Effectiveness of High Power Ultrasound for Surimi-Based Preparation of Lionfish (Pterois volitans) Patties by Textural,Sensory and Shape Preference

Lionfish is an invasive and predatory species with low local consumption due to a lack of culinary knowledge of its preparation. A new way to prepare lionfish was proposed to increase variety and provide added value. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of high power ultrasound application on the textural properties measured by the texture profile analysis, sensory attributes, and shape preference of surimi patties (rounded and square) made from lionfish. Patties were prepared using lionfish surimi processed with ultrasound (37 kHz; 150 W), sodium citrate (0.3%), sucrose (1%), and salt (2%). Ultrasound exposure increased the hardness of the patties by 35.1%, decreased cohesiveness by 89.7%, and decreased the chewiness by 49.1%. Results show that high power ultrasound showed potential as an environmentally friendly technology to create surimi as a base for patties with sensory and textural appropriateness, increasing the potential culinary applications of lionfish.     

Ethylmercury and Hg2+ induce the formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) by human neutrophil granulocytes

Humans are exposed to different mercurial compounds from various sources, most frequently from dental fillings, preservatives in vaccines, or consumption of fish. Among other toxic effects, these substances interact with the immune system. In high doses, mercurials are immunosuppressive. However, lower doses of some mercurials stimulate the immune system, inducing different forms of autoimmunity, autoantibodies, and glomerulonephritis in rodents. Furthermore, some studies suggest a connection between mercury exposure and the occurrence of autoantibodies against nuclear components and granulocyte cytoplasmic proteins in humans. Still, the underlying mechanisms need to be clarified. The present study investigates the formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) in response to thimerosal and its metabolites ethyl mercury (EtHg), thiosalicylic acid, and mercuric ions (Hg²⁺). Only EtHg and Hg²⁺ triggered NETosis. It was independent of PKC, ERK1/2, p38, and zinc signals and not affected by the NADPH oxidase inhibitor DPI. Instead, EtHg and Hg²⁺ triggered NADPH oxidase-independent production of ROS, which are likely to be involved in mercurial-induced NET formation. This finding might help understanding the autoimmune potential of mercurial compounds. Some diseases, to which a connection with mercurials has been shown, such as Wegener’s granulomatosis and systemic lupus erythematosus, are characterized by high prevalence of autoantibodies against neutrophil-specific auto-antigens. Externalization in the form of NETs may be a source for exposure to these self-antigens. In genetically susceptible individuals, this could be one step in the series of events leading to autoimmunity.     

Metastatic adult-type non-rhabdomyosarcoma soft tissue sarcomas in children and adolescents: A cohort study from the European paediatric Soft tissue sarcoma Study Group

Background

Limited data exist on the clinical behavior of pediatric non-rhabdomyosarcoma soft tissue sarcomas (NRSTS) with distant metastases at onset, and a clear standard of care has not yet been defined.

Methods

This cohort study reports on pediatric adult-type metastatic NRSTS enrolled in two concurrent prospective European studies, i.e., the randomized BERNIE study and the single-arm MTS 2008 study developed by the European paediatric Soft tissue sarcoma Study Group. Treatment programs were originally designed for patients with metastatic rhabdomyosarcoma, i.e., nine courses of multidrug chemotherapy (with or without bevacizumab in the BERNIE study), followed by 12 cycles of maintenance therapy, whereas radiotherapy and/or surgery (on primary tumor and/or metastases) were delayed until after seven courses of chemotherapy had been administered.

Results

The study included 61 patients <21 years old treated from July 2008 to December 2016. The lung was the site of metastases in 75% of the cases. All patients received multi-agent chemotherapy, 44% had local therapy to primary tumor, and 18% had treatment of metastases. Median time to progression/relapse was 6 months. A high rate of tumor progression was observed during the initial part of the chemotherapy program. With a median follow-up of 41.5 months (range, 2–111 months), 3-year event-free survival and overall survival were 15.4% (95% confidence interval [CI], 7.6–25.7) and 34.9% (95% CI, 22.7–47.5), respectively. There were no statistically significant differences in outcome depending on the type of treatment administered.

Conclusions

The study confirmed the overall poor outcome for patients with metastatic NRSTS, whose treatment remains a challenge.

Plain Language Summary

• Pediatric non-rhabdomyosarcoma soft tissue sarcomas form a heterogeneous group of rare tumors.
• Although recent international studies have defined the standard of care for patients with localized disease, limited data are available on the clinical behavior of patients with distant metastases.
• This study on 61 metastatic cases treated on two prospective European protocols confirms that the chances of survival of such patients are often dismal and a standard treatment is still lacking.