Variations of organic functional chemistry in carbonaceous matter from the asteroid 162173 Ryugu.

Primordial carbon delivered to the early earth by asteroids and meteorites provided a diverse source of extraterrestrial organics from pre-existing simple organic compounds, complex solar-irradiated macromolecules, and macromolecules from extended hydrothermal processing. Surface regolith collected by the Hayabusa2 spacecraft from the carbon-rich asteroid 162173 Ryugu present a unique opportunity to untangle the sources and processing history of carbonaceous matter. Here we show carbonaceous grains in Ryugu can be classified into three main populations defined by spectral shape: Highly aromatic (HA), Alkyl-Aromatic (AA), and IOM-like (IL).

Micrometeorite collections: a review and their current status.

Micrometeorites are estimated to represent the main part of the present flux of extraterrestrial matter found on the Earth's surface and provide valuable samples to probe the interplanetary medium. Here, we describe large and representative collections of micrometeorites currently available to the scientific community. These include Antarctic collections from surface ice and snow, as well as glacial sediments from the eroded top of nunataks-summits outcropping from the icesheet-and moraines.

Leg Lymphoedema After Inguinal and Ilio-Inguinal Lymphadenectomy for Melanoma: Results from a Prospective, Randomised Trial.

Background: The Evaluation of Groin Lymphadenectomy Extent for Melanoma (EAGLE FM) study sought to address the question of whether to perform inguinal (IL) or ilio-inguinal lymphadenectomy (I-IL) for patients with inguinal nodal metastatic melanoma who have no clinical or imaging evidence of pelvic disease. Primary outcome measure was disease-free survival at 5 years, and secondary endpoints included lymphoedema.

Methods: EAGLE FM was designed to recruit 634 patients but closed with 88 patients randomised because of slow recruitment and changes in melanoma management.

Characterization of Potential Melanoma Predisposition Genes in High-Risk Brazilian Patients.

Increased genetic risk for melanoma can occur in the context of germline pathogenic variants in high-penetrance genes, such as and , risk variants in low- to moderate-penetrance genes ( and ), and possibly due to variants in emerging genes, such as , and . We aimed to identify germline variants in high- and low- to moderate-penetrance melanoma risk genes in Brazilian patients with clinical criteria for familial melanoma syndrome. We selected patients with three or more melanomas or melanoma patients from families with three tumors (melanoma and pancreatic cancer) in first- or second-degree relatives.

Macromolecular organic matter in samples of the asteroid (162173) Ryugu.

Samples of the carbonaceous asteroid (162173) Ryugu were collected and brought to Earth by the Hayabusa2 spacecraft. We investigated the macromolecular organic matter in Ryugu samples and found that it contains aromatic and aliphatic carbon, ketone, and carboxyl functional groups. The spectroscopic features of the organic matter are consistent with those in chemically primitive carbonaceous chondrite meteorites that experienced parent-body aqueous alteration (reactions with liquid water).

Family-based whole-exome sequencing identifies rare variants potentially related to cutaneous melanoma predisposition in Brazilian melanoma-prone families.

Genetic predisposition accounts for nearly 10% of all melanoma cases and has been associated with a dozen moderate- to high-penetrance genes, including CDKN2A, CDK4, POT1 and BAP1. However, in most melanoma-prone families, the genetic etiology of cancer predisposition remains undetermined. The goal of this study was to identify rare genomic variants associated with cutaneous melanoma susceptibility in melanoma-prone families.

Informed consent and a risk-based approach to oncologic surgery in a cancer center during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: Cancer patients configure a risk group for complications or death by COVID-19. For many of them, postponing or replacing their surgical treatments is not recommended. During this pandemic, surgeons must discuss the risks and benefits of treatment, and patients should sign a specific comprehensive Informed consent (IC).

Early postoperative outcomes among patients with delayed surgeries after preoperative positive test for SARS-CoV-2: A case-control study from a single institution.

Background: There are limited data on surgical complications for patients that have delayed surgery after severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. We aimed to analyze the surgical outcomes of patients submitted to surgery after recovery from SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Methods: Asymptomatic patients that had surgery delayed after preoperative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for SARS-CoV-2 were matched in a 1:2 ratio for age, type of surgery and American Society of Anesthesiologists to patients with negative RT-PCR for SARS-CoV-2.

Advances in the Direct Study of Carbon Burning in Massive Stars.

The ^{12}C+^{12}C fusion reaction plays a critical role in the evolution of massive stars and also strongly impacts various explosive astrophysical scenarios. The presence of resonances in this reaction at energies around and below the Coulomb barrier makes it impossible to carry out a simple extrapolation down to the Gamow window-the energy regime relevant to carbon burning in massive stars. The ^{12}C+^{12}C system forms a unique laboratory for challenging the contemporary picture of deep sub-barrier fusion (possible sub-barrier hindrance) and its interplay with nuclear structure (sub-barrier resonances).

BAP1 tumor predisposition syndrome case report: pathological and clinical aspects of BAP1-inactivated melanocytic tumors (BIMTs), including dermoscopy and confocal microscopy.

Background: BRCA1 associated-protein 1 (BAP1) tumor predisposition syndrome is associated with an increased risk for malignant mesotheliomas, uveal and cutaneous melanomas, renal cell carcinomas, and singular cutaneous lesions. The latter are referred to as BAP1-inactivated melanocytic tumors (BIMTs). When multiple BIMTs manifest, they are considered potential markers of germline BAP1 mutations.

