Berseem-annual ryegrass intercropping: effect of plant arrangement and seeding ratio on N2 fixation and yield

Various agronomic factors can affect the productivity and the efficiency of legume-grass intercropping systems. This research was carried out in a Mediterranean semi-arid environment (37°30’N; 13°31’E; 178 m a.s.l.) with the aim to study on berseem clover- annual ryegrass mixture (Trifolium alexandrinum L. – Lolium multiflorum Lam subsp. wersterwoldicum) the effects of different plant arrangement (sowing of the two components in alternate rows or in the same row) and seeding ratios (100:0; 75:25; 50:50; 25:75; 0:100) on forage yield, nitrogen content and nitrogen fixation. The experimental design was a split-plot with four replications. The 15N isotope dilution technique was used to estimate nitrogen fixation by berseem clover. All plots were cut four times (first cut 85 DAS; rest period of four weeks). The DM yield of mixtures and pure stand clover were similar; annual ryegrass in pure stand produced the lowest yields. No significant differences for DM yield were observed due to the plant arrangement and seeding ratio in the mixture. Intercropping berseem had always a significant higher percentage of Ndfa than monocropped berseem. The %Ndfa of mixed berseem was not influenced by plant arrangement but gradually decreased when proportion of berseem in the mixture increased

Egfr inhibition in a pretreated sacral chordoma: a rolefor erlotinib? Case report and a brief review of literature

We describe the case of a 69-year old male with an EGFR- positive Imatinib refractory sacral chordoma with synchronous lung metastases, treated with erlotinib, a first- generation EGFR inhibitor. After disease progression following firstline Imatinib and a combination therapy with everolimus plus metformin, we made a challenge with an EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR TKI), erlotinib. Despite a brief clinical benefit, the patient presented a rapid clinical deterioration leading to death, after 8 weeks of treatment

Hyperhomocysteinemia and C677T MTHFR genotype in patients with retinal vein thrombosis.

Introduction: Elevated homocysteine (Hcy) is associated with the risk of deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, ischemic heart disease, and stroke. Several studies have suggested that hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) may predispose to retinal vein thrombosis (RVT) development. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between Hcy, C677T methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) genotype, and RVT in patients compared with controls. Materials and Methods: We evaluated the Hcy plasma level of 3114 consecutive participants in 2 Italian centers during a 2-year period. Hyperhomocysteinemia was found in 99 patients and 136 healthy participants. Of the 99 patients, 20 had RVT with a high prevalence of HHcy in the RVT subgroup (20.2%). This result suggested a possible relationship between HHcy and RVT development. We investigated 105 consecutive patients with recent diagnosis of RVT, and we compared them with 226 healthy controls to evaluate whether HHcy may be a risk factor for RVT. Results: the prevalence of HHcy was higher in patients compared with controls (34.3% vs 14.2%; P < .001). The MTHFR C677T genotype was found in 69 of 105 (65.7%) patients with RVT (heterozygosity: 40 of 105 and homozygosity: 29 of 105). The control group showed the presence of MTHFR C677T genotype in 169 of 226 participants (74.8%; heterozygosity: 100 of 226 and homozygosity: 69 of 226) without difference between the 2 groups (P = .08). Conclusion: our study suggests that HHcy is a possible risk factor for RVT development, while no association was found between RVT and the C677T MTHFR genotype

Repurposing anticancer drugs for the management of COVID-19

Since its outbreak in the last December, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by SARS-CoV-2 has rapidly spread worldwide at a pandemic proportion and thus is regarded as a global public health emergency. The existing therapeutic options for COVID-19 beyond the intensive supportive care are limited, with an undefined or modest efficacy reported so far. Drug repurposing represents an enthusiastic mechanism to use approved drugs outside the scope of their original indication and accelerate the discovery of new therapeutic options. With the emergence of COVID-19, drug repurposing has been largely applied for early clinical testing. In this review, we discuss some repurposed anticancer drugs for the treatment of COVID-19, which are under investigation in clinical trials or proposed for the clinical testing.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Global landscape of the attack of predatory journals in Oncology

