Search Results (116)

Background/Objectives: The incidence of cardiac morbimortality in patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is unknown. Methods: We analyze the characteristics, incidence, risk factors, and outcomes of cardiac events in AML patients treated for second-line (2L) or third-line (3L) episodes. Results: Among 327 2L AML patients (median age 62 years old), 135 experienced cardiac events, with an incidence of 38.6% non-fatal and 1.3% fatal events at 6 months. The grade 1–2 incidence was 16.8%, and the grade 3–4 incidence was 23.5% at 6 months. Overall, 207 cardiac events occurred in the 2L cohort, the most frequent being hypertension (n = 45), bradycardia (n = 39), QTc prolongation (n = 35), heart failure (n = 33), syncope/presyncope (n = 22), arrhythmia (n = 18), and myocardial ischemia (n = 8). Median OS in the 2L cohort was 9.4 months, 21.4 months in patients with grade 1–2, 8.8 months in patients without a cardiac event, 7.6 months in grade 3–4 patients, and 2.1 months with in 5 patients (p = 0.0035). The multivariate analysis showed prior cardiologic antecedents (p = 0.013), intensive 2L chemotherapy (p = 0.01), and inclusion in a 2L clinical trial (p < 0.001) as independent risk factors for non-fatal cardiac events. Among 189 patients of the 3L cohort, the incidence of non-fatal and fatal cardiac events was 49.2% and 0% at 6 months, respectively. Non-fatal cardiac events were more frequent in patients with prior cardiac antecedents (p = 0.004). Conclusions: In summary, cardiotoxicity is a frequent and challenging complication in R/R AML patients. We identified the risk factors that could be relevant to implementing risk-adapted management guidelines, aiming to reduce morbi-mortality in this difficult-to-treat setting. Full article

Meat products are highly susceptible to contamination with Listeria monocytogenes, a foodborne pathogen associated with high mortality. To mitigate this risk, this study explored the use of Poliomintha longiflora oregano essential oil, both in its pure (PEO) and fractionated (FIV, fraction IV obtained at 140 °C) forms, as part of a hurdle technology combining natural antimicrobials with mild thermal treatments. In vitro thermal inactivation experiments were conducted at 52, 54, 57.5, and 63 °C using a simulated meat medium. The FIV group, characterized by 60.23% carvacrol and 21.17% thymol, exhibited significantly enhanced bactericidal activity, achieving up to 5.5 log-reductions in L. monocytogenes at 57.5 °C within 3 min, compared to <2 log-reductions for the control group. Inactivation kinetics were well described by the Weibull–Mafart model. The δ-values, defined as the time required to achieve a 1-log reduction in bacterial population, were consistently lower for FIV compared to the control across all tested temperatures (e.g., δ₅₂°C = 0.64 min vs. 8.47 min for control). The estimated z-values, which represent the temperature increase required to achieve a tenfold change in δ-value, were 5.75 °C (control), 5.20 °C (PEO), and 5.00 °C (FIV), suggesting a consistent thermal sensitivity but enhanced inactivation efficacy with the essential oils. These findings suggest that fractionated oregano essential oil is a promising hurdle to shorten thermal treatments in meat products, thereby lowering L. monocytogenes contamination risk while preserving product quality. Full article

The growing demand for Ready-to-Eat (RTE) fish products increases the need for effective safety measures against Listeria monocytogenes, a pathogen associated with high fatality rates. This study evaluated the bioprotective potential of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains, including probiotic ones, against L. monocytogenes in cold-smoked rainbow trout. Two LAB cocktails were tested: a commercial mix (LC–LL) and a vegetable-derived mix (LAB2–LP15). LC–LL effectively inhibited L. monocytogenes at both static (5 °C) and dynamic (4–20 °C) conditions by the inhibitory effect of the bacteriocin leucocin (≈4 log unit growth inhibition). In contrast, LAB2–LP15 was effective only at 5 °C (≈2 log unit growth inhibition), maintaining the best sensory characteristics. These findings support the use of LAB as natural bioprotective agents in RTE fish, combining food safety and sensory preservation. Full article

