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Catheter-related thrombosis (CRT) is a frequent and potentially serious complication associated with the widespread use of intravascular devices such as central venous catheters, including peripherally inserted central catheters and implantable port systems, pacemakers or implantable cardioverter-defibrillators. Although CRT management has been informed by guidelines extrapolated from lower extremity deep vein thrombosis (DVT), unique challenges remain due to the distinct anatomical, pathophysiological, and clinical characteristics of upper extremity DVT. Risk factors for CRT are multifactorial, encompassing patient-related characteristics such as cancer, prior venous thromboembolism, and infection, as well as catheter-specific factors like device type, lumens, and insertion site. The diagnosis of CRT relies primarily on ultrasonography; however, computed tomography angiography and magnetic resonance imaging play a complementary role, particularly in anatomically challenging cases or when complications such as pulmonary embolism or superior vena cava syndrome are suspected. Treatment strategies for CRT include anticoagulation, catheter removal when feasible, and, in select cases, local thrombolysis or catheter-directed interventions. Anticoagulation remains the cornerstone of therapy, with direct oral anticoagulants increasingly favored due to their safety profile and efficacy. This article provides a detailed review of CRT, focusing on clinical features, diagnostic methods, and treatment strategies while addressing specific challenges in managing pacemaker and hemodialysis catheter-related thrombosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The potato (Solanum tuberosum) is one of the most widespread and cultivated Solanaceae in the world. To overcome the increasing problems of intensive cultivation and climate change, finding new strategies to guarantee the needs of today and future generations has become mandatory. The use of biostimulants based on Trichoderma spp. can be an excellent alternative to reduce the use of pesticides, as well as to mitigate the effects of biotic and abiotic stresses. In this study we evaluated the effects of a new bioformulation containing two Trichoderma strains on potato growth and yield. Trichoderma strains were characterised morphologically and molecularly. Application of the new bioformulate was able to promote potato plant growth and caused a significant increase in plant fresh (+107%) and dry weight (+74%), and potato tuber fresh weight (+37%) and number (+41%), and it also improved potato yield (+36%). These findings suggest that the bioformulation is a viable alternative to reduce pesticide use and mitigate biotic and abiotic stress in potato cultivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid and disproportionate growth of many cities in South America, such as Santiago de Chile, has not included a design that considers the impact caused. Furthermore, industrial and housing growth has been based mainly on unsustainable economic criteria, attributing less importance to environmental criteria. This has caused problems related to global warming, pollution, water scarcity and health, especially harming populations with fewer resources. This study estimates and compares the impact of four tree species commonly used at the urbanization level, according to variables such as carbon dioxide (CO2), fine particulate matter (PM2.5), water resources, and biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs). Then, we will use the variable PM2.5 to assess the trees' impact on the population and their economic resources using these tree species as a method of capturing this pollutant. The results obtained will be used to determine which one of the four species is the most suitable in each type of space within the Metropolitan Region of Chile (small spaces, uncultivated areas, large spaces near industrial areas, areas with patients with breathing problems, etc.) according to three criteria: a comparison between species using the number of trees in the investigated territory; contrasting the species with the amount of social housing; and a comparison between the species according to the total number of dwellings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess and compare the effects of two pediatric anti-asthmatic medication doses on the microhardness of enamel and microhardness, surface roughness and color of restorative materials. Methods: Human enamel samples and packable and flowable composite restorations were used. The samples were exposed to Salbutamol (0.6 mL/6 mL saline) and Budesonide (2 mL/2 mL saline) via a custom-made chamber connected to a nebulizer. Medication administration was conducted for 10 days. The samples were brushed with an electronic brush in a continuous and circular mode for 10 s after 10 min of medication administration. Assessments of microhardness, surface roughness and color were carried out at three different time intervals: baseline (T0), 5 days (T1) and 10 days (T2). One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), a two-sample t-test and a Bonferroni multiple comparison test were used to analyze the data and compare between the groups. Results: Both medications significantly (p < 0.05) decreased the microhardness of the enamel and composite samples after 10 days. Both medications lowered the surface roughness of both types of composite with a greater effect observed after 10 days of Budesonide administration (p < 0.05). Both medications had comparable detectable color change on both types of composite with a greater effect observed after 