Effects of aging and soil properties on zinc oxide nanoparticle availability and its ecotoxicological effects to the earthworm Eisenia andrei

To assess the influence of soil properties and ageing on the availability and toxicity of Zn applied as nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) or as Zn2+ ions (ZnCl2), three natural soils were individually spiked with either ZnO NPs or ZnCl2 and incubated for up to 6 months. Available Zn concentrations in soil were measured by pore water extraction (ZnPW), while exposures of earthworms (Eisenia andrei) were performed to study Zn bioavailability. ZnPW was lower when Zn was applied as nanoparticles than as ionic form, and decreased with increasing soil pH. ZnPW for both Zn forms were affected by ageing, but varied among the tested soils, highlighting the influence of soil properties. Internal Zn concentration in the earthworms (ZnE) was highest for the soil with high organic carbon content (5.4%) and basic pH (7.6) spiked with ZnO NPs, but the same soil spiked with ZnCl2 showed the lowest increase in ZnE compared to the control. Survival, weight change, and reproduction of the earthworms were affected by both Zn forms, but differences in toxicity could not be explained by soil properties or ageing. This shows that ZnO NPs and ZnCl2 behave differently in soils depending on soil properties and ageing processes, but differences in earthworm toxicity remain unexplained

Spectral analysis-based risk score enables early prediction of mortality and cerebral performance in patients undergoing therapeutic hypothermia for ventricular fibrillation and comatose status

Background: Early prognosis in comatose survivors after cardiac arrest due to ventricular fibrillation (VF) is unreliable, especially in patients undergoing mild hypothermia. We aimed at developing a reliable risk-score to enable early prediction of cerebral performance and survival. Methods: Sixty-one out of 239 consecutive patients undergoing mild hypothermia after cardiac arrest, with eventual return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC), and comatose status on admission fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Background clinical variables, VF time and frequency domain fundamental variables were considered. The primary and secondary outcomes were a favorable neurological performance (FNP) during hospitalization and survival to hospital discharge, respectively. The predictive model was developed in a retrospective cohort (n = 32; September 2006 September 2011, 48.5 ± 10.5 months of follow-up) and further validated in a prospective cohort (n = 29; October 2011 July 2013, 5 ± 1.8 months of follow-up). Results: FNP was present in 16 (50.0%) and 21 patients (72.4%) in the retrospective and prospective cohorts, respectively. Seventeen (53.1%) and 21 patients (72.4%), respectively, survived to hospital discharge. Both outcomes were significantly associated (p < 0.001). Retrospective multivariate analysis provided a prediction model (sensitivity = 0.94, specificity = 1) that included spectral dominant frequency, derived power density and peak ratios between high and low frequency bands, and the number of shocks delivered before ROSC. Validation on the prospective cohort showed sensitivity = 0.88 and specificity = 0.91. A model-derived risk-score properly predicted 93% of FNP. Testing the model on follow-up showed a c-statistic ≥ 0.89. Conclusions: A spectral analysis-based model reliably correlates time-dependent VF spectral changes with acute cerebral injury in comatose survivors undergoing mild hypothermia after cardiac arrest.the CNIC is supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness and the Pro-CNIC Foundation.Filgueiras-Rama, D.; Calvo Saiz, CJ.; Salvador-Montañés, Ó.; Cádenas, R.; Ruiz-Cantador, J.; Armada, E.; Rey, JR.... (2015). Spectral analysis-based risk score enables early prediction of mortality and cerebral performance in patients undergoing therapeutic hypothermia for ventricular fibrillation and comatose status. International Journal of Cardiology. 186:250-258. doi:10.1016/j.ijcard.2015.03.074S25025818

Association between Family Structure, Parental Smoking, Friends Who Smoke, and Smoking Behavior in Adolescents with Asthma

Recent investigations show that the smoking prevalence among asthmatic adolescents is higher than among healthy adolescents, and the causes that lead these asthmatic adolescents to smoke are unclear. We investigated the association between family structure, parental smoking, smoking friends, and smoking in asthmatic adolescents (n = 6,487). After adjusting for sex and age, logistic regression analyses showed that nonintact family structure, parental smoking, and smoking friends are associated with smoking in adolescents with and without asthma. Asthmatic adolescents who reside in the household of a nonintact family have a 1.90 times greater risk of smoking compared with those who live with both biological parents. It is important that parents who have children with asthma be made aware that the presence of smokers in the home and adolescent fraternization with smoking friends not only favor the worsening of asthma, but also induce the habit of smoking

The morphological and molecular features of the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition

peer reviewedHere we describe several methods for the characterization of epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) at the cellular, molecular and behavioral level. This protocol describes both in vitro and in vivo approaches designed to analyze different features that when taken together permit the characterization of cells undergoing transient or stable EMT. We define straightforward methods for phenotypical, cellular and transcriptional characterization of EMT in vitro in monolayer cultures. The procedure also presents technical details for the generation of in vitro three-dimensional (3D) cultures analyzing cell phenotype and behavior during the EMT process. In addition, we describe xenotransplantation techniques to graft 3D cell cultures into mice to study in vivo invasion in a physiological-like environment. Finally, the protocol describes the analysis of selected EMT markers from experimental and human tumor samples. This series of methods can be applied to the study of EMT under various experimental and biological situations. Once the methodology is established, the time required to complete the protocol may vary from 3 to 4 weeks (monolayer cultures) and up to 6–8 weeks if including 3D cultures

First three months of anticoagulation for venous thromboembolism in non-cancer patients: LMWH VS. VKAs. Findings from the RIETE registry

Background: The use of low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) for long-term therapy of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients without cancer has not been consistently evaluated. Methods: We used the data in the RIETE registry to compare the 3-month outcomes (VTE recurrences, major bleeding or death) in non-cancer patients with VTE, according to long-term therapy with LMWH or vitamin K antagonists (VKAs). Results: As of March 2018, 14,582 non-cancer patients with VTE had received initial therapy with LMWH and then switched to VKAs, while 9151 were prescribed LMWH for initial and long-term therapy. Overall, 11,494 had initially presented with pulmonary embolism (PE) and 12,239 with isolated deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Among 11,494 patients initially presenting with PE, 84 had VTE recurrences, 204 major bleeding and 406 died. Among 12,239 patients with isolated DVT, 133 developed VTE recurrences, 137 bled and 289 died. On propensity score analysis, PE patients on long-term LMWH therapy were at increased risk for PE recurrences (OR: 3.30; 95%CI: 1.67–6.48), major bleeding (OR: 1.68; 95%CI: 1.21–2.32) or death (OR: 3.16; 95%CI: 2.43–4.09) compared with those receiving VKAs. In patients with DVT, those on long-term LMWH also were at increased risk for PE recurrences (OR: 2.31; 95%CI: 1.13–4.73), major bleeding (OR 2.28; 95%CI: 1.51–3.44) or death (OR: 2.32; 95%CI: 1.54–3.51). Conclusions: In the RIETE non-cancer patients with VTE, long-term therapy with VKAs was associated with a lower risk for recurrences, major bleeding or death