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Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is an immune-mediated inflammatory disorder of the central nervous system. It is characterized by concurrent inflammation and demyelination of the optic nerve (optic neuritis [ON]) and the spinal cord (myelitis). Multiple studies show variations in prevalence, clinical, and demographic features of NMO among different populations. In addition, ethnicity and race are known as important factors on disease phenotype and clinical outcomes. There are little data on information about NMO patients in underserved groups, including Puerto Rico (PR). In this research, we will provide a comprehensive overview of all aspects of NMO, including epidemiology, environmental risk factors, genetic factors, molecular mechanism, symptoms, comorbidities and clinical differentiation, diagnosis, treatment, its management, and prognosis. We will also evaluate the demographic features and clinical phenotype of NMO patients in PR. This will provide a better understanding of NMO and establish a basis of knowledge that can be used to improve care. Furthermore, this type of population-based study can distinguish the clinical features variation among NMO patients and will provide insight into the potential mechanisms that cause these variations.

Geographic separation that leads to the evolution of reproductive isolation between populations generally is considered the most common form of speciation. However, speciation may also occur in the absence of geographic barriers due to phenotypic and genotypic factors such as chemical cue divergence, mating signal divergence, and mitonuclear conflict. Here, we performed an integrative study based on two genome‐wide techniques (3RAD and ultraconserved elements) coupled with cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) and mitochondrial (mt) DNA sequence data, to assess the species limits within the Ectatomma ruidum species complex, a widespread and conspicuous group of Neotropical ants for which heteroplasmy (i.e., presence of multiple mtDNA variants in an individual) has been recently discovered in some populations from southeast Mexico. Our analyses indicate the existence of at least five distinct species in this complex: two widely distributed across the Neotropics, and three that are restricted to southeast Mexico and that apparently have high levels of heteroplasmy. We found that species boundaries in the complex did not coincide with geographic barriers. We therefore consider possible roles of alternative drivers that may have promoted the observed patterns of speciation, including mitonuclear incompatibility, CHC differentiation, and colony structure. Our study highlights the importance of simultaneously assessing different sources of evidence to disentangle the species limits of taxa with complicated evolutionary histories. We employed different sources of molecular information in order to assess the species limits of a taxonomically problematic Neotropical ant species complex. We found that species boundaries in this group do not coincide with geographic barriers, and therefore we suggest alternative drivers that may have promoted the observed patterns of speciation, including mitonuclear incompatibility, cuticular hydrocarbon differentiation, and colony structure.

A major limitation to developing chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapies for solid tumors is identifying surface proteins highly expressed in tumors but not in normal tissues. Here, we identify Tyrosinase Related Protein 1 (TYRP1) as a CAR-T cell therapy target to treat patients with cutaneous and rare melanoma subtypes unresponsive to immune checkpoint blockade. TYRP1 is primarily located intracellularly in the melanosomes, with a small fraction being trafficked to the cell surface via vesicular transport. We develop a highly sensitive CAR-T cell therapy that detects surface TYRP1 in tumor cells with high TYRP1 overexpression and presents antitumor activity in vitro and in vivo in murine and patient-derived cutaneous, acral and uveal melanoma models. Furthermore, no systemic or off-tumor severe toxicities are observed in an immunocompetent murine model. The efficacy and safety profile of the TYRP1 CAR-T cell therapy supports the ongoing preparation of a phase I clinical trial. A main challenge for the use of CAR-T in solid tumours is the identification of surface proteins as feasible targets. Here, the authors show TYRP1 as a target for CAR-T cell therapy in preclinical models of cutaneous, acral and uveal melanoma.

