Search Results (35)

Background/Objectives: An incisional hernia (IH) is a frequent postoperative complication after cytoreductive laparotomic surgery for advanced ovarian cancer (AOC). It occurs in 2–22% of patients in the first two years of follow-up, depending on the series. Although different risk factors have been described for various types of malignancies and surgeries, few studies have analyzed the risk factors for hernia development in ovarian cancer (OC). However, none have examined the role of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) programs. Methods: We performed a retrospective study that included patients with AOC and primary or interval debulking surgery through a median laparotomic approach. This study was conducted in Vall d’Hebron Hospital, Barcelona, Spain, between January 2015 and December 2022. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were conducted. Results: Of the 156 patients included, 30 (19.2%) presented with an IH. The patients with IHs were smokers in a higher proportion to non-smokers (53.9% vs. 16.1%, p = 0.003) and more frequently presented with wound dehiscence (34.4% vs. 15.0%, p = 0.026). Patients in whom negative pressure wound therapy was applied had a hernia less frequently than those who had not had it (12.5% vs. 26.7%, p = 0.043). Similarly, the incidence of hernia decreased when patients went through an ERAS protocol (10.1% vs. 28.8%, p = 0.008). In the multivariate analysis, smoking was the only independent risk factor (RR 10.84, CI 2.76–42.64), and applying an ERAS protocol was seen to be the sole protective factor (RR 0.22, CI 0.08–0.61) against the development of an IH. Conclusions: The implementation of ERAS is highly recommended due to its numerous benefits, most notably the reduction in hernia incidence. Additionally, the preoperative identification of current smokers provides an opportunity for smoking cessation and targeted respiratory prehabilitation, both of which further contribute to IH reduction. Full article

Ovarian tissue cryopreservation has been widely investigated for preserving female fertility. In the present study, we aimed to compare the effects of three concentrations (1, 1.5, and 3 M) of dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) on the vitrification of ovarian tissue. The ovarian cortex was divided into control and vitrified groups: (i) 1 M-DMSO, (ii) 1.5 M-DMSO, and (iii) 3 M-DMSO. Follicles from all fragments were analyzed for DMSO-induced deleterious effects, morphological and morphometric aspects, and concentration of reactive oxygen species. Additionally, the fragments were cultured to assess the integrity and return of follicular development post-vitrification. All DMSO concentrations resulted in a higher percentage of degenerated preantral follicles than before the cryopreservation process. After vitrification, the cryopreserved ovarian fragments showed similar percentages of intact follicles; however, the 3 M DMSO concentration differed from the control. Analyzing free radical production, we found that the 3 M DMSO concentration had higher levels of oxidative stress than the lower DMSO. After in vitro cultivation of the vitrified/warmed fragments, the 1 M DMSO concentration exhibited higher percentages of morphologically intact follicles than the other concentrations. Therefore, we suggest that bovine preantral follicles can be cryopreserved in situ with greater efficiency in 1 M DMSO. Full article

We developed a protein to rapidly and accurately diagnose Chagas disease, a life-threatening illness identified by the WHO as a critical worldwide public health risk. Limitations in present day serological tests are complicating the current health situation and contributing to most infected persons being unaware of their condition and therefore untreated. To improve diagnostic testing, we developed an immunological mimic of the etiological agent, Trypanosoma cruzi, by combining ten pathogen-specific epitopes within the beta-barrel protein structure of Thermal Green Protein. The resulting multi-epitope protein, DxCruziV3, displayed high specificity and sensitivity as the antibody capture reagent in an ELISA platform with an analytical sensitivity that exceeds WHO recommendations. Within an immunochromatographic platform, DxCruziV3 showed excellent performance for the point of application diagnosis in a region endemic for multiple diseases, the municipality of Barcelos in the state of Amazonas, Brazil. In total, 167 individuals were rapidly tested using whole blood from a finger stick. As recommended by the Brazilian Ministry of Health, venous blood samples were laboratory tested by conventional assays for comparison. Test results suggest utilizing DxCruziV3 in different assay platforms can confidently diagnose chronic infections by T. cruzi. Rapid and more accurate results will benefit everyone but will have the most noticeable impact in resource-limited rural areas where the disease is endemic. Full article