10 days of Budesonide administration (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Salbutamol and Budesonide significantly decreased microhardness in the enamel samples. Both medications affected the properties of packable and flowable composites. The packable composite showed more resistance to microhardness changes. Both medications showed a clinically detectable change in the color of packable and flowable composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The landscape of non-small cell lung cancer has changed dramatically over the past decade. This is largely due to the introduction of immunotherapy, and in particular, immune checkpoint blockade inhibitors. Anti-PD-1 immunotherapy is now standard treatment for patients with non-small cell lung cancer. However, not all patients respond to immunotherapy, and few patients achieve long-term survival. Moreover, some patients experience adverse effects from the treatment. In this review, we explain the modes of actions of common immunotherapy strategies, summarise the clinical trials that have led to the widespread use of immunotherapy and present some current challenges in the field of immunotherapy. Immunotherapy has revolutionised anti-cancer treatment in solid organ malignancies. Specifically, the discovery of CTLA-4 followed by PD-1 in the early 2000s led to the practice-changing clinical development of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI). Patients with lung cancer, including both small cell (SCLC) and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), benefit from the most commonly used form of immunotherapy in immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI), resulting in increased survival and quality of life. In NSCLC, the benefit of ICIs has now extended from advanced NSCLC to earlier stages of disease, resulting in durable benefits and the even the emergence of the word 'cure' in long term responders. However, not all patients respond to immunotherapy, and few patients achieve long-term survival. Patients may also develop immune-related toxicity, a small percentage of which is associated with significant mortality and morbidity. This review article highlights the various types of immunotherapeutic strategies, their modes of action, and the practice-changing clinical trials that have led to the widespread use of immunotherapy, with a focus on ICIs in NSCLC and the current challenges associated with advancing the field of immunotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study identifies the factors that postgraduate service management programs (PSMPs) in Korean Universities can use to gain competitive advantage. Design/methodology/approach: A mixed-method approach was adopted in serial order to verify the role of PSMP identity in the relationship between education service quality and student satisfaction established in prior research. Study 1 is a case study designed to gain a comprehensive understanding of the PSMPs in Korea using data derived through a document review of the sources collected from the official websites of PSMPs. In Study 2, focus group interviews were conducted with students and graduates of PSMPs to gain new insights that would help attain competitive advantage. Finally, a questionnaire survey was conducted in Study 3 to statistically test the relationship between PSMP identity, education service quality and student satisfaction. Findings: Education service quality has a positive impact on PSMP identity, PSMP identity has a positive impact on student satisfaction and PSMP identity mediates the aforementioned impacts. The results established PSMP identity as a key factor in enhancing its competitiveness. Originality/value: Since PSMPs have a short history and are limited number of cases in Korea, their justification is not well-understood by the general public and companies. This problem is not limited to PSMPs but is also shared by other specialized postgraduate programs. With comprehensive data on and new insights into PSMPs, including the determinants of competitive advantage, the results provide basic evidence for follow-up research and useful information for administrative officers in charge of specialized postgraduate programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The highly metal-contaminated Odiel-Tinto River basin, located in the Iberian Pyrite Belt (IPB), has been the focus of many environmental studies as a natural lab for biodiversity and environmentally catastrophic scenarios and as a reference site for mining places with similar conditions. This study demonstrates the feasibility and effectiveness of two different technologies to recover ecosystems affected by acid mine drainage (AMD) in the area of IPB. The current study compiles results of two newest technologies for AMD remediation: passive remediation (dispersed alkaline substrate—DAS) and a new disruptive technology (Adiabatic Sonic Evaporation and Crystallization—ASE&C) that purifies the contaminated water, obtaining two by-products (high-quality water and metal conglomerates) that improve the general quality of the ecosystem including biodiversity by eliminating more than 90% of the contaminants from AMD and mining waters. The removal of contaminants, enhancement of AMD treatment efficiency, and offset operating costs were compared and analyzed for the different uses of the decontaminated effluents, including an old tailing pond failure, the Aznalcóllar mining spill. The efficiency of the removal of elements from the contaminated water is significant using both technologies, although the passive DAS does not still reach the international benchmark for some compounds (such as Fe, sulfates, and Mn); whereas ASE&C obtains distilled water fulfilling all the international benchmarks with conductivity values lower than 120 µS cm−1 or metal concentrations lower than µg/L. Both technologies are eco-friendly and cost-effective as a result of the generation of valuable by-products such as fresh water and metal conglomerates as potentially commercial products while remediating aquatic ecosystems impacted by mining activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Liquid biopsy has recently been introduced as a novel method in cancer diagnostics. It is less invasive for patients than conventional tissue biopsies, as the assay material is drawn from peripheral blood. The detected DNA fragments, as well as the cells and extracellular vesicles, can be used as biomarkers for cancer. Not all biomarkers are equally reliable in cancer diagnostics. In this review, we give an overview of the lung cancer biomarkers identified in liquid biopsy assays and discuss the differences, current applications, and future perspectives of liquid biopsies in lung cancer. As lung cancer has the highest cancer-specific mortality rates worldwide, there is an urgent need for new therapeutic and diagnostic approaches to detect early-stage tumors and to monitor their response to the therapy. In addition to the well-established tissue biopsy analysis, liquid-biopsy-based assays may evolve as an important diagnostic tool. The analysis of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) is the most established method, followed by other methods such as the analysis of circulating tumor cells (CTCs), microRNAs (miRNAs), and extracellular vesicles (EVs). Both PCR- and NGS-based assays are used for the mutational assessment of lung cancer, including the most frequent driver mutations. However, ctDNA analysis might also play a role in monitoring the efficacy of immunotherapy and its recent accomplishments in the landscape of state-of-the-art lung cancer therapy. Despite the promising aspects of liquid-biopsy-based assays, there are some limitations regarding their sensitivity (risk of false-negative results) and specificity (interpretation of false-positive results). Hence, further studies are needed to evaluate the usefulness of liquid biopsies for lung cancer. Liquid-biopsy-based assays might be integrated into the diagnostic guidelines for lung cancer as a tool to complement conventional tissue sampling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths globally, in part due to a lack of early diagnostic tools and effective pharmacological interventions. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are lipid-based membrane-bound particles released from all living cells in both physiological and pathological states. To understand the effects of lung-cancer-derived EVs on healthy cells, we isolated and characterized EVs derived from A549 lung adenocarcinoma cells and transferred them to healthy human bronchial epithelial cells (16HBe14o). We found that A549-derived EVs carry oncogenic proteins involved in the pathway of epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) that are regulated by β-catenin. The exposure of 16HBe14o cells to A549-derived EVs resulted in a significant increase in cell proliferation, migration, and invasion via upregulating EMT markers such as E-Cadherin, Snail, and Vimentin and cell adhesion molecules such as CEACAM-5, ICAM-1, and VCAM-1, with concomitant downregulation of EpCAM. Our study suggests a role for cancer-cell-derived EVs to induce tumorigenesis in adjacent healthy cells by promoting EMT via β-catenin signaling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has recently evolved with the introduction of targeted therapy based on the use of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in patients with certain gene alterations, including EGFR, ALK, ROS1, BRAF, and MET genes. Molecular targeted therapy based on TKIs has improved clinical outcomes in a large number of NSCLC patients with advanced disease, enabling significantly longer progression-free survival (PFS). Liquid biopsy is an increasingly popular diagnostic tool for treating TKI-based NSCLC. The studies presented in this article show that detection and analysis based on liquid biopsy elements such as circulating tumor cells (CTCs), cell-free DNA (cfDNA), exosomes, and/or tumor-educated platelets (TEPs) can contribute to the appropriate selection and monitoring of targeted therapy in NSCLC patients as complementary to invasive tissue biopsy. The detection of these elements, combined with their molecular analysis (using, e.g., digital PCR (dPCR), next generation sequencing (NGS), shallow whole genome sequencing (sWGS)), enables the detection of mutations, which are required for the TKI treatment. Despite such promising results obtained by many research teams, it is still necessary to carry out prospective studies on a larger group of patients in order to validate these methods before their application in clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Growing evidence indicates that blood-count-based compound scores could be used as prognostic biomarkers in cancer as reflectors of uncontrolled inflammation in the tumor microenvironment. Several markers have been developed in this regard, including the recent pan-immune-inflammation value (PIV) that incorporates the levels of blood neutrophil, monocyte, platelet, and lymphocytes. In this paper, we reviewed the association between PIV and overall survival or progression-free survival in cancer from the published studies to date. We observed that higher PIV levels were an adverse prognostic factor consistently