliplatin compel us to request that these treatments be considered by all professionals involved in the treatment of patients with colorectal carcinomatosis as the best treatment currently available for this condition. Furthermore a randomized, prospective, multicenter study should be carried out to clarify its value and the degree of scientific evidence. A validation of this treatment will change, in the future, the dogmatic consideration of carcinomatosis as an incurable disease stage.Introducción: el Dr. P. H. Sugarbaker en 1981, desafiando la ortodoxia oncológica, consideró la carcinomatosis como un estadio locorregional de la enfermedad susceptible todavía de tratamiento con intención curativa. Para ello desarrolló una nueva alternativa terapéutica basada en el tratamiento combinado. La enfermedad macroscópica mediante la máxima cirugía citorreductora radical oncológica (merced a las peritonectomías por él descritas), seguido del tratamiento de la enfermedad microscópica residual con la aplicación directa intraabdominal, de quimioterapia de intensificación locorregional, intraoperatoria modulada por hipertermia y de quimioterapia intraabdominal normotérmica postoperatoria precoz. Con este nuevo esquema terapéutico, conocido como "Protocolo de Sugarbaker", su grupo ha publicado supervivencias en carcinomatosis de origen colorrectal de 45% a 5 años y en grupos selectos de pacientes supervivencia de 50% a 5 años. La comunidad científica, sin embargo, ha criticado estos resultados al considerar que: se trata de una experiencia personal, con un protocolo de tratamiento no homogéneo con modificaciones evolutivas en el tiempo, tratarse de un estudio retrospectivo no randomizado, y finalmente considerar que los citostáticos empleados en su protocolo son obsoletos. Diversos grupos europeos han dado respuesta a las principales objeciones, confirmando los buenos resultados que esta nueva alternativa terapéutica ofrece en pacientes con carcinomatosis de origen colorrectal. El objetivo de este trabajo es presentar estas aportaciones. Material y métodos: se han revisado todos los artículos publicados en lengua inglesa por grupos europeos en la literatura médica mundial usando la base de datos Pubmed-MEDLINE para identificar los artículos relevantes relacionados con el tratamiento de la carcinomatosis de origen colorrectal mediante citorreducción y quimioterapia intraperitoneal desde enero de 1980 a enero de 2008. Resultados: durante estos 25 años, la aportación europea como respuesta a las objeciones al "Protocolo de Sugarbaker" ha consistido fundamentalmente en: a) un estudio multicéntrico retrospectivo; b) dos estudios randomizados prospectivos fase III; y c) en la utilización del oxaliplatino e irinotecán como nuevos agentes citostáticos en los protocolos de quimioterapia intraperitoneal. Paralelamente se han producido dos nuevas aportaciones euro-peas trascendentales al considerar la posibilidad del tratamiento conjunto simultáneo en pacientes con metástasis hepáticas y carcinomatosis, y al introducir como factor de selección a los pacientes respondedores a quimioterapia intravenosa de inducción, dentro del esquema del tratamiento sándwich (con quimioterapia sistémica neoadyuvante y adyuvante) complementaria a la quimioterapia intraperitoneal. Conclusiones: la resultados obtenidos por los grupos euro-peos utilizando el "protocolo de Sugarbaker" y el "protocolo de Elias" con oxaliplatino, nos obligan a solicitar que estos tratamientos sean considerados por todos los profesionales, involucrados en el tratamiento de pacientes con carcinomatosis colorrectal, como el mejor tratamiento disponible en la actualidad para esta patología, y permita la realización de un estudio randomizado prospectivo multicéntrico que esclarezca su valía y grado de evidencia científica. La validación de este tratamiento, permitirá en el futuro cambiar el dogma de considerar a la carcinomatosis como un estadio incurable de la enfermedad