Security presents significant challenges due to the exponential growth in the number of Internet of Things (IoT) devices that generate and collect data over the network. It is crucial to ensure the integrity and security of IoT devices, as well as to address issues such as interoperability and trust in data sources. In the proposed article, we present a novel architecture together with its implementation as a proof-of-concept of a traceability and auditing IoT system based on Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT). To demonstrate the applicability of the proposed solution, a smart contract-based system for occupational risk prevention (ORP) has been developed to monitor oxygen concentration in confined spaces that exist in ships and shipyards. The system has been devised for the operators that weld inside the ships of the Spanish shipbuilding company Navantia, which is one of the largest shipbuilders in the world. Specifically, the IOTA network has been used, which benefits the system through its decentralized, secure, and scalable data structure. In addition, the integration of smart contracts allows for establishing predefined rules and conditions, ensuring the execution of logic in a reliable and automated manner. To demonstrate the viability of the system, it has been tested locally and in the IOTA testing environment. Despite the challenges in deploying smart contracts with IOTA, the developed system is considered useful for the traceability and auditing of the oxygen concentrations without the need for any human intervention. Furthermore, it establishes the groundwork for future advancements in IoT traceability and auditing in industrial ORP scenarios. Full article

In Argentina, the excessive use of fertilizers is common in intensively cultivated zones around highly populated areas. Bioinoculants based on plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) could be effective for crop production improvement without negative effects on the environment. The objective of this work was to evaluate an alternative inoculation method, namely the application of the biofilm produced by Bacillus subtilis as a growth promoter on seeds of three varieties of Lactuca sativa, and to compare it with the common planktonic approach. Biofilm was obtained under static culture conditions, while planktonic inoculum was produced at 150 rpm. The major biofilm effects were observed with Bacillus subtilis subsp. spizizenii, that showed antifungal activity against phytopathogens, synthesized plant growth regulators (IAA, cytokinin and ABA) and solubilized phosphates. The Grand Rapid variety inoculated with biofilm showed the best results, with 30% and 37% higher aerial and root biomass, respectively, compared to the planktonic form. Moreover, the biofilm positive effects were observed through successive plant development stages until harvest, when the bacterium was recovered from the interior of the roots. The biofilm of B. subtilis subsp. spizizenii behave as a superior growth-promoting inoculant compared to the traditional planktonic inoculation technique. Full article

Over the last decade, the zebrafish has emerged as an important model organism for behavioural studies and neurological disorders, as well as for the study of metabolic diseases. This makes zebrafish an alternative model for studying the effects of energy disruption and nutritional quality on a wide range of behavioural aspects. Here, we used the zebrafish model to study how obesity induced by overfeeding regulates emotional and cognitive processes. Two groups of fish (n = 24 per group) were fed at 2% (CTRL) and 8% (overfeeding-induced obesity, OIO) for 8 weeks and tested for anxiety-like behaviour using the novel tank diving test (NTDT). Fish were first tested using a short-term memory test (STM) and then trained for four days for a long-term memory test (LTM). At the end of the experiment, fish were euthanised for biometric sampling, total lipid content, and triglyceride analysis. In addition, brains (eight per treatment) were dissected for HPLC determination of monoamines. Overfeeding induced faster growth and obesity, as indicated by increased total lipid content. OIO had no effect on anxiety-like behaviour. Animals were then tested for cognitive function (learning and memory) using the aversive learning test in Zantiks AD units. Results show that both OIO and CTRL animals were able to associate the aversive stimulus with the conditioned stimulus (conditioned learning), but OIO impaired STM regardless of fish sex, revealing the effects of obesity on cognitive processes in zebrafish. Obese fish did not show a deficiency in monoaminergic transmission, as revealed by quantification of total brain levels of dopamine and serotonin and their metabolites. This provides a reliable protocol for assessing the effect of metabolic disease on cognitive and behavioural function, supporting zebrafish as a model for behavioural and cognitive neuroscience. Full article