Wastewater-based molecular epidemiology enables the surveillance of both symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals in a non-invasive, cost-effective, rapid, and early-detection manner. The use of wastewater analysis to monitor the prevalence of viral pathogens in a given population has increased significantly since the COVID-19 pandemic. These studies typically involve three main steps: viral concentration, nucleic acid extraction, and DNA/RNA quantification. However, the absence of a standardized methodology remains a major limitation, hindering result comparability across studies. Among the available viral concentration techniques, aluminum-based adsorption–precipitation is one of the most commonly used due to its simplicity, efficiency, and low cost. This study evaluates the robustness and variability of the viral concentration and nucleic acid extraction steps by implementing different process controls in wastewater samples across 122 independent experiments. Additionally, correlations between viral recovery efficiencies and relevant physicochemical parameters were also analyzed (n = 600). The results indicate that, despite the overall robustness of the method, the concentration step exhibits the highest variability (CV = 53.82%), which accounted for 53.73% of the overall variability. In addition, our results show that, on average, 0.65 logarithmic units were lost during the viral concentration step. Furthermore, viral recovery rates were influenced by seasonality and sample characteristics, while no significant correlation was observed with pH or conductivity. These findings highlight the importance of process controls, confirming the robustness of the methodology, and identifying key parameters that should be considered in future studies for improved data interpretation. Full article

Background/Objectives: Despite the therapeutic potential of denosumab for the treatment of giant-cell tumors of the bone (GCTBs), there is a lack of standardization in treatment protocols. Methods: We present a multicenter, retrospective, descriptive study conducted across the seven hospitals in Spain affiliated with the DENO Research Group. Seventy-three patients diagnosed with GCTB and treated with denosumab were included and stratified according to treatment strategy—neoadjuvant (n = 38), adjuvant (n = 8), and single treatment (n = 27). Results: Patients in the neoadjuvant group received denosumab for a median of 6.1 months, with reintroduction after surgery in 25.8% of all cases. Among the neoadjuvant patients treated with curettage, recurrence was 35.5%, with no association with denosumab treatment duration (p = 0.274) nor with denosumab reintroduction after surgery (p = 0.405). In the adjuvant group, those who completed treatment received denosumab for 15.3 months, while those still undergoing therapy received it for a median of 12.8 months; only one case (12.5%) recurred. Recurrence rates in neoadjuvant and adjuvant treatment strategies were not different (p = 0.394). Patients treated only with denosumab and no longer on treatment had received it for 34.2 months, with 31.3% recurrence; those still on treatment had received it for 51.8 months, with 25.0% recurrence. Across all strategies, more than 85% of patients reported favorable clinical outcomes, and only 43.8% presented adverse events. No deaths occurred during this study. Conclusions: Although patients who experienced recurrence during neoadjuvant treatment had longer durations of denosumab administration, the difference was not statistically significant. Similarly, recurrence rates did not differ significantly, whether denosumab was reintroduced after surgery or not. Among the patients treated with curettage, recurrence rates were comparable between neoadjuvant and adjuvant strategies. Discontinuation of the single treatment did not necessarily result in disease progression. Full article

Social cinema is a cinematographic expression used to denounce current and historical problems, as well as to identify social limits and promote the transformation of society itself. To this end, works included in social cinema depict aspects of reality to critically influence it. The objective of this study is to examine the evolution of social cinema, as well as its scientific, economic and political bases and its main consequences for the general population. Method: This study was conducted by the application of the technique of qualitative research thematic analysis as a procedure in the process of the execution of the scientific task, related to a historical trend study of the research object. The search was carried out in the databases of IMDB and the Culture Ministry of Spain. The end of the dictatorship and the beginning of democracy (1975) was placed as the historical cutting point in the analysis. Various psychosocial variables were used as categories of analysis, including poverty, work, substance use, crime, urban and rural contexts, violence, etc. Results: Spanish social cinema has evolved since its origins in the 1950s as a reflection of Spanish society. These developments, including both progressions and regressions, have been connected with social, political and economic factors. Conclusions: While the shape of Spanish social cinema has changed over time, its themes have remained similar since the origin: poverty, work and hopelessness. The evolution has not been continuous, as it has fluctuated in response to the claims and requests from the context. The Spanish social cinema has reflected topics and images from Spanish society, even when the sociopolitical context avoided them. Finally, the legitimacy of Spanish social cinema is based on its cultural strength and social/political commitment. Full article

Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR) is a molecular technique that has become a gold standard in various disciplines, including environmental microbiology, due to its high sensitivity and specificity. In recent years, it has been extensively used in wastewater-based epidemiology to monitor the prevalence of different viruses in the population. In this study, we evaluated whether the no inclusion of a standard curve in each single experiment to reduce time and costs could have an impact on the accuracy of the results. Thirty independent RT-qPCR standard curve experiments using quantitative synthetic RNA material were conducted for seven different viruses, which include two targets of the novel SARS-CoV-2, hepatitis A and E, noroviruses genogroups I and II, human astrovirus, and rotavirus. Results showed that although all the viruses presented adequate efficiency rates (>90%), variability was also observed between them, independently of the viral concentration tested. NoVGII was the virus that presented the higher inter-assay variability in terms of efficiency while showing better sensitivity. In terms of heterogeneity in results, the two targets of SARS-CoV-2 showed the highest rates, being N2 the gene that presented the largest variability (CV 4.38–4.99%) and the lowest efficiency (90.97%). These findings indicate that including a standard curve in every experiment is recommended to obtain reliable results. Full article

Recent advancements in wearable devices have significantly enhanced remote patient monitoring, enabling healthcare professionals to evaluate conditions within home settings. While electronic health records (EHRs) offer extensive clinical data, they often lack crucial contextual information about patients’ daily lives and symptoms. By integrating continuous self-reported outcomes related to vulnerability, anxiety, and depression from older adult cancer survivors with objective data from wearables, we can develop personalised risk models that address time-varying risk factors in cancer care. Our study combines real-world data from wearable devices with self-reported information, employing process mining techniques to analyse dynamic risk models for vulnerability and anxiety. Unlike traditional static assessments, this approach recognises that risk factors evolve. Collaborating with healthcare professionals, we analysed data from the LifeChamps study to create two dynamic risk models. This collaborative effort revealed how activity and sleep patterns influence self-reported vulnerability and anxiety among participants. It underscored the potential of wearable sensors and artificial intelligence techniques for deeper analysis and understanding, making us all part of a larger effort in cancer care. Overall, patients with prolonged sedentary activity had a higher risk of vulnerability, while those with highly dynamic sleep patterns were more likely to report anxiety and depression. Prostate-metastatic patients showed an increased risk of vulnerability compared to other cancer types. Full article

Hydrogen production via water electrolysis and renewable electricity is expected to play a pivotal role as an energy carrier in the energy transition. This fuel emerges as the most environmentally sustainable energy vector for non-electric applications and is devoid of CO₂ emissions. However, an electrolyzer’s infrastructure relies on scarce and energy-intensive metals such as platinum, palladium, iridium (PGM), silicon, rare earth elements, and silver. Under this context, this paper explores the exergy cost, i.e., the exergy destroyed to obtain one kW of hydrogen. We disaggregated it into non-renewable and renewable contributions to assess its renewability. We analyzed four types of electrolyzers, alkaline water electrolysis (AWE), proton exchange membrane (PEM), solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOEC), and anion exchange membrane (AEM), in several exergy cost electricity scenarios based on different technologies, namely hydro (HYD), wind (WIND), and solar photovoltaic (PV), as well as the different International Energy Agency projections up to 2050. Electricity sources account for the largest share of the exergy cost. Between 2025 and 2050, for each kW of hydrogen generated, between $1.38$ and 1.22 kW will be required for the SOEC-hydro combination, while between $2.9$ and 1.4 kW will be required for the PV-PEM combination. A Grassmann diagram describes how non-renewable and renewable exergy costs are split up between all processes. Although the hybridization between renewables and the electricity grid allows for stable hydrogen production, there are higher non-renewable exergy costs from fossil fuel contributions to the grid. This paper highlights the importance of non-renewable exergy cost in infrastructure, which is required for hydrogen production via electrolysis and the necessity for cleaner production methods and material recycling to increase the renewability of this crucial fuel in the energy transition. Full article

