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IntroductionLymph node metastases (NMs) are a common site of tumor spread that can occur at different times of the disease. Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) can be a therapeutic option for the treatment of NMs in the setting of oligometastatic disease (OMD). The aim of this study was to evaluate as primary end points the local control (LC) and secondary end points the locoregional nodal control (LRNC), distant nodal control (DNC), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS), and concurrently to assess the predictive factors of response.MethodsThis is a retrospective study that analyzes a group of patients treated with SBRT on NMs from different primary tumors, with a of maximum five metastasis. Treated lesions were divided into four groups: oligometastatics, oligorecurrents, oligoprogressives, and oligopersistents.ResultsFrom 2007 to 2021, 229 NMs were treated in 174 patients with different primary tumor. The schedule most represented was 30 Gy in five fractions. The LC was obtained in 90% of NMs treated by SBRT with rates at 1, 3, and 5 years of 93%, 86%, and 86%, respectively. The LRNC was reached in 84% of cases with rates at 1, 3, and 5 years of 88%, 83%, and 77%, respectively. The DNC was obtained in 87% of cases with rates at 1, 3, and 5 years of 92%, 82%, and 78%, respectively. The DMFS was obtained in 38% of cases with rates at 1, 3, and 5 years of 57%, 40%, and 30%, respectively. The rate of PFS were 44%, 23%, and 13% at 1, 3, and 5 years, respectively. The rates at 1, 3, and 5 years of OS were 78%, 48%, and 36%, respectively.ConclusionSBRT is an option for the treatment of NMS, with high rates of LC, improving survival, and with a good safety and tolerance. Tumor volume, tumor burden, lesion site, and doses can be predictive factors of response; however, multi-institutional studies with a greater number of patients could be helpful to better select patients and understand the right integrations between ablative treatment and systemic therapies.

Constraint-based genome-scale models (GEMs) of microorganisms provide a powerful tool for predicting and analyzing microbial phenotypes as well as for understanding how these are affected by genetic and environmental perturbations. Recently, MATLAB and Python-based tools have been developed to incorporate enzymatic constraints into GEMs. These constraints enhance phenotype predictions by accounting for the enzyme cost of catalyzed model´s reactions, thereby reducing the space of possible metabolic flux distributions. In this study, enzymatic constraints were added to an existing GEM of Clostridium ljungdahlii, a model acetogenic bacterium, by including its enzyme turnover numbers (kcats) and molecular masses, using the Python-based AutoPACMEN approach. When compared to the metabolic model iHN637, the enzyme cost-constrained model (ec_iHN637) obtained in our study showed an improved predictive ability of growth rate and product profile. The model ec_iHN637 was then employed to perform in silico metabolic engineering of C. ljungdahlii, by using the OptKnock computational framework to identify knockouts to enhance the production of desired fermentation products. The in silico metabolic engineering was geared towards increasing the production of fermentation products by C. ljungdahlii, with a focus on the utilization of synthesis gas and CO2. This resulted in different engineering strategies for overproduction of valuable metabolites under different feeding conditions, without redundant knockouts for different products. Importantly, the results of the in silico engineering results indicated that the mixotrophic growth of C. ljungdahlii is a promising approach to coupling improved cell growth and acetate and ethanol productivity with net CO2 fixation.

Background: The electrocardiography is a useful diagnostic tool for the characterization of the cardiac rhythm in veterinary medicine. In cattle, standard electrocardiographic exam is commonly performed using the base-apex lead system and reference values for ECG parameters have been reported for different breed of cows. However, no electrocardiographic studies have been conducted in Chianina breed. Aim: To determine the feasibility and normal values for standard base-apex electrocardiography in clinically healthy Chianina cows. Methods: A standard base-apex electrocardiographic examination was acquired in 45 Chianina cows. All the cows were considered healthy based on history and physical examination. The following ECG parameters were evaluated: heart rate; morphology of P wave, QRS complex and T wave; amplitude and duration of P wave, QRS complex, and T wave; duration of PR and QT intervals. Correlations between ECG parameters and clinical variables were analyzed. Results: Morphology of the electrocardiographic waves/complexes and values for all ECG parameters recorded in the 45 clinically healthy Chianina cows were reported. Correlations between heart rate and body weight, QT interval and body weight, QT interval and heart rate, P wave amplitude and heart rate, PR interval and heart rate, R wave amplitude and age were observed. Statistical difference between heart rate in pregnant and not-pregnant cows was also found. Conclusion: Base-apex electrocardiogram is suitable for monitoring heart rhythm in clinically healthy Chianina cows and reference values for main electrocardiographic parameters have been reported for this breed. This study can be a useful contribution to the literature, updating current knowledge on the electrocardiography in cattle. [Open Vet J 2022; 12(6.000): 951-955]