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Diante do cenário de aquecimento global, diversas pesquisas sobre remoção de carbono como forma de mitigar os efeitos das mudanças climáticas vêm sendo realizadas. O uso de wetlands construídos para tratamento de águas residuais é conhecido, entretanto a quantidade de estudos sobre o sequestro de carbono desse sistema ainda é limitada. Dessa forma, a revisão sistemática e de literatura teve como objetivo expor as características dos wetlands construídos em relação às emissões de Gases do Efeito Estufa. As bases utilizadas foram Scopus, Springer e Google Scholar e os termos selecionados estavam relacionados aos wetlands construídos e aos gases. Concluiu-se que o wetland construído subsuperficial horizontal tem o potencial de se tornar sumidouro de carbono, por conta do carbono retido nas plantas, e pode emitir menos N2O que o WC de fluxo vertical; quanto à emissão de CH4 é importante conhecer a espécie de planta adotada e o tipo de WC por conta da influência nas emissões de metano.

Capecitabine, an oral fluoropyrimidine carbamate, was designed to generate 5-fluorouracil preferentially at the tumour site. This randomised, phase II trial evaluated the efficacy and safety of capecitabine or paclitaxel in patients with anthracycline-pretreated metastatic breast cancer. Outpatients with locally advanced and/or metastatic breast cancer whose disease was unresponsive or resistant to anthracycline therapy were randomised to 3-week cycles of intermittent oral capecitabine (1255 mg m(-2) twice daily, days 1-14, (22 patients)) or a reference arm of i.v. paclitaxel (175 mg m(-2), (20 patients)). Two additional patients were initially randomised to continuous capecitabine 666 mg m(-2) twice daily, but this arm was closed following selection of the intermittent schedule for further development. Overall response rate was 36% (95% CI 17-59%) with capecitabine (including three complete responses) and 26% (95% CI 9-51%) with paclitaxel (no complete responses). Median time to disease progression was similar in the two treatment groups (3.0 months with capecitabine, 3.1 months with paclitaxel), as was overall survival (7.6 and 9.4 months, respectively). Paclitaxel was associated with more alopecia, peripheral neuropathy, myalgia and neutropenia, whereas typical capecitabine-related adverse events were diarrhoea, vomiting and hand-foot syndrome. Twenty-three per cent of capecitabine-treated patients and 16% of paclitaxel-treated patients achieved a > or =10% improvement in Karnofsky Performance Status. Oral capecitabine is active in anthracycline-pretreated advanced/metastatic breast cancer and has a favourable safety profile. Furthermore, capecitabine provides a convenient, patient-orientated therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the procedure to qualify an admittance meter as a permittivity meter and a conductivity meter σsensor through validation with liquids over a range of relative permittivity εr values from 1 to 80 and with operating frequencies f between 1 and 20 MHz. The sensor is a capacitor which consists of two parallel cylinders of 10-cm typical dimension. A circuit-based model of the sensor was previously calibrated against accurate electronic components. A discrepancy of 10% is found between the calibration with components and the validation with liquids. All potential errors have been carefully examined: parasitic impedances of the electronic circuit and leads, modifications of liquid permittivity εrliq due to temperature influence, water contamination or relaxation effects, and possible fringing effects with the help of numeric simulations. Forty percent of the discrepancy results from the finite dimensions of the liquid-filled recipient. The fringing effects due to insulating rings at each end of the capacitor seem to be discarded. The analysis of the uncertainty on εrsensor and σsensor shows a relative uncertainty of 3%-5% due in large part to the numerical acquisition of high frequency. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The introduction of aromatase inhibitors (AI) has resulted in practice change approaches in the treatment of early breast cancer. In this paper, we analyze the most relevant studies including the ATAC, BIG 1-98, TEAM, MA-17, NSABP B-33, and ABSCG-6 studies. Postmenopausal patients with hormone receptor-positive early breast cancer should be treated with AI for 5 years. For patients who have been initiated with tamoxifen (TAM), switching to an AI to complete 5 years of treatment is also recommended. The results of the extended adjuvant therapy studies recommend the use of an AI (anastrozole, letrozole, or exemestane) after the completion of standard TAM treatment. With regards to premenopausal women, TAM is the recommended adjuvant hormonal treatment for pre- and perimenopausal women. There is no indication for the use of AI in these subgroups of patients. Finally, determination of CYP 2D6 polymorphisms could be considered when choosing the best adjuvant hormonal treatment option. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objective: Lung cancer stands as the main cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. With the advent of immunotherapy and the discovery of targetable oncogenic driver genes, although prognosis has changed in the last few years, survival rates remain dismal for most patients. This emphasizes the urgent need for new strategies that could enhance treatment in precision medicine. The role of the microbiota in carcinogenesis constitutes an evolving landscape of which little is known. It has been suggested these microorganisms may influence in responses, resistance, and adverse effects to cancer treatments, particularly to immune checkpoint blockers. However, evidence on the impact of microbiota composition in oncogene-addicted tumors is lacking. This review aims to provide an overview of the relationship between microbiota, daily habits, the immune system, and oncogene-addicted tumors, focusing on lung cancer., Methods: A PubMed and Google Scholar search from 2013 to 2024 was conducted. Relevant articles were reviewed in order to guide our research and generate hypothesis of clinical applicability., Key Content and Findings: Microbiota is recognized to participate in immune reprogramming, fostering inflammatory, immunosuppressive, or anti-tumor responses. Therefore, identifying the microbiota that impact response to treatment and modulating its composition by interventions such as dietary modifications, probiotics or antibiotics, could potentially yield better outcomes for cancer patients. Additionally, targeted therapies that modulate molecular signaling pathways may impact both immunity and microbiota. Understanding this intricate interplay could unveil new therapeutic strategies., Conclusions: By comprehending how microbiota may influence efficacy of targeted therapies, even though current evidence is scarce, we may generate interesting hypotheses that could improve clinical practice., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form (available at https://tlcr.amegroups.com/article/view/10.21037/tlcr-24-216/coif). The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (2024 Translational Lung Cancer Research. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: The incidence of brain metastases in ovarian cancer is quite rare, being approximately 1%-2%. According to retrospective studies, patients with BRCA 1/2 mutations present a higher risk. The trimodal approach based on surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy presents better outcomes, but the prognosis remains poor with overall survival since the brain progression is around 1 year. Poly-ADP-ribose polymerase inhibitors (PARPi) have provided a new alternative for the management of advanced ovarian cancer. The SOLO2, NOVA, and ARIEL3 clinical trials do not refer data on patients with brain metastases, and the published evidence for PARPi in this setting comes only from case reports and retrospective studies., Case Report: We present the case of a 54-year-old woman with stage IV ovarian high-grade serous papillary carcinoma who, after 37 months of treatment with olaparib, presented a single brain lesion. After radical treatment with surgery and adjuvant whole-brain radiotherapy, she resumed olaparib with no evidence of disease during 15 months. After a second single brain relapse treated with stereotactic radiosurgery, the patient continued olaparib beyond the brain progression with no evidence of extracranial disease. Despite that there were no changes in size or number of brain lesions, the neurological situation progressively worsened and the patient died 8 months after the second progression., Discussion: The higher incidence of brain metastases of ovarian cancer points out a possible tropism for the CNS in BRCA-mutated patients. In preclinical studies, PARPi has shown to cross the blood-brain barrier, with possible antitumor activity in the central nervous system (CNS) while maintaining control of extracranial disease. The best survival data are obtained with a trimodal approach, and adding a PARPi could improve the survival outcomes in the context of platinum-sensitivity disease. Targeted therapies combined with local treatments are also used in other malignancies, suggesting potential effectiveness due to tumor heterogeneity. PARPi before brain metastasis may delay its diagnosis, and using iPARP after brain metastases could improve the outcome of this population., Conclusion: The role that PARPi may have in the treatment of brain metastases of ovarian cancer requires more studies. In the context of radical treatment of brain metastasis (surgery and/or RT), with no evidence of extracranial disease, maintaining treatment with PARPi beyond the brain progression should be considered., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Lendinez-Sanchez, Diaz-Redondo, Iglesias-Campos, Garrido-Almazán, Alba-Conejo, Rueda-Dominguez and Sanchez-Muñoz.)