Purpose Open-access publishing expanded opportunities to give visibility to research results but was accompanied by the proliferation of predatory journals (PJos) that offer expedited publishing but potentially compromise the integrity of research and peer review. To our knowledge, to date, there is no comprehensive global study on the impact of PJos in the field of oncology. Materials and Methods A 29 question-based cross-sectional survey was developed to explore knowledge and practices of predatory publishing and analyzed using descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression. Results Four hundred and twenty-six complete responses to the survey were reported. Almost half of the responders reported feeling pressure to publish from supervisors, institutions, and funding and regulatory agencies. The majority of authors were contacted by PJos through email solicitations (67.8%), with fewer using social networks (31%). In total, 13.4% of the responders confirmed past publications on PJo, convinced by fast editorial decision time, low article-processing charges, limited peer review, and for the promise of academic boost in short time. Over half of the participants were not aware of PJo detection tools. We developed a multivariable model to understand the determinants to publish in PJos, showing a significant correlation of practicing oncology in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and predatory publishing (odds ratio [OR], 2.02 [95% CI, 1.01 to 4.03]; P = .04). Having previous experience in academic publishing was not protective (OR, 3.81 [95% CI, 1.06 to 13.62]; P = .03). Suggestions for interventions included educational workshops, increasing awareness through social networks, enhanced research funding in LMICs, surveillance by supervisors, and implementation of institutional actions against responsible parties. Conclusion The prevalence of predatory publishing poses an alarming problem in the field of oncology, globally. Our survey identified actionable risk factors that may contribute to vulnerability to PJos and inform guidance to enhance research capacity broadly

Enhancing a Transition to a Circular Economy in the Water Sector: The EU Project WIDER UPTAKE

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) require an urgent transition from a linear to a circular economy operation/design concept with a consequent resource recovery and more sustainable waste management. Natural resources have to be preserved, and wastes have to become an opportunity for recovering resources and materials (water reuse, energy, sludge reuse). However, the transition toward a circular economy is a complex and long process due to the existence of technical, economic, social and regulatory barriers. These existing barriers are critical challenges for a modern and sustainable WWTP concept. The recovery of resources must be considered a strategic target from the earliest process-design phase. In this context, the European Union’s Horizon 2020 project “Achieving wider uptake of water-smart solutions—WIDER UPTAKE” aims to overcome the existing barriers (technological, regulatory, organizational, social and economic) toward the transition from a linear to a circular economy model for WWTPs. This study is aimed at increasing the awareness of the existing barriers to a circular economy and summarizes the key contributions of the WIDER UPTAKE project in terms of water reuse, sludge reuse and nutrient recovery

Clouds across the new dawn for clinical, diagnostic and biological data : accelerating the development, delivery and uptake of personalized medicine

This research was funded by Reducing Disparities Across the European Union (BEACON) Project Number: 101080005.Peer reviewe

Assessing population diversity in phase III trials of cancer drugs supporting Food and Drug Administration approval in solid tumors

Our study aimed to assess inequities in the clinical trial participation for the selected patient groups. We searched the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) database and extracted phase-III clinical trial data from MEDLINE for each approved drug by the FDA between January 1, 2006, and June 30, 2020. We analyzed the inclusion/exclusion criteria, participation according to gender, ethnic group, performance score, the positivity of HBV and HCV, and HIV, having comorbidities and brain metastasis. We compared the findings with that of the general population by retrieving data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database. We identified 142 phase III pivotal oncology trials that enrolled 105 397 patients. The proportion of female patients in trials was lower than their relative prevalence in the general population from SEER region (36% vs 49.6%, P < .001). The rates of black patients included were lower than their relative prevalence from SEER region (2.1% vs 9.8%, P < .001). 1.3% and 0.8% of patients had HBV and HCV infections, respectively. The patients' numbers with organ dysfunction were not established due to insufficient data from clinical trials. 1.6% of all patients had controlled brain metastasis. Black patients, women and patients with brain metastasis or with HBV and HCV were underrepresented. Our study underscores the importance of expanding the inclusion/exclusion criteria of pivotal oncology trials to be more representative of patients seen in clinical practice

