The impact of medical education and networking on the outcome of leukemia treatment in developing countries. The experience of International Consortium on Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia (IC-APL)

Objectives: Several clinical trials conducted in Europe and US reported favorable outcomes of patients with APL treated with the combination of all trans retinoic acid (ATRA) and anthracyclines. Nevertheless, the results observed in developing countries with the same regimen was poorer, mainly due to high early mortality mainly due bleeding. The International Consortium on Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia (IC-APL) is an initiative of the International Members Committee of the ASH and the project aims to reduce this gap through the establishment of international network, which was launched in Brazil, Mexico and Uruguay. Methods: The IC-APL treatment protocol is similar to the PETHEMA 2005, but changing idarubicin to daunorubicin. All patients with a suspected diagnosis of APL were immediately started on ATRA, while bone marrow samples were shipped to a national central lab where genetic verification of the diagnosis was performed. The immunofluorescence using an anti-PML antibody allowed a rapid confirmation of the diagnosis and, the importance of supportive measures was reinforced. Results: The interim analysis of 97 patients enrolled in the IC-APL protocol showed that complete remission (CR) rate was 83% and the 2-year overall survival and disease-free survival were 80% and 90%, respectively. Of note, the early mortality rate was reduced to 7.5%. Discussion: The results of IC-APL demonstrate the impact of educational programs and networking on the improvement of the leukemia treatment outcome in developing countries

Vertical and Horizontal Networks and Export Performance in the Spanish Wine Industry

Wineries in the "old world" export almost 40% of their production. This study analyzes the influence of vertical and horizontal networks on export performance. We draw on a sample of 183 Spanish wineries and examine the main independent variables using a two-step Heckman model. We find positive effects of horizontal networks and-at a somewhat lower level-down-stream vertical networks on export performance

Proteomic analysis during ontogenesis of secondary xylem in maritime pine

Secondary xylem (wood) is formed through an intricate biological process that results in a highly variable final product. Studies have focused on understanding the molecular events for wood formation in conifers. In this process environmental, ontogenic and genetic factors influence variation in wood characteristics, including anatomical, chemical and physical properties. The main objective of this study was to analyse the ageing (ontogenic) effect on protein accumulation in wood-forming tissues along a cambial age (CA) gradient, ranging from juvenile wood (JW) sampled at the top of the tree, to mature wood (MW) sampled at the bottom of the tree. A total of 62 proteins whose accumulation varied by at least 1.5-fold according to CA were selected and identified by ESI-MS/MS; 30 of these were more abundant in MW and 32 were more abundant in JW. Consistent with earlier findings, our results show that JW is a tissue characterized by a high energy demand with the accumulation of gene products involved in energy, protein fate and cellular transport, while proteins identified in MW (heat shock response, oxygen and radical detoxification, and the S-adenosyl methionine cycle) support the idea that this tissue undergoes extended cell-wall thickening and a delay of programmed cell death

Structural properties of porous silicon/SnO2:F heterostructures

In this work we present structural studies made on SnO2 deposited on macroporous silicon structures. The porous silicon substrates were prepared by anodization of p-type silicon wafers. The SnO2 doped layers were synthesized by the sol?gel method from SnCl4·5H2O-ethanolic precursor, where the effect of fluorine doping level on structural properties was investigated. The fundamental structural parameters of tin oxide such as the lattice parameter and the crystallite size were studied in correlation with the dopant concentration. In addition, the effect of fluorine incorporation into the structure of tin oxide was analyzed on the basis of theoretical calculations that take into account the structural factor. The results obtained indicate that incorporation of fluorine occurs only at substitutional sites for SnO2 deposited on porous silicon.Fil: Garces Pineda, Felipe Andres. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe. Instituto de Desarrollo Tecnológico Para la Industria Química. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Instituto de Desarrollo Tecnológico Para la Industria Química; ArgentinaFil: Acquaroli, Leandro Nicolás. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe. Instituto de Desarrollo Tecnológico Para la Industria Química. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Instituto de Desarrollo Tecnológico Para la Industria Química; ArgentinaFil: Urteaga, Raul. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe. Instituto de Desarrollo Tecnológico Para la Industria Química. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Instituto de Desarrollo Tecnológico Para la Industria Química; ArgentinaFil: Dussan, A.. Universidad Nacional de Colombia; ColombiaFil: Koropecki, Roberto Roman. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe. Instituto de Desarrollo Tecnológico Para la Industria Química. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Instituto de Desarrollo Tecnológico Para la Industria Química; ArgentinaFil: Arce, Roberto Delio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe. Instituto de Desarrollo Tecnológico Para la Industria Química. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Instituto de Desarrollo Tecnológico Para la Industria Química; Argentin

Linewidth Enhancement Factor of Semiconductor Lasers: Results from Round-Robin Measurements in COST 288

International audienceRound-Robin measurements on the linewidth enhancement factor are carried out within several laboratories participating to EU COST 288 Action. The α-factor is measured by applying up to 7 different techniques. The obtained results are compared

Round-Robin Measurements of Linewidth Enhancement Factor of Semiconductor Lasers in COST 288 Action

International audienceRound-Robin measurements on the linewidth enhancement factor are carried out in many laboratories participating to EU COST 288 Action. Up to 7 different techniques are applied to DFB, VCSELs, QCL, and QD lasers, and results are compared

Effects of hospital facilities on patient outcomes after cancer surgery: an international, prospective, observational study

© 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 licenseBackground: Early death after cancer surgery is higher in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) compared with in high-income countries, yet the impact of facility characteristics on early postoperative outcomes is unknown. The aim of this study was to examine the association between hospital infrastructure, resource availability, and processes on early outcomes after cancer surgery worldwide. Methods: A multimethods analysis was performed as part of the GlobalSurg 3 study—a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study of patients who had surgery for breast, colorectal, or gastric cancer. The primary outcomes were 30-day mortality and 30-day major complication rates. Potentially beneficial hospital facilities were identified by variable selection to select those associated with 30-day mortality. Adjusted outcomes were determined using generalised estimating equations to account for patient characteristics and country-income group, with population stratification by hospital. Findings: Between April 1, 2018, and April 23, 2019, facility-level data were collected for 9685 patients across 238 hospitals in 66 countries (91 hospitals in 20 high-income countries; 57 hospitals in 19 upper-middle-income countries; and 90 hospitals in 27 low-income to lower-middle-income countries). The availability of five hospital facilities was inversely associated with mortality: ultrasound, CT scanner, critical care unit, opioid analgesia, and oncologist. After adjustment for case-mix and country income group, hospitals with three or fewer of these facilities (62 hospitals, 1294 patients) had higher mortality compared with those with four or five (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 3·85 [95% CI 2·58–5·75]; p<0·0001), with excess mortality predominantly explained by a limited capacity to rescue following the development of major complications (63·0% vs 82·7%; OR 0·35 [0·23–0·53]; p<0·0001). Across LMICs, improvements in hospital facilities would prevent one to three deaths for every 100 patients undergoing surgery for cancer. Interpretation: Hospitals with higher levels of infrastructure and resources have better outcomes after cancer surgery, independent of country income. Without urgent strengthening of hospital infrastructure and resources, the reductions in cancer-associated mortality associated with improved access will not be realised. Funding: National Institute for Health and Care Research