(1) Background: Large cohort studies of patients with COVID-19 treated with remdesivir have reported improved clinical outcomes, but data on older patients are scarce. Objective: This work aims to assess the potential benefit of remdesivir in unvaccinated very old patients hospitalized with COVID-19; (2) Methods: This is a retrospective analysis of patients ≥ 80 years hospitalized in Spain between 15 July and 31 December 2020 (SEMI-COVID-19 Registry). Differences in 30-day all-cause mortality were adjusted using a multivariable regression analysis. (3) Results: Of the 4331 patients admitted, 1312 (30.3%) were ≥80 years. Very old patients treated with remdesivir (n: 140, 10.7%) had a lower mortality rate than those not treated with remdesivir (OR (95% CI): 0.45 (0.29–0.69)). After multivariable adjustment by age, sex, and variables associated with lower mortality (place of COVID-19 acquisition; degree of dependence; comorbidities; dementia; duration of symptoms; admission qSOFA; chest X-ray; D-dimer; and treatment with corticosteroids, tocilizumab, beta-lactams, macrolides, and high-flow nasal canula oxygen), the use of remdesivir remained associated with a lower 30-day all-cause mortality rate (adjusted OR (95% CI): 0.40 (0.22–0.61) (p < 0.001)). (4) Conclusions: Remdesivir may reduce mortality in very old patients hospitalized with COVID-19. Full article

Currently, brachytherapy is the most commonly used therapeutic approach for uveal melanomas. Surgical resection by means of endoresection or exoresection is an alternative approach. The present report recounts our experience over 15 years in the treatment of uveal melanoma using a combined approach of resection surgery with brachytherapy. This is a single-center observational retrospective cohort study in which we describe clinical outcomes, complications and survival in 35 cases of melanoma of the iris or the ciliary body after a combination of surgery and brachytherapy or brachytherapy alone. Local treatment of the tumor was successful in all cases with surgery and brachytherapy. The most frequent complications were scleromalacia, bullous keratopathy, retinal toxicity, cataracts, hypotonia, and photophobia. There were three cases of recurrence, all of which were found in the group of patients who had received brachytherapy alone, and in one case we had to perform a secondary enucleation due to tumor growth after brachytherapy. At present, only one patient has died during follow-up due to liver metastases six years after the start of treatment. In carefully selected patients, this approach can be effective and safe, as long as a close follow-up is carried out after surgery. Full article

We aimed to determine the impact of steroid use in COVID-19 in-hospital mortality, in a retrospective cohort study of the SEMICOVID19 database of admitted patients with SARS-CoV-2 laboratory-confirmed pneumonia from 131 Spanish hospitals. Patients treated with corticosteroids were compared to patients not treated with corticosteroids; and adjusted using a propensity-score for steroid treatment. From March–July 2020, 5.262 (35.26%) were treated with corticosteroids and 9.659 (64.73%) were not. In-hospital mortality overall was 20.50%; it was higher in patients treated with corticosteroids than in controls (28.5% versus 16.2%, OR 2.068 [95% confidence interval; 1.908 to 2.242]; p = 0.0001); however, when adjusting by occurrence of ARDS, mortality was significantly lower in the steroid group (43.4% versus 57.6%; OR 0.564 [95% confidence interval; 0.503 to 0.633]; p = 0.0001). Moreover, the greater the respiratory failure, the greater the impact on mortality of the steroid treatment. When adjusting these results including the propensity score as a covariate, in-hospital mortality remained significantly lower in the steroid group (OR 0.774 [0.660 to 0.907], p = 0.002). Steroid treatment reduced mortality by 24% relative to no steroid treatment (RRR 0.24). These results support the use of glucocorticoids in COVID-19 in this subgroup of patients. Full article

Micro-abrasion remains a test configuration hugely used, mainly for thin coatings. Several studies have been carried out investigating the parameters around this configuration. Recently, a new study was launched studying the behavior of different ball materials in abrasive particles’ dynamics in the contact area. This study intends to extend that study, investigating new ball materials never used so far in this test configuration. Thus, commercial balls of American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) 52100 steel, Stainless Steel (SS) (AISI) 304 steel and Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) were used under different test conditions and abrasive particles, using always the same coating for reference. Craters generated on the coated samples’ surface and tracks on the balls’ surface were carefully observed by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and 3D microscopy in order to understand the abrasive particles’ dynamics. As a softer material, more abrasive particles were entrapped on the PTFE ball’s surface, generating grooving wear on the samples. SS AISI 304 balls, being softer than the abrasive particles (diamond), also allowed particle entrapment, originating from grooving wear. AISI 52100 steel balls presented particle dynamics that are already known. Thus, this study extends the knowledge already existing, allowing to better select the ball material to be used in ball-cratering tests. Full article

Ionic liquids represent a viable option as electrolytes for electrochemical applications such as energy storage devices, due to their high ionic conductivity and wide electrochemical window. However, liquid electrolytes present important problems of safety and performance, and encapsulation in a solid matrix can be a good solution to improve it. In this work, changes in the structure of the mixtures of ionic liquid 1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide and lithium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide against the concentration of the salt (0, 0.1, and 1.5 molal), and the effect of nanoconfinement through gelation process were studied using NMR technique. Full article