Genetics and epigenetics are mechanisms proposed for explaining post-COVID-19 condition. This secondary analysis aimed to investigate if DNA methylation levels of the ACE2 promoter are different depending on the genotype of five COVID-19-related polymorphisms in individuals who had been previously hospitalized due to SARS-CoV-2 infection. We collected non-stimulated saliva samples from 279 (48.7% female, age: 56.0 ± 12.5 years) previously hospitalized COVID-19 survivors. The participants self-reported for the presence of post-COVID symptomatology that started after the infection and persisted at the time of the appointment. Three potential genotypes of ACE2 rs2285666 and rs2074192, TMPRSS2 rs12329760 and rs2070788, and ACE1 rs1799752 polymorphisms were identified from saliva samples. Further, methylation levels at five different locations (CpG) of dinucleotides in the ACE2 promoter were quantified using bisulfited pyrosequencing. Differences in the methylation percentage (%) of each CpG according to the genotype of the five polymorphisms were analyzed. Participants were evaluated up to 17.8 (SD: 5.2) months after hospital discharge. Eighty-eight percent (88.1%) of patients reported at least one post-COVID symptom (mean number of post-COVID symptoms: 3.0; SD: 1.9). Overall, we did not observe significant differences in the methylation levels of the ACE2 promoter according to the genotype of ACE2 rs2285666 and rs2074192, TMPRSS2 rs12329760 and rs2070788, or ACE1 rs1799752 single nucleoid polymorphisms. This study did not find an association between genetics (genotypes of five COVID-19-associated polymorphisms) and epigenetics (methylation levels of the ACE2 promoter) in a cohort of COVID-19 survivors with post-COVID-19 condition who were hospitalized during the first wave of the pandemic. Full article

Pitahaya or dragon fruit is an exotic fruit native to Mesoamerica and is cultivated in several regions of the world. In recent years, pitahaya has become increasingly in demand, firstly, for its good nutritional and organoleptic qualities and, secondly, for its richness in antioxidants and bioactive compounds. Spain has opted for new tropical crops, and among them, pitahaya is one of the most planted in recent years. Most of the investigations on pitahaya were conducted with red cultivars, while the research on yellow pitahaya (Selenicereus megalanthus Haw.) is very scarce. In this review, the current knowledge about types of pitahayas, the fruit growth and ripening, the quality attributes, the postharvest storage, the use of by-products, and the health attributes were covered. Full article

(1) Background: The use of tumor megaprostheses faces challenges, but the published series are typically small and offer limited solutions. Our aim was to compile a large series; describe patient profiles and surgical techniques; analyze prosthetic survival identifying factors affecting survival; and provide a basis for future subanalyses. (2) Methods: This is a retrospective observational multicenter study that included patients with a tumor megaprosthesis in any anatomical location. Demographic, etiologic, and surgical variables were analyzed. Data on complications and survival were also collected. (3) Results: Our series includes a total of 816 prostheses (585 primary, 181 revision, and 50 second revision). The patients’ mean age was 44.2 ± 20.8 years. Primary surgeries were performed on the femur (n = 404; 69.1%), tibia (n = 79; 13.5%), humerus (n = 74; 12.6%), pelvis (n = 20; 3.4%), and scapula (n = 4; 0.7%). Survival following primary surgery was 73.3% at 10 years. No statistically significant differences were found with respect to survival from primary surgery between males and females (p = 0.194), between the different etiologies (p = 0.540), or between the lower and the upper limb (p = 0.618). In contrast, statistically significant survival differences were found when the type of fixation was analyzed (p < 0.001). (4) Conclusions: This study analyzed one of the largest series of patients treated with tumor megaprostheses, demonstrating their acceptable survival and validating them as a treatment option for bone tumors. Full article

