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The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of perioperative nutritional therapy care in gastrointestinal (esophageal, gastric, gastroesophageal) cancer patients on nutritional status and disease progression (complications, hospitalization, mortality). We considered 62 gastrointestinal cancer patients treated at the Center for Integrated Oncology (CIO), University Hospital Bonn, Germany (August 2017–July 2019). Of these, 42 patients (as intervention group: IG) received pre- and postoperative nutritional support with counseling, while 20 patients (as historical control group CG) received only postoperative nutritional therapy. Several clinical parameters, such as Body Mass Index (BMI), nutritional risk screening (NRS), phase angle, postoperative complications, length of hospital stay, and mortality, were determined. There were significantly fewer patients with gastric cancer/CDH1 gene mutation and more with esophageal cancer in IG (p = 0.001). Significantly more patients received neoadjuvant therapy in IG (p = 0.036). No significant differences were found between the groups regarding BMI, NRS, complications, length of hospital stay, and mortality. However, the comparison of post- and preoperative parameters in IG showed a tendency to lose 1.74 kg of weight (p = 0.046), a decrease in phase angle by 0.59° (p = 0.004), and an increase in NRS of 1.34 points (p < 0.001). Contrary to prior reports, we found no significant effect of perioperative nutritional therapy care in gastrointestinal cancer patients; however, the small cohort size and infrequent standardization in nutritional status may possibly account for the variance. Considering that oncological pathways and metabolic nutritional pathways are interrelated, dividing patients into subgroups to provide a personalized nutritional approach may help in improving their treatment.

Dwindling water sources increase the need for efficient wastewater treatment. Solar-driven algal turf scrubber (ATS) system may remediate wastewater by supporting the development and growth of periphytic microbiomes that function and interact in a highly dynamic manner through symbiotic interactions. Using ITS and 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, we profiled the microbial communities of four microbial biofilms from ATS systems operated with municipal wastewater (mWW), diluted cattle and pig manure (CattleM and PigM), and biogas plant effluent supernatant (BGE) in comparison to the initial inocula and the respective wastewater substrates. The wastewater-driven biofilms differed significantly in their biodiversity and structure, exhibiting an inocula-independent but substrate-dependent establishment of the microbial communities. The prokaryotic communities were comparable among themselves and with other microbiomes of aquatic environments and were dominated by metabolically flexible prokaryotes such as nitrifiers, polyphosphate-accumulating and algicide-producing microorganisms, and anoxygenic photoautotrophs. Striking differences occurred in eukaryotic communities: While the mWW biofilm was characterized by high biodiversity and many filamentous (benthic) microalgae, the agricultural wastewater-fed biofilms consisted of less diverse communities with few benthic taxa mainly inhabited by unicellular chlorophytes and saprophytes/parasites. This study advances our understanding of the microbiome structure and function within the ATS-based wastewater treatment process.

Carboxymethyl-dextran (CMD)-coated iron oxide nanoparticles (IONs) are of great interest in nanomedicine, especially for applications in drug delivery. To develop a magnetically controlled drug delivery system, many factors must be considered, including the composition, surface properties, size and agglomeration, magnetization, cytocompatibility, and drug activity. This study reveals how the CMD coating thickness can influence these particle properties. ION@CMD are synthesized by co-precipitation. A higher quantity of CMD leads to a thicker coating and a reduced superparamagnetic core size with decreasing magnetization. Above 12.5–25.0 g L−1 of CMD, the particles are colloidally stable. All the particles show hydrodynamic diameters < 100 nm and a good cell viability in contact with smooth muscle cells, fulfilling two of the most critical characteristics of drug delivery systems. New insights into the significant impact of agglomeration on the magnetophoretic behavior are shown. Remarkable drug loadings (62%) with the antimicrobial peptide lasioglossin and an excellent efficiency (82.3%) were obtained by covalent coupling with the EDC/NHS (N-ethyl-N′-(3-(dimethylamino)propyl)carbodiimide/N-hydroxysuccinimide) method in comparison with the adsorption method (24% drug loading, 28% efficiency). The systems showed high antimicrobial activity with a minimal inhibitory concentration of 1.13 µM (adsorption) and 1.70 µM (covalent). This system successfully combines an antimicrobial peptide with a magnetically controllable drug carrier.