Introduction/background: Breast cancer survivors (BCS) frequently show upper limb dysfunctions. The forearm muscle activity measured by surface electromyography (sEMG) in this population has not been studied. This study aimed to describe forearm muscle activity in BCS, as well as to assess its possible relationship with other variables related to upper limb functionality and cancer-related fatigue (CRF)., Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out including 102 BCS as volunteers at a secondary care in Malaga, Spain. BCS were included if they were aged between 32 and 70 years old, without evidence of cancer recurrence at the time of recruitment. The forearm muscle activity (microvolts, µV) was assessed by sEMG during the handgrip test. The handgrip strength was assessed by dynamometry (kg), the upper limb functionality (%) was measured by the upper limb functional index (ULFI) questionnaire and the CRF was also assessed by revised Piper Fatigue Scale (0-10 points)., Results: BCS reported reduced forearm muscle activity (287.88 µV) and reduced handgrip strength (21.31 Kg), a good upper limb functionality (68.85%), and a moderate cancer-related fatigue (4.74). Forearm muscle activity showed a poor significant correlation (r = -0.223, P = .038) with the CRF. Handgrip strength showed a poor correlation with the upper limb functionality (r = 0.387, P < .001) and age (r=-0.200, P = .047)., Conclusion: BCS showed a reduced forearm muscle activity. BCS also presented a poor correlation between forearm muscle activity and handgrip strength. Both outcomes tended to lower values with higher levels of CRF, while preserving a good upper limb functionality., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Breast cancer survivors (BCS) may face functional alterations after surgical intervention. Upper Limb Disorders (ULDs) are highly prevalent even years after a diagnosis. Clinicians may assess the upper limbs after breast cancer. The Upper Limb Functional Index (ULFI) has been validated across different populations and languages. This study aimed to assess the psychometric properties of the Upper Limb Functional Index Spanish version (ULFI-Sp) in the BCS., Methods: A psychometric validation study of the ULFI-Sp was conducted on 216 voluntary breast cancer survivors. The psychometric properties were as follows: analysis of the factor structure by maximum likelihood extraction (MLE), internal consistency, and construct validity by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA)., Results: The factor structure was one-dimensional. ULFI-Sp showed a high internal consistency for the total score (α = 0.916) and the regression score obtained from MLE (α = 0.996). CFA revealed a poor fit, and a new 14-item model (short version) was further tested. The developed short version of the ULFI-SP is preferable to assess upper limb function in Spanish BCS., Conclusions: Given the high prevalence of ULD in this population and the broader versions of ULFI across different languages, this study's results may be transferred to clinical practice and integrated as part of upper limb assessment after breast cancer.

Introduction: Urothelial carcinoma (UC) has histological subtypes whose phenotype reflects their molecular diversity, behavior and response to conventional therapy. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have improved the management of UC by evaluation of PD-L1. In the case of PD-L1 22C3, the initiation of ICI is considered from a combined positive score (CPS) greater than 10. However, UC subtypes with absent PD-L1 22C3 expression in cases with CPS>10 may not respond to these treatments. This study aims to establish a correlation between the PD-L1 immunoexpression and molecular alterations in divergent differentiation and histological subtypes of UC (UC-s)., Material and Methods: Twenty-six samples of UC were detected from a total of 24 patients. Two pathologists performed separately an assessment of UC-s on hematoxylin-eosin as well as PD-L1 expression. Molecular study of each case was performed by next generation sequencing (NGS). A descriptive analysis of the variables included was conducted., Results: Nine cases (34.61%) showed a CPS>10, some with negative PD-L1 immunoexpression in aggressive UC-s. The molecular study revealed alterations in genes belonging to the p53/cell cycle control, RAS, and DNA repair pathways, among others. None of the alterations were exclusive to any histological subtype., Discussion: Special attention should be paid to CPS>10 cases that include histological subtypes of UC with divergent expression for PD-L1 as they may not respond to treatment with ICI. We recommend examining the proportion and PD-L1 status of each subtype, especially if it has aggressive behavior., (Copyright © 2022 Sociedad Española de Anatomía Patológica. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Background: Central sensitization symptoms and pain-related fear avoidance are two common problems in breast cancer survivors. Non-pharmacologic interventions such as therapeutic exercise and patient education can be effective in this population., Aims: This study aimed to: (1) analyze the benefits of a therapeutic exercise and educational program on central sensitization symptoms and pain-related fear avoidance in breast cancer survivors, and (2) explore the association between pain-related fear avoidance and central sensitization symptoms., Design: A single group pre-post intervention study was conducted., Methods: Patients were recruited from the service of Medical Oncology of the University Clinical Hospital Virgen de la Victoria, in Málaga (Spain). The intervention consisted of a therapeutic exercise and educational program that lasted 12 weeks, twice a week, for 1 hour. Two instruments were used: the Spanish version of the Central Sensitization Inventory and the Spanish Fear Avoidance Components Scale., Results: A total of 82 breast cancer survivors participated in the study. Pre-post change on Central Sensitization Inventory was statistically significant (p = .007). There was a trend towards a significant difference for the Spanish Fear Avoidance Components Scale (p = .062). There was a statistically significant correlation between pain-related fear avoidance and central sensitization symptoms (r = 0.536, p < .001)., Conclusions: The current study has provided preliminary evidence on the benefits of this intervention in pain-related fear avoidance and central sensitization symptoms in breast cancer survivors. The Spanish version of the Central Sensitization Inventory and the Spanish Fear Avoidance Components Scale demonstrated responsiveness to change., Competing Interests: Declarations of Competing Interest None., (Copyright © 2022 American Society for Pain Management Nursing. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background & Aims: Disease-related malnutrition (DRM) coding rate is usually low in hospitalised patients. The objective of our study was to estimate the percentage of correct DRM coding in cancer inpatients and to calculate the economic losses caused by such lack of coding., Methods: This was an observational, prospective study that was conducted in patients hospitalised in the Medical Oncology Unit of our hospital. A nutritional assessment was performed through subjective global assessment (SGA). The all patient refined-diagnosis related group (APR-DRG) weights were obtained at the moment of discharge; moreover, recalculation was done after including the diagnosis of malnutrition in the medical record of those patients in whom it had not been initially coded. The associated cost reimbursement were calculated based on the weight before and after revising the diagnosis of DRM., Results: A total of 266 patients were evaluated. From them, 220 (82.7%) suffered from DRM according to the SGA. In 137 (51.5%) of these patients, diagnosis was coded, as opposed to 83 (31.2%) cases (33 subjects with moderate and 50 with severe DRM) in whom it was not coded. The sum of the APR-DRG weights before revising the diagnosis of malnutrition was 343.4 points (mean: 1.29 ± 0.89). Whereas, after revising the diagnosis, it increased up to 384.3 (1.44 ± 0.96). The total cost reimbursement for the hospital before revising the diagnosis of malnutrition was 1,607,861.21€ and after revision it increased up to 1,799,199.69€, which means that 191,338.48€ were not reimbursed to the hospital due to the lack of coding of malnutrition. The cost reimbursement for each admission increased an average of 719.32€., Conclusion: The prevalence of DRM in cancer inpatients is high. Nevertheless, the diagnosis is not coded in one third of patients, which results in important economic losses for the hospitals., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest This study was partially funded by an unrestricted grant from Abbott Laboratories SA (Spain). All authors declare independence from the sponsoring body in the design, execution, and analysis of results and the compiling of the conclusions, and deny any conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Cardiovascular disease risk is increased in survivors of testicular cancer because of exposure to treatment (chemotherapy and radiotherapy), as well as modification in lifestyle. Our aim was to assess the presence of subclinical arteriosclerosis in survivors of testicular cancer in comparison with a control group. This was a cross-sectional, observational, case-control study including 50 survivors of Germ Cell Tumor (GCT) (14 years of follow-up) and 53 age-matched controls with no cancer. We registered clinical data, cardiovascular risk factors, physical and Mediterranean questionnaires, intima-media thickness and plaque at carotid and femoral arteries by ultrasound, calcium score at the abdominal aorta, and liver steatosis by computed tomography, and applied analytical tests to quantify metabolic risk factors and inflammation markers. Patients showed a trend toward greater intima-media thickness (IMT) and plaques than controls, as well as a higher calcium score in the abdominal aorta. Remarkably, patients had higher waist circumference, insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), and liver steatosis, but lower physical activity and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol than controls (all p < 0.05). In multivariate analyses, only common vascular risk factors were associated with subclinical arteriosclerosis. As a conclusion, in our study, a higher rate of subclinical arteriosclerosis in testicular cancer survivors was associated with classical metabolic risk factors and lifestyle, but not with exposure to chemotherapy., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Background: Sepsis is strongly associated with an increased risk of postoperative mortality, longer length of hospital stay, and elevated health care costs. Early