Water consumption in adults usually reaches lower levels than the recommendations, and evidence of the beverage consumption habits of women in the stages around menopause is scarce. The aim of this study was to assess the consumption of beverages and to determine how physical, psychological, and environmental factors modify the hydration habits of reproductive-age and postmenopausal women in the northeast of Mexico. We carried out a cross-sectional study of 40–65-year-old female (n = 690) residents in the metropolitan area of Monterrey, Nuevo León state, Mexico, who were classified as reproductive (n = 263) and postmenopausal (n = 427). Anthropometrics, including body composition, beverage consumption, physical activity, and physical, psychological, and environmental factors, were assessed. There were no differences between the BMI and waist-to-height ratio of reproductive-age and postmenopausal women. The total daily beverage consumption did not differ between reproductive-age and postmenopausal women, with an average beverage consumption of 2723–2915 g/day. A third of the women studied consumed less than 1.5 L/day, and another third—mainly the younger participants—consumed between 1.5 and 2.0 L/day. The most consumed beverage was plain water, followed by regular soda, flavored beverages, coffee, and diet soda. Consumption of regular soda, flavored beverages, and milk was higher among reproductive-age women. The postmenopausal women indicated a higher consumption of plain water and juices. Similar effects of physical and psychological factors and environmental temperature on the beverage consumption of reproductive and postmenopausal women were observed. Physical activity, maximum daily temperature, and body composition were the factors that conditioned beverage intake.

Castleman disease (CD) is a rare lymphoproliferative disorder characterized by localized (unicentric) or systemic (multicentric) lymphadenopathy. This study presents a unique case of a 29-year-old female with a rare pelvic presentation of unicentric Castleman disease, specifically the hyaline vascular variant. Despite surgical resection, an unresectable residual lesion prompted adjuvant radiotherapy and subsequent chemotherapy. The literature highlights surgical resection as the primary treatment for localized Castleman disease; however, radiotherapy and combined chemotherapy regimens like cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (CHOP) have shown promise in unresectable cases, emphasizing a multidisciplinary approach. This case underscores the importance of tailoring treatment strategies for uncommon Castleman disease presentations.

Musculoskeletal disorders are a major cause of disability worldwide, significantly impacting office workers due to prolonged sitting and lack of movement. Implementing therapeutic exercise interventions in the workplace has been identified as a feasible and cost-effective strategy to address spinal pain. However, understanding workers' perspectives and workplace barriers is essential for designing effective interventions. This study aims to develop and evaluate a web-based workplace intervention with active breaks to reduce spinal pain among office workers. This study follows a sequential exploratory mixed-methods design. The qualitative phase will use semi-structured interviews with office workers to explore their experiences with spinal pain, active breaks, and perceived barriers to implementation. These findings will inform the development of a six-week web-based therapeutic exercise intervention, which will be evaluated through a two-arm cluster randomised controlled trial. The trial will compare an intervention group performing structured active breaks during work hours with a control group maintaining their usual routine. Primary outcomes include pain intensity (Visual Analogue Scale), spinal dysfunction (Spine Functional Index), and adherence to the program. Secondary outcomes include quality of life (EQ-5D-5L) and exercise motivation (Behavioural Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire-2). Statistical analyses will compare within- and between-group differences to assess the intervention's effectiveness. Web-based interventions can enhance adherence to active breaks and provide an accessible, cost-effective solution for spinal pain management in sedentary workplaces. By adopting a mixed-methods approach, this study will generate valuable insights into implementing workplace exercise interventions, taking into account workers' expectations, workplace context, and adherence factors. Findings may inform future interventions aimed at managing musculoskeletal disorders in office workers. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05571124.