Background Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) is an increasingly performed operation for morbid obesity worldwide. To date there has been limited experience in Canada. We report our intermediate results, assessing whether LSG can be safely performed at a Canadian academic teaching hospital and whether it is effective as a bariatric procedure and as metabolic therapy for type 2 diabetes mellitus. Methods We performed a retrospective review of all patients who underwent LSG at our institution from Sept. 1, 2007, to June 30, 2011. Results We included 166 patients (mean age 44 yr, 82% female) in our study. The mean preoperative body mass index was 49.61. At baseline, 87 (52%) patients had type 2 diabetes. For this subgroup, mean preoperative HbA1c and AC glucose were 7.6% and 8.3 mmol/L, respectively. The mean duration of surgery was 93 minutes. Major complications included 1 staple line leak (0.6%), and 2 patients required reintervention for bleeding (1.2%). The mean hospital stay was 2.6 days. Two patients required readmission (1.2%). Seven minor complications occurred (4%). Postoperative excess weight loss was 49.3% at 6 months, 54.2% at 12 months and 64.4% at 24 months. In the type 2 diabetes subgroup, resolution occurred in 78% and improvement in 7% of patients at 12 months. Conclusion Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy can be safely performed at Canadian teaching hospitals. It is effective both as a bariatric procedure and as a therapeutic intervention for type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) is an increasingly performed operation for morbid obesity worldwide. To date there has been limited experience in Canada. We report our intermediate results, assessing whether LSG can be safely performed at a Canadian academic teaching hospital and whether it is effective as a bariatric procedure and as metabolic therapy for type 2 diabetes mellitus. We performed a retrospective review of all patients who underwent LSG at our institution from Sept. 1, 2007, to June 30, 2011. We included 166 patients (mean age 44 yr, 82% female) in our study. The mean preoperative body mass index was 49.61. At baseline, 87 (52%) patients had type 2 diabetes. For this subgroup, mean preoperative HbA1c and AC glucose were 7.6% and 8.3mmol/L, respectively. The mean duration of surgery was 93 minutes. Major complications included 1 staple line leak (0.6%), and 2 patients required reintervention for bleeding (1.2%). The mean hospital stay was 2.6 days. Two patients required readmission (1.2%). Seven minor complications occurred (4%). Postoperative excess weight loss was 49.3% at 6 months, 54.2% at 12 months and 64.4% at 24 months. In the type 2 diabetes subgroup, resolution occurred in 78% and improvement in 7% of patients at 12 months. Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy can be safely performed at Canadian teaching hospitals. It is effective both as a bariatric procedure and as a therapeutic intervention for type 2 diabetes mellitus. La gastrectomie verticale par laparoscopie (GVL) est une intervention de plus en plus utilisée pour traiter l’obésité morbide partout dans le monde. À ce jour, au Canada, l’expérience en a été limitée. Nous faisons état de nos résultats intérimaires et nous évaluons si la GVL peut être effectuée de manière sécuritaire dans un hôpital d’enseignement universitaire canadien et si elle est efficace en tant qu’intervention bariatrique et comme traitement métabolique du diabète de type 2. Nous avons procédé à une revue rétrospective des dossiers de tous les patients qui ont subi une GVL dans notre établissement entre le 1er septembre 2007 et le 30 juin 2011. Nous avons ainsi inclus 166 patients (âge moyen 44 ans, 82 % de femmes) dans notre étude. L’indice de masse corporelle préopératoire moyen était de 49,61. Au départ, 87 patients (52 %) souffraient de diabète de type 2. Pour ce sous-groupe, l’HbA1c et la glycémie à jeun préopératoires moyennes étaient respectivement de 7,6 % et de 8,3mmol/L. La durée moyenne de la chirurgie a été de 93 minutes. Les complications majeures ont inclus une fuite au niveau de la ligne d’agrafage (0,6 %) et on a dû réintervenir chez 2 patients en raison de saignements (1,2 %). Le séjour hospitalier moyen a été de 2,6 jours. Deux patients ont dû être réadmis (1,2 %). Sept complications mineures sont survenues (4 %). La perte de poids excédentaire postopératoire a été de 49,3 % à 6 mois, de 54,2 % à 12 mois et de 64,4 % à 24 mois. Dans le sous-groupe atteint de diabète de type 2, la résolution est survenue chez 78 % des patients et une amélioration, chez 7 % des patients à 12 mois. La gastrectomie verticale par laparoscopie peut être effectuée de façon sécuritaire dans les hôpitaux universitaires canadiens. Il s’agit à la fois d’une intervention bariatrique et d’un traitement pour le diabète de type 2.

Iron oxide nanoparticles (IONs) are of great interest in nanomedicine for imaging, drug delivery, or for hyperthermia treatment. Although many research groups have focused on the synthesis and application of IONs in nanomedicine, little is known about the influence of the surface properties on the particles’ behavior in the human body. This study analyzed the impact of standard coating materials (dextran, polyvinyl alcohol, polylactide-co-glycolide) with an improved experimental setting on the IONs’ cytocompatibility, degradation, and agglomeration profile and their oxidative stress. All particles, including bare IONs (BIONs), showed good cytocompatibility (>70%) with smooth muscle cells. The polyvinyl alcohol coating led to the least agglomeration over a pH range from 4 to 10 in water. Small-angle X-ray scattering profiles could visualize aggregation and primary particle sizes around 20 nm for BIONs and dextran-coated IONs. A combined experimental setup of dynamic light scattering and phenanthroline assay was used to analyze the long-term agglomeration and degradation profile of IONs in simulated body fluids, allowing fast screening of multiple candidates. All particles degraded in simulated endosomal and lysosomal fluid, confirming the pH-dependent dissolution. The degradation rate decreased with the shrinking size of particles leading to a plateau. The fastest Fe2+ release could be measured for the polyvinyl-coated IONs. The analytical setup is ideal for a quick preclinical study of IONs, giving often neglected yet crucial information about the behavior and toxicity of nanoparticles in the human body.