The applicability of ionic liquids (IL) has been increased during the last years and even new opportunities are becoming a reality, i.e., mixtures of pure IL and inorganic salt as electrolytes for smart electrochemical devices. In this work, the ecotoxicity of two protic ILs (Ethylammonium nitrate and Ethylimidazolium nitrate) and one aprotic IL (butylmethylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoroomethylsulfonyl)imide) doped with the corresponding Lithium salt was tested towards changes on the bioluminescence of the bacteria Aliivibrio fischeri, using the Microtox^® standard toxicity test. Half maximal effective concentration (EC50) of these mixtures was determined over three standard periods of time and compared with the corresponding values to pure ILs. Full article

In this study, an experimental approach was utilized to assess the viability of three biomass fuels in a small laboratory-scale combustor. Three feedstocks currently considered as residues were selected based on their widespread presence in the Euroregion Galicia-North Portugal, and some were modified to improve their behavior by removing fine particles or adding substances to increase the melting point of the ashes. The experimental facility was a highly modifiable, fixed-bed combustor with air-staging capabilities and a wide array of sensors intended to measure a large quantity of parameters. A series of tests was performed to cover the widest range of total air flows possible for the facility, with values of 0.223, 0.279 and 0.334 kg/m²s being used, while 30% of the total air flow enters from below the combustion bed and 70% over it. Results from the proximate and elemental analyses show high proportions of ash in every fuel compared to commercial wood pellets, and empirical deposition indexes suggest a high risk of fouling and slagging. Testing confirmed the analysis predictions, resulting in the kiwi- and vine-based fuels not being suitable for a facility without ash elimination systems. Some modifications of the gorse fuel showed improved behavior compared to unmodified gorse fuel, namely, the addition of a 2% mass fraction of CaCO₃ and the removal of fine particles. The former prevented ash sintering, and the latter greatly decreased the fouling of the heat exchanger tubes. These results suggest that some of the vegetal species studied might be suitable for their use in small-scale biomass burners, and besides the accuracy of one of the deposition indexes used is confirmed. Full article

We investigated the effects of two common dietary supplements on bone healing in dental extraction sockets in humans. In this randomized pilot trial, male subjects took Grape Seed Extract [GSE] or Grapefruit Extract [GFE] starting two weeks prior to dental extraction and maintained this regimen for sixty days after surgery. Extraction sockets were filled with a collagen plug. After 24 h, a socket sample was collected and processed for quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and an 84-gene wound healing assay. Sixty days after tooth extraction, a core of newly formed bone was obtained prior to dental implant placement and processed for histology. qRT-PCR revealed that GFE led to a significant decrease in platelet-derived growth factor and interleukin (IL)1-β compared to GSE, and a significant decrease in IL-6 and CXCL2 compared to control. GSE led to a significant increase in coagulation factor Von Willebrand and inflammatory marker IL1-β compared to GFE. WISP1 and CXCL5 were upregulated in both groups. Overall, GFE showed a downregulation of inflammation and GSE led to a decrease in collagen density and increased osteoclasts. This pilot trial highlights the need for further investigation on the mechanism of action of such supplements on bone healing and oral health. Full article

This paper introduces an experimental plant specifically designed to challenge the main operating issues related to modern biomass combustion systems (mainly NO_x, particulate matter, and deposition phenomena). The prototype is an 11–18 kW overfed fixed-bed burner with a modular configuration, and the design considers the implementation of certain strategies for improving combustion: (1) a complete refrigeration system that also includes the fuel bed; and (2) an air injection control through flue gas recirculation. First, the stability and repeatability of the facility were successfully tested, establishing the duration of transient periods in the phase of experiment design. The results revealed similar effects in temperature and particulate emissions when comparing the use of the cooling bed and recirculation techniques. Reductions of 15% and up to 70% were achieved for the exhaust temperature and particulate matter concentration, respectively. Otherwise, the refrigeration considerably reduced the bed temperature, especially in its core, which enhanced the condensation of volatile salts and therefore the fouling phenomena. Although the viability of using both techniques as temperature control methods is demonstrated, further studies are needed to clarify the specific effects of each technology and to clarify the possible significance of a hybrid solution that combines both strategies. Full article