Are commercial warming kits interchangeable for vitrified human blastocysts? Further evidence for the adoption of a Universal Warming protocol

Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics - To study whether a new combination of different warming kits is clinically effective for vitrified human blastocysts. This is a longitudinal cohort...     

Prevalence of Chikungunya,Dengue and Zika viruses in blood donors: a systematic literature review and meta-analysis

BackgroundBlood transfusion centres should understand the epidemiology of emerging diseases that are transmissible through the transfusion of blood components. The risk of transmission of arboviruses through this route has become apparent in recent years. The aim of our study is to summarise the reported prevalence (viraemic rate, seroprevalence and/or antigen detection) of Chikungunya (CHIKV), Dengue (DENV) and Zika (ZIKV) viruses in blood donors according to screening test used and world region.Materials and methodsWe conducted a systematic literature review and meta-analysis having searched for information in the main bibliographic databases (MEDLINE, Embase, and Scopus). The prevalence for each of the viruses was calculated according to the screening test used and geographic location.ResultsWe included 18 records on CHIKV, 71 on DENV, and 27 on ZIKV. The highest prevalences of RNA for CHIKV were 1.9% in Puerto Rico (2014), 1.0% in Thailand (2009), and 1.0% in French Polynesia (2014–15). The highest prevalences of RNA for DENV were 5.5% in Saudi Arabia (2015–16), 2.3% in Madeira, Portugal (2012–13), and 0.6% in Brazil (2012). The highest prevalences of RNA for ZIKV were 2.8% in French Polynesia (2013–14), 2.7% in Brazil (2015–16), and 1.8% in Martinique (2016). Overall seroprevalence, as assessed by IgG antibodies, was 21.6% for CHIKV, 24.0% for DENV, and 5.1% for ZIKV.DiscussionOur study shows a high proportion of donors who are viraemic and asymptomatic, especially during outbreaks, with prevalences surpassing 5% for DENV, 1% for CHIKV, and 2% for ZIKV. These data confirm a clear threat to blood transfusion safety. The elevated seroprevalence for these three arboviruses is also indicative of their wide circulation in populations, correlating with an increased risk of infected but asymptomatic donors. Health centres and institutions must address this threat, especially in tropical regions where the biggest outbreaks occur.     

A scoring system for AML patients aged 70 years or older,eligible for intensive chemotherapy: a study based on a large European data set using the DATAML,SAL, and PETHEMA registries

In a context of therapeutic revolution in older adults with AML, it is becoming increasingly important to select patients for the various treatment options by taking account of short-term efficacy and toxicity as well as long-term survival. Here, the data from three European registries for 1,199 AML patients aged 70 years or older treated with intensive chemotherapy were used to develop a prognostic scoring system. The median follow-up was 50.8 months. In the training set of 636 patients, age, performance status, secondary AML, leukocytosis, and cytogenetics, as well as NPM1 mutations (without FLT3-ITD), were all significantly associated with overall survival, albeit not to the same degree. These factors were used to develop a score that predicts long-term overall survival. Three risk-groups were identified: a lower, intermediate and higher-risk score with predicted 5-year overall survival (OS) probabilities of ≥12% (n = 283, 51%; median OS = 18 months), 3–12% (n = 226, 41%; median OS = 9 months) and <3% (n = 47, 8%; median OS = 3 months), respectively. This scoring system was also significantly associated with complete remission, early death and relapse-free survival; performed similarly in the external validation cohort (n = 563) and showed a lower false-positive rate than previously published scores. The European Scoring System ≥70, easy for routine calculation, predicts long-term survival in older AML patients considered for intensive chemotherapy.Subject terms: Acute myeloid leukaemia, Risk factors     

Synthesis and purification of the aflatoxin B1-lysine adduct

This work reports the chemical synthesis of aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁)-lysine based on procedures available in the literature, but using lysine without a protection group in the α-amine group. AFB₁-exo-8,9-epoxide was obtained by epoxidation of AFB₁ with chloroperoxybenzoic acid in dichloromethane and phosphate buffer. Purification and identification of the AFB₁-lysine were conducted by liquid chromatography (LC), and its structure was confirmed by LC with mass spectrometer and diode-array detection. The preparation of AFB₁-lysine using lysine without a protection group in the α-amine group was completed in 24?h, being a practical modification of available methods that can be reproduced in analytical laboratories.     