Grading of recommendations, assessment, development and evaluations concept 7: issues and insights linking guideline recommendations to trustworthy essential medicine lists

Objectives: Guidelines and essential medicine lists (EMLs) bear similarities and differences in the process that lead to decisions. Access to essential medicines is central to achieve universal health coverage. The World Health Organization (WHO) EML has guided prioritization of essential medicines globally for nearly 50 years, and national EMLs (NEMLs) exist in over 130 countries. Guideline and EML decisions, at WHO or national levels, are not always coordinated and aligned. We sought to explore challenges, and potential solutions, for decision-making to support trustworthy medicine selection for EMLs from a Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations (GRADE) Working Group perspective. We primarily focus on the WHO EML; however, our findings may be applicable to NEML decisions as well. Study Design and Setting: We identified key challenges in connecting the EML to health guidelines by involving a broad group of stakeholders and assessing case studies including real applications to the WHO EML, South Africa NEML, and a multiple sclerosis guideline connected to a WHO EML application for multiple sclerosis treatments. To address challenges, we utilized the results of a survey and feedback from the stakeholders, and iteratively met as a project group. We drafted a conceptual framework of challenges and potential solutions. We presented a summary of the results for feedback to all attendees of the GRADE Working Group meetings in November 2022 (approximately 120 people) and in May 2023 (approximately 100 people) before finalizing the framework. Results: We prioritized issues and insights/solutions that addressed the connections between the EML and health guidelines. Our suggested solutions include early planning alignment of guideline groups and EMLs, considering shared participation to strengthen linkage, further clarity on price/cost considerations, and using explicit shared criteria to make guideline and EML decisions. We also provide recommendations to strengthen the connection between WHO EML and NEMLs including through contextualization methods. Conclusion: This GRADE concept article, jointly developed by key stakeholders from the guidelines and EMLs field, identified key conceptual issues and potential solutions to support the continued advancement of trustworthy EMLs. Adopting structured decision criteria that can be linked to guideline recommendations bears the potential to advance health equity and gaps in availability of essential medicines within and between countries

ESMO Management and treatment adapted recommendations in the COVID-19 era : Breast Cancer

The global preparedness and response to the rapid escalation to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV)-2-related disease (COVID-19) to a pandemic proportion has demanded the formulation of a reliable, useful and evidence-based mechanism for health services prioritisation, to achieve the highest quality standards of care to all patients. The prioritisation of high value cancer interventions must be embedded in the agenda for the pandemic response, ensuring that no inconsistency or discrepancy emerge in the health planning processes. The aim of this work is to organise health interventions for breast cancer management and research in a tiered framework (high, medium, low value), formulating a scheme of prioritisation per clinical cogency and intrinsic value or magnitude of benefit. The public health tools and schemes for priority setting in oncology have been used as models, aspiring to capture clinical urgency, value in healthcare, community goals and fairness, while respecting the principles of benevolence, non-maleficence, autonomy and justice. We discuss the priority health interventions across the cancer continuum, giving a perspective on the role and meaning to maintain some services (undeferrable) while temporarily abrogate some others (deferrable). Considerations for implementation and the essential link to pre-existing health services, especially primary healthcare, are addressed, outlining a framework for the development of effective and functional services, such as telemedicine. The discussion covers the theme of health systems strategising, and why oncology care, in particular breast cancer care, should be maintained in parallel to pandemic control measures, providing a pragmatic clinical model within the broader context of public healthcare schemes