across several clinical scenarios, including non-metastatic or metastatic disease and treatment with targeted therapy or immunotherapy. In contrast, the data were limited in patients treated with chemotherapy or patients with non-metastatic disease. The available evidence demonstrates that PIV could be a readily available biomarker for prognosis prediction in cancer. However, further research is needed to explore the promise of PIV as a prognostic biomarker in cancer. Background: Prognostic scores derived from the blood count have garnered significant interest as an indirect measure of the inflammatory pressure in cancer. The recently developed pan-immune-inflammation value (PIV), an equation including the neutrophil, platelet, monocyte, and lymphocyte levels, has been evaluated in several cohorts, although with variations in the tumor types, disease stages, cut-offs, and treatments. Therefore, we evaluated the association between survival and PIV in cancer, performing a systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods: We conducted a systematic review from the Pubmed, Medline, and Embase databases to filter the published studies until 17 May 2022. The meta-analyses were performed with the generic inverse-variance method with a random-effects model. Results: Fifteen studies encompassing 4942 patients were included. In the pooled analysis of fifteen studies, the patients with higher PIV levels had significantly increased risk of death than those with lower PIV levels (HR: 2.00, 95% CI: 1.51–2.64, p < 0.001) and increased risk of progression or death (HR: 1.80, 95% CI: 1.39–2.32, p < 0.001). Analyses were consistent across several clinical scenarios, including non-metastatic or metastatic disease, different cut-offs (500, 400, and 300), and treatment with targeted therapy or immunotherapy (p < 0.001 for each). Conclusion: The available evidence demonstrates that PIV could be a prognostic biomarker in cancer. However, further research is needed to explore the promise of PIV as a prognostic biomarker in patients with non-metastatic disease or patients treated without immunotherapy or targeted therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Treatment with immunotherapy has been established as a standard treatment for lung cancer in recent years. Unfortunately, still, only a small proportion of patients benefit from the treatment, being the first leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Therefore, there is an urgent need for predictive biomarkers to help clinicians to discern whose patients are more likely to respond to immunotherapy. Since liquid biopsy opens the door to select patients and monitor the response during the treatment in a non-invasive way, in this review, we focus on the most relevant and recent results based on blood soluble biomarkers. Immunotherapy with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors (ICIs) has demonstrated a profitable performance for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) cancer treatment in some patients; however, there is still a percentage of patients in whom immunotherapy does not provide the desired results regarding beneficial outcomes. Therefore, obtaining predictive biomarkers for ICI response will improve the treatment management in clinical practice. In this sense, liquid biopsy appears as a promising method to obtain samples in a minimally invasive and non-biased way. In spite of its evident potential, the use of these circulating biomarkers is still very limited in the real clinical practice, mainly due to the huge heterogeneity among the techniques, the lack of consensus, and the limited number of patients included in these previous studies. In this work, we review the pros and cons of the different proposed biomarkers, such as soluble PD-L1, circulating non-coding RNA, circulating immune cells, peripheral blood cytokines, and ctDNA, obtained from liquid biopsy to predict response to ICI treatment at baseline and to monitor changes in tumor and tumor microenvironment during the course of the treatment in NSCLC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While promising, PD-L1 expression on tumor tissues as assessed by immunohistochemistry has been shown to be an imperfect biomarker that only applies to a limited number of cancers, whereas many patients with PD-L1-negative tumors still respond to anti-PD-(L)1 immunotherapy. Recent studies using patient blood samples to assess immunotherapeutic responsiveness suggests a promising approach to the identification of novel and/or improved biomarkers for anti-PD-(L)1 immunotherapy. In this review, we discuss the advances in our evolving understanding of the regulation and function of PD-L1 expression, which is the foundation for developing blood-based PD-L1 as a biomarker for anti-PD-(L)1 immunotherapy. We further discuss current knowledge and clinical study results for biomarker identification using PD-L1 expression on tumor and immune cells, exosomes, and soluble forms of PD-L1 in the peripheral blood. Finally, we discuss key challenges for the successful development of the potential use of blood-based PD-L1 as a biomarker for anti-PD-(L)1 immunotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Cancer remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality for millions of people across the globe. While immunotherapy using immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) is revolutionizing the cancer field, the therapy many a times fails in numerous patients and is accompanied with life threatening side effects. In this review, we have highlighted the necessity for robust and sensitive biomarkers that can identify