Inguinal and Ilio-inguinal Lymphadenectomy in Management of Palpable Melanoma Lymph Node Metastasis: A Long-Term Prospective Evaluation of Morbidity and Quality of Life.

Purpose: Prospective data are lacking on long-term morbidity of inguinal lymphadenectomy including the influence of extent of surgery, use of radiotherapy, and patient factors. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of these factors on patient outcome, quality of life (QOL), regional symptoms, and limb volumes after inguinal or ilio-inguinal lymphadenectomy for melanoma.

Methods: Analysis of the subgroup of patients with inguinal lymph node field relapse of melanoma, treated by inguinal or ilio-inguinal lymphadenectomy in the ANZMTG/TROG randomized trial of adjuvant radiotherapy versus observation.

Hereditary melanoma: a five-year study of Brazilian patients in a cancer referral center - phenotypic characteristics of probands and pathological features of primary tumors.

Background: Approximately five to 10% of all melanomas occur in families with hereditary predisposition and the main high-risk melanoma susceptibility gene is the CDKN2A.

Objectives: To describe, after a five-years study, the clinical data of patients (probands) from familial melanoma kindreds, and the pathological characteristics of their melanoma.

Methods: The inclusion criteria were melanoma patients with a family history of melanoma or pancreatic cancer (first- or second-degree relatives) or patients with multiple primary melanomas (MPM).

Agreement between Perometry and Sequential Arm Circumference Measurements in Objective Determination of Arm Volume.

Background:  Limb circumference measurements (CM) and perometry are the preferred methods for objectively measuring arm volume in lymphedema surgery research. Understanding the measurement bias involved in these measuring systems is important to properly interpret and compare studies and their results.

Methods:  Arm volumes from 91 patients were measured using sequential girths and the truncated cone formula (CM) and with the use of an automated perometer (perometry).

Reflectance confocal microscopy features of BRAF V600E mutated thin melanomas detected by immunohistochemistry.

The classification of melanoma into four histological subtypes has been questioned regarding its clinical validity in providing relevant information for treatment for metastatic tumors. Specific genetic alterations are associated with particular clinical and histopathological features, suggesting that these could be helpful in refining existing melanoma classification schemes. We analyzed BRAF V600E mutated melanomas to explore the Reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) utility as a screening aid in the evaluation of the most appropriate patients for genetic testing.

Role of rare germline copy number variation in melanoma-prone patients.

Aim: This work evaluates a possible causative role for germline copy number variants (CNVs) in melanoma predisposition.

Patients & Methods: A total of 41 melanoma-prone Brazilian patients were investigated for CNVs using 850K single nucleotide polymorphism arrays.

Results: Ten rare CNVs were identified in nine patients, comprising 54 known genes, mostly related to cancer.

LINE-1 hypomethylation and mutational status in cutaneous melanomas.

Epigenetic dysregulation is an important emerging hallmark of cutaneous melanoma development. The global loss of DNA methylation in gene-poor regions and transposable DNA elements of cancer cells contributes to increased genomic instability. Long interspersed element-1 (LINE-1) sequences are the most abundant repetitive sequence of the genome and can be evaluated as a surrogate marker of the global level of DNA methylation.

Absence of Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocyte Is a Reproducible Predictive Factor for Sentinel Lymph Node Metastasis: A Multicenter Database Study by the Brazilian Melanoma Group.

Aims: The aim of this study is to confirm the function of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in sentinel lymph node (SLN) metastasis.

Materials And Methods: This retrospective study included 633 patients with invasive melanoma who underwent sentinel lymph node biopsy in 7 referral centers certified by the Brazilian Melanoma Group. Independent risk factors of sentinel node metastasis (SNL) were identified by multiple logistic regression.

Adjuvant lymph-node field radiotherapy versus observation only in patients with melanoma at high risk of further lymph-node field relapse after lymphadenectomy (ANZMTG 01.02/TROG 02.01): 6-year follow-up of a phase 3, randomised controlled trial.

Background: Adjuvant radiotherapy is recommended for patients with melanoma after lymphadenectomy. We previously showed this treatment reduced risk of repeat lymph-node field cancer in patients with a high risk of recurrence but had no effect on overall survival. Here, we aim to update the relapse and survival data from that trial and assess quality of life and toxic effects.

DNA Methylation Levels of Melanoma Risk Genes Are Associated with Clinical Characteristics of Melanoma Patients.

In melanoma development, oncogenic process is mediated by genetic and epigenetic mutations, and few studies have so far explored the role of DNA methylation either as predisposition factor or biomarker. We tested patient samples for germline CDKN2A methylation status and found no evidence of inactivation by promoter hypermethylation. We have also investigated the association of clinical characteristics of samples with the DNA methylation pattern of twelve genes relevant for melanomagenesis.

LINE-1 hypermethylation in peripheral blood of cutaneous melanoma patients is associated with metastasis.

Aberrant DNA methylation pattern is a well-known epigenetic marker of cancer cells. Recently, aberrant methylation was also reported in the peripheral blood of cancer patients and it could potentially serve as a biomarker for cancer risk. We investigated the methylation pattern of LINE-1 and other repetitive DNA elements in peripheral blood of cutaneous melanoma patients in order to search for an association with clinical characteristics.