ObjectiveTo determine the effectiveness of workplace exercise interventions in the treatment of musculoskeletal disorders.DesignSystematic review of randomised controlled trials (RCTs).Data sourcesThe bibliographical databases PubMed, CINAHL Plus, Cochrane, Scopus, ISI WoS and PeDRO were searched, with studies from 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2020 eligible for inclusion.Eligibility criteriaWe included RCTs, reported in English or Spanish, with at least an intervention group performing workplace exercises among office workers with musculoskeletal disorders.Data extraction and synthesisTwo independent reviewers extracted data and assessed the risk of bias. A narrative synthesis was carried out with a tabular method specifying the study characteristics following the SWiM (Synthesis Without Meta-Analysis) guideline for synthesis without meta-analysis. The revised Cochrane Risk of Bias (RoB-2) tool was used to analyse the risk of bias of the included studies.ResultsSeven studies with a total of 967 participants met the inclusion criteria and were included in this review. Due to heterogeneity in different workplace exercise interventions, outcome measures and statistical analyses, it was not possible to conduct a meta-analysis and a narrative synthesis was performed. The interventions were classified into three categories: multiple body regions, neck and shoulder, and lower back. The seven studies concluded that workplace exercise interventions were effective in reducing musculoskeletal disorders and pain compared with other types of interventions or with control groups with no interventions. The RoB-2 tool found a high risk of bias in six of the seven studies.ConclusionsThe findings of the RCTs on workplace exercise interventions suggest that interventions were effective in treating musculoskeletal disorders among office workers. However, due to the high risk of bias of the included studies, no firm conclusions could be drawn and more high-quality studies are needed.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42020177462.

Totally implantable central venous catheters (CVCs) are widely used in the management of patients with malignant diseases. Conventionally, port implantations were carried out by general surgeons and vascular radiologists. In recent years, the medical staff of the Medical Oncology department at the Central University Hospital of Asturias (HUCA) has developed a simplified methodology for the routine implantation of these devices. The aim of this study was to review our experience of CVCs and analyze the outcomes regarding catheter duration, complications, and cost comparison with respect to conventional port implantation by vascular radiologists. An observational epidemiological study was conducted, analyzing the methodology performed in a non-surgical, outpatient setting utilizing the Seldinger technique, without fluoroscopic control. A thorax X-ray was performed after each procedure and no prophylactic antibiotics were required. From January 2015 to March 2019, five hundred port systems were implanted, with a median age of 62 years (range 18–81), male 286/female 214. Most patients had a digestive tumor (79.4%). The right jugular vein was the most accessed in 345 patients (69%), followed by right subclavian in 144 (29%). Complications were observed in 49 patients (9.8%), immediate in 16 (3.2%), and late in 33 (6.6%). Thirty-nine devices were removed (7.8%). The cost incurred for port implantations by medical oncologists was lower (994.38 € cheaper for each device) compared to those implanted by vascular radiologists. Our experience suggests that implantation of port devices by medical oncologist in a non-surgical environment is safe and cost saving regarding conventional procedures.

An amine-functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) was prepared for use as a basic heterogeneous catalyst for the conversion of Cocos nucifera (coconut) oil and Hibiscus cannabinus (kenaf) oil to biodiesel. The 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (3-APTMS) was chosen to form an amine-reactive surface to bind with hydroxyl (−OH) and carboxyl (−COOH) groups of oxidized MWCNT. Silanization took place using a green surface modification method in which supercritical carbon dioxide fluid was utilized under the following conditions: 55 °C, 9 MPa, and 1 h. The synthesized catalyst was characterized using Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), Field emission scanning electron microscopy–energy dispersive x-ray (FESEM-EDX), Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), and Brunauer–Emmett-Teller (BET). Transesterification of coconut oil using 10 wt% NH2-MWCNT catalyst (3 wt% APTMS), 12:1 molar ratio of methanol and oil at 63 °C for 1 h resulted in a >95% conversion. On the other hand, the same catalyst was used in the transesterification of kenaf oil, and formation of ammonium carboxylated salt was observed. The effects of temperature, pressure, and silane concentration on surface modification of MWCNT were evaluated in terms of the catalyst’s basic site density and fatty acid methyl ester conversion. The results indicate that reaction temperature and silane concentration had the most significant effects. Copyright © 2022 by Authors, Published by BCREC Group. This is an open access article under the CC BY-SA License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0).