Background/Objectives: Achieving disease control is the main goal in asthmatic patients in order to prevent future risks and exacerbations. There are several clinical guidelines that set different definitions of asthma control, and these differences may affect management and treatment in many patients. Our aim was to describe asthma control patterns according to the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) 2023 in patients considered to have uncontrolled asthma as per previous GINA 2010 guidelines. Methods: A total of 1299 patients from the COAS study were analyzed. The COAS study was a cross-sectional multicenter study conducted in routine clinical practice that included patients with uncontrolled asthma according to GINA 2010. These patients were then re-classified using the now updated GINA 2023 asthma control criteria. Results: After applying GINA 2023 control criteria, previously uncontrolled patients were now classified as having controlled asthma in 24.3% of cases and partially controlled asthma in 16.3% of cases. Only 59.4% maintained their previous diagnosis of uncontrolled asthma. ACT in the uncontrolled patients remained similar after re-classification, as did the percentage of active smokers, respiratory allergy, rhinitis, and lung function. Conclusions: Changes in clinical guideline criteria affect the definition of asthma control. When excluding pulmonary function abnormalities in GINA 2023 asthma control criteria, the percentage of controlled patients greatly increased. Full article

The momentum of the Fourth Industrial Revolution is driving increased demand for certain specific metals. These include copper, silver, gold, and platinum group metals (PGMs), which have important applications in renewable energies, green hydrogen, and electronic products. However, the continuous extraction of these metals is leading to a rapid decline in their ore grades and, consequently, increasing the environmental impact of extraction. Hence, obtaining metals from secondary sources, such as waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), has become imperative for both environmental sustainability and ensuring their availability. To evaluate the sustainability of the process, this paper proposes using an exergy approach, which enables appropriate allocation among co-products, as well as the assessment of exergy losses and the use of non-renewable resources. As a case study, this paper analyzes the recycling process of waste printed circuit boards (PCBs) by disaggregating the exergy cost into renewable and non-renewable sources, employing different exergy-based cost allocation methods for the mentioned metals. It further considers the complete life cycle of metals using the Circular Thermoeconomics methodology. The results show that, when considering the entire life cycle, between 47% and 53% of the non-renewable exergy is destroyed during recycling. Therefore, delaying recycling as much as possible would be the most desirable option for minimizing the use of non-renewable resources. Full article

Olea europaea L. pollen is one of the main causes of pollinosis and respiratory diseases in the Iberian Peninsula (IP). The aim of this study was to provide a pollen calendar in different regions of the IP, which could help allergists and allergic patients in the management of Olea europaea allergic diseases, and to update/complement what has already been reported on olive trees’ aeropalynology in this region. Airborne Olea pollen dynamics were analyzed over a period of 8 years in a total of 21 localities, 7 in Portugal and 14 in Spain. Airborne pollen monitoring was carried out using the Hirst-type spore trap method and following the recommendations of the Quality Control Working Group of the European Aerobiology Society. The daily pollen count, the annual pollen profile, the Annual Pollen Integral (APIn), the Seasonal Pollen Integral (SPIn) and the Pollen Peak, all expressed in number of pollen grains per cubic metre of air, together with the main pollen season and its characteristics, the Start Day, the End Day and the length of the pollen season, were calculated for each sampling station. Differences in mean Olea pollen concentration between odd and even years were also analyzed. On average, the main pollen season (MPS) started in April/May and ended in June, with Pollen Peaks recorded in May, except in Burgos, where it was recorded in June. The longest MPS occurred in Lisbon, Oviedo and Valencia (53 days) and the shortest in Vitoria (25 days). A high daily pollen concentration (i.e., >200 grains/m³) was recorded between 1 and 38 days along the year in all sampling stations of the southwest quadrant of the IP and in Jaén. A biannual pattern, characterized by alternating years of high and low pollen production, was found in the southwest of the IP. In conclusion, the study provided a deeper understanding of the pollination behaviour of olive trees in the IP and allowed the establishment of a representative Olea pollen calendar for this region. In addition, our results suggest the usefulness of investigating more detailed relationships between annual Olea pollen, allergen sensitization and symptoms, both for allergists involved in the study and management of allergic respiratory diseases caused by this species and for the self-management of disease in allergic subjects. Full article