clinical symptoms overlap with those of systemic inflammatory response syndrome, a response that commonly occurs after cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass. Since a combination of biomarkers has been demonstrated to improve the prediction of postoperative infection, the objective of the present study was to test whether the combination of C-reactive protein (CRP), white blood cells (WBC), and procalcitonin (PCT) is able to predict postoperative infection in a large cohort of cardiac surgery patients., Material and Methods: Case-control study involving 423 patients who underwent cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass. Patients were retrospectively classified into two groups based on whether they developed severe sepsis or septic shock during the postoperative period. Blood samples for biological measurements (PCT, CRP, and WBC) were drawn on the first day in the intensive care unit, then once daily in the morning until the 10th postoperative day., Results: CRP median values were similar in both groups. WBC and PCT median values were significantly higher in patients with infection than without during the first 10 postoperative days. With elevation cutoffs ≤3 times (OR: 4.058; 95% CI: 2.206-7.463; P = 0.001) and ≥4 times (OR: 10.274, 95% CI: 3.690-28.604; P < 0.001), the median value for PCT (1.7 ng/mL) and/or WBC (13,000 cells/mm 3 ) on the second postoperative day was significantly associated with the development of infection., Conclusions: The goal of this study was to use a large cohort of cardiac surgery patients to ensure that the results were representative of this population. The combination of PCT and WBC levels over the first three postoperative days was able to predict postoperative infection within the 30 d following cardiac surgery., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

An inversion method based on a neural network was used to estimate water and dry matter contents on plant leaves, from transmittance and reflectance measurements, using light emitting diodes (LEDs) at specific wavelengths in NIR and FIR. The preliminary results for the predicted water content by the neural network method showed a RMSE value of 0.0027 g/cm(2) and |σ| value of approximately 3.53%, computed on 127 plant leaf samples over 51 species. Dry matter estimation also was performed, which showed potential implementation after future improvements. We believe this inversion method could be implemented in a portable system based on any silicon platform with the capability to perform in situ measurements on plant tissue.

Background: To assess the molecular subtypes determined by hormonal receptors (HR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) status and the role of proliferation measured by the Ki-67 marker as predictive and prognostic factors in breast cancer patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy., Methods: A total of 127 breast cancer patients were treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy every 2 weeks as part of 2 studies. Study A consisted of the administration of Adriamycin (40 mg/m(2)) on day 1 plus paclitaxel (150 mg/m(2)) and gemcitabine 2000 mg/m(2)) on day 2 for 6 cycles (n = 54). Study B consisted of the administration of epirubicin (90 mg/m(2)), cyclophosphamide (600 mg/m(2)) on day 1 for 3 cycles, followed by the administration of paclitaxel (150 mg/m(2)) and gemcitabine 2500 (mg/m(2)) on day 1 with or without trastuzumab according to HER2 status (n = 73). In study A, patients did not receive trastuzumab regardless of HER2 status. The molecular subtypes of the patients with breast cancer were classified as 49% HR(+)/HER2(-), 17.5% HR(+)/HER2(+), 13.5% HR(-)/HER2(+), and 20% HR(-)/HER2(-)., Results: Pathologic complete response (pCR), defined as the absence of invasive cells in the breast and the lymph nodes, was achieved in 35 (28%) patients. The pCR rate was significantly different between the molecular subtypes of breast cancer, with 9% in HR(+)/HER2(-), 23% in HR(+)/HER2(+), 50% in HR(-)/HER2(+), and 56% in HR(-)/HER2(-) tumors (P < .001). The pCR rate was significantly higher in tumors that had high Ki-67 (≥20%) expression and were HR(-). HER2(+) was associated with a higher trend of pCR but did not reach statistical significance. The median follow-up was 81 months (r = 15-150 months). Patients who achieved a pCR had a significantly lower recurrence (P = .01) and higher overall survival (P = .02) compared with those who did not achieve pCR. A multivariate analysis revealed that pCR (hazard ratio 0.24 [95% CI, 0.07-0.7]; P = .019), the molecular subtype (hazard ratio 0.3 [95% CI, 0.1-0.8]; P = .02), and the Ki-67 index (hazard ratio 3.2 [95% CI, 1.4-7.1]; P = .004) were significant independent predictors of disease-free survival. Similar results were obtained for overall survival, in which the pCR rate (hazard ratio 0.119 [95% CI, 0.028-0.5]; P = .004), the molecular subtype (hazard ratio 0.17 [95% CI, 0.03-0.86]; P = .02), and the Ki-67 index (hazard ratio 3.6 [95% CI, 1.3-9.7]; P = .01) also displayed a significant influence on survival., Conclusions: Molecular subtypes and Ki-67 index were independent prognostic factors for disease-free survival and overall survival in breast cancer patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy. A high rate of Ki-67 and HR(-) expression were predictors of pCR., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)