patients most likely to respond to immunotherapy and further to dynamically monitor treatment effects in a real-time manner. Specifically, we focused on non-invasive liquid biopsy derived circulatory tumour DNA, circulatory tumour cells, and immune cells-based biomarkers. We concluded that emerging efforts will soon help standardise and overcome the associated challenges in the use of liquid biopsy approaches. In the near future these approaches will guide routine clinical decisions for immune therapy. Immunotherapy (IO), involving the use of immune checkpoint inhibition, achieves improved response-rates and significant disease-free survival for some cancer patients. Despite these beneficial effects, there is poor predictability of response and substantial rates of innate or acquired resistance, resulting in heterogeneous responses among patients. In addition, patients can develop life-threatening adverse events, and while these generally occur in patients that also show a tumor response, these outcomes are not always congruent. Therefore, predicting a response to IO is of paramount importance. Traditionally, tumor tissue analysis has been used for this purpose. However, minimally invasive liquid biopsies that monitor changes in blood or other bodily fluid markers are emerging as a promising cost-effective alternative. Traditional biomarkers have limitations mainly due to difficulty in repeatedly obtaining tumor tissue confounded also by the spatial and temporal heterogeneity of tumours. Liquid biopsy has the potential to circumvent tumor heterogeneity and to help identifying patients who may respond to IO, to monitor the treatment dynamically, as well as to unravel the mechanisms of relapse. We present here a review of the current status of molecular markers for the prediction and monitoring of IO response, focusing on the detection of these markers in liquid biopsies. With the emerging improvements in the field of liquid biopsy, this approach has the capacity to identify IO-eligible patients and provide clinically relevant information to assist with their ongoing disease management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new fluorescent di-imine compound containing two naphthalene groups has been synthesized by classical Schiff-base reaction between 2,2′-[1,3-phenylenebis- (methyleneoxy)]dibenzaldehyde and 1-naphthylmethylamine. The new bischromophoric compound has been characterised by IR, NMR and MALDI-TOF MS spectroscopy. The photophysical characterization was carried out by UV-vis and fluorescence emission spectroscopy, using chloroform. The monomer and excimer bands, typical for the naphthalene in solution, are present in the emission spectra for the compound. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transportable boiler plants are widespread in the northern regions of the Russian Federation and have a large and stable demand in various spheres of life. The equipment used and the schemes of existing boiler plants are outdated—they require replacement and modernization. Our proposed new installation includes a coil type steam boiler and ancillary equipment designed with the identified deficiencies in mind. The steam boiler coils are coaxial cylinders. The scope of the modernized transportable boiler plant is an oil field in the subarctic continental climate. The work is aimed at completing an experimental and theoretical study of the operation of a coil type steam boilers under real operating conditions. Experimental data on the operation of boiler plants are presented. The dependences of the fuel consumption of boiler plants on the temperature and pressure of the coolant are obtained. Statistical analysis is applied to the collected data. Conclusions are formulated and a promising direction is laid out for further research and improvement of coil type steam boilers. Equations are proposed for calculating the convective component of radiant-convective heat transfer in gas ducts, taking into account the design features of boiler units by introducing new correction factors. Comparison of the calculated and experimental data showed their satisfactory agreement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We review the preparation of new compounds with good solution and cell uptake properties that can selectively recognize mixed A·T and G·C bp sequences of DNA. Our underlying aim is to show that these new compounds provide important new biotechnology reagents as well as a new class of therapeutic candidates with better properties and development potential than other currently available agents. In this review, entirely different ways to recognize mixed sequences of DNA by modifying AT selective heterocyclic cations are described. To selectively recognize a G·C base pair an H-bond acceptor must be incorporated with AT recognizing groups as with netropsin. We have used pyridine, azabenzimidazole and thiophene-N-methylbenzimidazole GC recognition units in modules crafted with both rational design and empirical optimization. These modules can selectively and strongly recognize a single G·C base pair in an AT sequence context. In some cases, a relatively simple change in substituents can convert a heterocyclic module from AT to GC recognition selectivity. Synthesis and DNA interaction results for initial example lead modules are described for single G·C base pair recognition compounds. The review concludes with a description of the initial efforts to prepare larger compounds to recognize sequences of DNA with more than one G·C base pairs. The challenges and initial successes are described along with future directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]