Sex-Dependent Effects of the Intake of NOVA Classified Ultra-Processed Foods on Syndrome Metabolic Components in Brazilian Adults

Longitudinal studies evaluating the relationship between UPF consumption and the incidence of Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) and its components are still scarce. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of UPF consumption on the incidence of MetS and its components in adults. A prospective study was conducted with 896 participants from the 1978/79 Ribeirão Preto cohort, São Paulo, Brazil. UPF consumption was evaluated in %kcal and %g at ages 23–25 years. Incidence of MetS and its components were estimated at ages 37–39 years, according to the Joint Interim Statement criteria. Poisson regression was used to assess associations, and interactions with sex were investigated. UPF consumption had no association with MetS (%kcal Adjusted PR: 1.00; 95% CI: 0.99–1.01; %g Adjusted PR: 1.00; 95% CI: 0.99–1.01). However, women with higher UPF consumption, in %kcal and %g, had a higher risk of abdominal obesity (%kcal: p = 0.030; %g: p = 0.003); and women with higher UPF consumption, in %g, had a higher risk of low HDL-cholesterol (p = 0.041). For the other components of MetS, no significant associations were observed in either sex. These findings suggest evidence of no association between UPF consumption and MetS; however, consumption of UPF was associated with increased WC and low HDL-c, but only in women.     

Eating Habits in Patients with Familial Hypercholesterolemia from North-Eastern Romania

(1) Background: Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is a genetic autosomal dominant disorder characterized by elevated levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) that develops deposits of lipids in the arterial wall. Since it is underdiagnosed and undertreated, the disease has a high risk of premature cardiovascular disease and death. Patients are not always aware of the changes they should make in their diet. Thus, our study aimed to evaluate through a food frequency questionnaire their eating habits. (2) Methods: We included 70 patients with FH and 20 subjects in a control group that were evaluated through a physical examination and blood tests. They also completed a food frequency questionnaire. (3) Results: Throughout our study, we observed several aspects: regardless of age, patients with FH had higher carbohydrate intakes compared to the control group; from the same group, a positive correlation was observed between salami intake and the levels of glucose and glycated hemoglobin. Moreover, the sour cream preference was associated with higher liver function tests. In the control group, we observed a higher intake of pasta and fast food and fewer fruit portions. (4) Conclusions: As far as we know, this is the first study from Romania that evaluated the eating habits of patients diagnosed with FH. Our study reveals that, although patients with FH avoid junk food, they still have a high intake of carbohydrates when compared to the control group. Further research is needed in order to get a comprehensive nutritional evaluation of these patients.     

Epigenome Modulation Induced by Ketogenic Diets

Ketogenic diets (KD) are dietary strategies low in carbohydrates, normal in protein, and high, normal, or reduced in fat with or without (Very Low-Calories Ketogenic Diet, VLCKD) a reduced caloric intake. KDs have been shown to be useful in the treatment of obesity, metabolic diseases and related disorders, neurological diseases, and various pathological conditions such as cancer, nonalcoholic liver disease, and chronic pain. Several studies have investigated the intracellular metabolic pathways that contribute to the beneficial effects of these diets. Although epigenetic changes are among the most important determinants of an organism’s ability to adapt to environmental changes, data on the epigenetic changes associated with these dietary pathways are still limited. This review provides an overview of the major epigenetic changes associated with KDs.     

Insights into pediatric rhabdomyosarcoma research: Challenges and goals

Overall survival rates for pediatric patients with high‐risk or relapsed rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) have not improved significantly since the 1980s. Recent studies have identified a number of targetable vulnerabilities in RMS, but these discoveries have infrequently translated into clinical trials. We propose streamlining the process by which agents are selected for clinical evaluation in RMS. We believe that strong consideration should be given to the development of combination therapies that add biologically targeted agents to conventional cytotoxic drugs. One example of this type of combination is the addition of the WEE1 inhibitor AZD1775 to the conventional cytotoxic chemotherapeutics, vincristine and irinotecan.