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Furan fatty acids produced by plants and bacteria, and present in some edible resources, have attracted significant scientific attention for their health benefits. They include 10,13-epoxy-11-methyl-octadecan-10,12-dienoic acid, which has been identified in the lipid fraction of latex from two Hevea brasiliensis genotypes commonly known as the source of natural rubber. Those two genotypes, namely RRIM501 and PB235, are from Rubber Research Institute of Malaysia (RRIM) and Prang Besar, Malaysia (PB), respectively. This research aimed to undertake the first ever investigation into the existence of this potential high value-added co-product in the lipid fraction of 48 Hevea brasiliensis genotypes, seeking to study the widest possible clonal variability. The results showed furan fatty acid exists in all lipid fractions of their latices. Its content varied significantly, ranging from 0.01% to 0.71% (w/w in latex), the highest concentrations were found in genotypes from the Institut de Recherche sur le Caoutchouc (IRCA) in Côte d'Ivoire, Prang Besar (PB) in Malaysia, and Rubber Research Institute of Vietnam (RRIV) in Vietnam breeding programs. A positive correlation with total fatty acid content was observed when its content exceeded 0.10%, suggesting an additive rather than a substitutive role with the other fatty acids present. Interestingly, linoleic and palmitoleic acids strongly correlated with the furan fatty acid concentration, indicating a possible biosynthetic pathway linkage. In terms of yield per tapping PB235, RRIV4, RRIV2, IRCA41, IRCA18, PB324, IRCA814, IRCA323, and IRCA109 genotypes showed the highest production potential, with yields range of 1 367–2 446 mg furan fatty acid per tree per tapping. Notably, the biochemical markers of natural rubber productivity (sucrose, inorganic phosphorus, thiols, and total solid content) showed no direct involvement in furan fatty acid biosynthesis during latex regeneration between tappings. Based on knowledge of the parentage of the studied clones, a trait heritability study was conducted and genotype PB5/51 was identified as a very worthwhile genitor for improving furan fatty acid contents in a breeding population.

Tranexamic acid is an antifibrinolytic agent widely used in several surgical procedures to reduce intraoperative bleeding. Intraoperative bleeding is a crucial problem for the ear surgeon, as it prevents good visualization of the surgical field. The aim of this work was to analyze the relevant literature about the use of tranexamic acid in ear surgery. A literature search was conducted in agreement with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 statement, across 3 databases (Medline, Cochrane, and Google Scholar), with the terms “tranexamic acid,” and “ear,” and “surgery.” Three prospective, randomized, and double-blind clinical trials met the inclusion criteria. Studies were not able to be pooled because of heterogeneity in material, methods of delivery and evaluation, and procedures used. Despite these limitations, all 3 papers found a significant reduction in intraoperative bleeding, allowing a better visualization of the operating field. Despite the scarcity of published trials, tranexamic acid is safe and seems to be useful in reducing intraoperative bleeding in ear surgery, thus improving operative field visualization.

Numerous protocols for dissolved organic carbon (DOC) measurements on natural water are used in the literature. An ISO protocol for the determination of DOC exists since 2018, but it is certified for DOC values ≥ 1 mg L−1, while many publications report DOC values much lower. In addition, this ISO protocol does not include indications on vials cleaning, filtering material, and type of caps and septa to be used. The purpose of this study was to evaluate protocols for measurements of low DOC concentrations (≤ 1 mg L−1). The effect of the sample container, type of septum, filtration material, nature of acid used for storage, and matrix effects on DOC concentration were evaluated. • The use of glass vials decontaminated at 450 °C or 500 °C for at least 1 h, 0.45 µm hydrophilic polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) membranes previously rinsed with 20 mL ultra-pure water and HCl acidification gives the lowest DOC contamination, • Sulfides (ΣH2S), sodium (Na+) or calcium (Ca2+) do not induce high matrix effect for the analysis (≤ 10%), • At low DOC concentrations (≤ 1 mg L−1), the use of pierced PTFE septa with acidified samples induce slight DOC contamination after storage at 4 °C, and dramatic contamination after storage at -18 °C.

Objectives: Consequences of COVID-19 on olfactory functions remained unclear during the pandemic. We assessed the efficacy of local budesonide in addition to olfactory rehabilitation when managing non-severe COVID-19 patients with persistent hyposmia. Methods: A multicentric, randomized, superiority trial was conducted (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04361474). The experimental group (EG) received budesonide and physiological saline nasal irrigations administered via three syringes of 20 ml in each nasal cavity in the morning and evening for 30 days. The control group (CG) received a similar protocol without budesonide. Patients were included if they were >18 years old, with a SARS-CoV-2 infection and presenting an isolated hyposmia persisting 30 days after symptom onset. The primary endpoint was the percentage of patients with improvement of more than two points on the ODORATEST score after 30 days of treatment. Results: In total, 123 patients were included and randomized (EG: 62 vs CG: 61). Two patients from the EG met the primary endpoint with no statistical difference between the two groups (P = 0.5). Conclusion: To our knowledge, this is the first study evaluating local budesonide for COVID-19 related hyposmia treatment even though previous trials were performed with other local corticosteroids. Local budesonide efficacy was not demonstrated for persistent hyposmia related to COVID-19.

ABSTRACT The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), like most federal agencies, is a captive client. Its "lawyer, " the Department of Justice (DOJ), ultimately decides whether and when to sue. [...]

The aim of this study was to assess the impact of production parameters on the reproducibility of kombucha fermentation over several production cycles based on backslopping. Six conditions with varying oxygen accessibility (specific interface surface) and initial acidity (through the inoculation rate) of the cultures were carried out and compared to an original kombucha consortium and a synthetic consortium assembled from yeasts and bacteria isolated from the original culture. Output parameters monitored were microbial populations, biofilm weight, key physico-chemical parameters and metabolites. Results highlighted the existence of phases in microbial dynamics as backslopping cycles progressed. The transitions between phases occurred faster for the synthetic consortium compared to the original kombucha. This led to microbial dynamics and fermentative kinetics that were reproducible over several cycles but that could also deviate and shift abruptly to different behaviors. These changes were mainly induced by an increase in the Saccharomyces cerevisiae population, associated with an intensification of sucrose hydrolysis, sugar consumption and an increase in ethanol content, without any significant acceleration in the rate of acidification. The study suggests that the reproducibility of kombucha fermentations relies on high biodiversity to slow down the modulations of microbial dynamics induced by the sustained rhythm of backslopping cycles.