First Report of Causing Soft Rot in Bananas in Ecuador.

Bananas are Ecuador's second largest non-oil export product, and the quality of its fruit has established a strong presence in international markets. One-third of the world's banana exports originate from Ecuador. The Ecuadorian banana market is diversified, exporting fruit to various countries worldwide, making it a vital socio-economic and food security support for the country.

The effectiveness of waxing or epilation compared to conventional methods of hair removal in reducing the incidence of surgical site infections: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Surgical site infections (SSIs) pose a significant challenge to healthcare systems by elevating patient morbidity and mortality and driving up financial costs. Preoperative skin preparation is crucial for preventing SSIs; however, certain traditional methods of hair removal have been found to increase the risk of SSI development. Mechanical epilation and waxing constitute two relatively explored methods of hair removal, which may hold potential to accelerate wound healing due to the activation of stem cells within hair follicles.

A single-center case study series assessing the effect of selumetinib use in patients with neurofibromatosis-related plexiform neurofibromas.

Background: Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is a common genetic disorder of phenotypic variability with age-dependent penetrance. This study describes the diagnosis, clinical characterization, management, and outcomes of a large patient cohort with plexiform neurofibroma (PN) treated with selumetinib in a real-world clinical setting.

Methods: This single-center observational study consecutively enrolled patients with NF1-PN treated with selumetinib from April 2018 to 2023.

Anthracyclines-induced cardiotoxicity in patients with early breast cancer carrying germline BRCA1/2 mutation: the BRCAN study.

Background: BRCA1/2 genes play a critical role in genome stability and DNA repair. In animal models, loss of cardiomyocyte-specific BRCA1/2 is associated with DNA damage, apoptosis, cardiac dysfunction, and mortality following anthracycline exposure. However, whether these preclinical findings translate to humans remains unclear.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of operative versus non-operative management for first time traumatic anterior shoulder dislocation in young adults.

Background: The most appropriate management following primary traumatic anterior shoulder dislocation in young adults is unclear. This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated operative versus non-operative management. The primary outcome measure was re-dislocation rate, in contrast to the often reported 'recurrent instability', which includes subjective instability.

Proteomic analysis of post-COVID condition: Insights from plasma and pellet blood fractions.

Background: Persistent symptoms extending beyond the acute phase of SARS-CoV-2 infection, known as Post-COVID condition (PCC), continue to impact many individuals years after the COVID-19 pandemic began. This highlights an urgent need for a deeper understanding and effective treatments. While significant progress has been made in understanding the acute phase of COVID-19 through omics-based approaches, the proteomic alterations linked to the long-term effects of the infection remain underexplored.

Detrimental effect of an early exposure to antibiotics on the outcomes of immunotherapy in a multi-tumor cohort of patients.

Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) have changed the therapeutic landscape of many solid tumors. Modulation of the intestinal microbiota by antibiotics (Abx) has been suggested to impact on ICI outcomes.

Methods: Retrospective analysis of 475 patients with advanced solid tumors treated with ICI from 2015 to 2022.

Negative association of steroids with immunotherapy efficacy in a multi-tumor cohort: time and dose-dependent.

Previous studies have suggested a negative impact of steroids on the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI), but how this effect is modulated by the dosage and time of administration is yet to be clarified. We have performed a retrospective analysis of 475 patients with advanced solid tumors treated with ICI as monotherapy from 2015 to 2022. Data regarding immune-related adverse events (irAEs) and clinical outcomes were collected.

Real-world outcomes with durvalumab after chemoradiotherapy in patients with unresectable stage III NSCLC: interim analysis of overall survival from PACIFIC-R.

Background: Based on the findings of the PACIFIC trial, consolidation durvalumab following platinum-based chemoradiotherapy (CRT) is a global standard of care for patients with unresectable, stage III non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). An earlier analysis from the ongoing PACIFIC-R study (NCT03798535) demonstrated the effectiveness of this regimen in terms of progression-free survival (PFS). Here, we report the first planned overall survival (OS) analysis.

can promote development in honeybee gut: an underrated threat for bees?

The genus harbors opportunistic pathogenic species, among which is pathogenic for honeybees although little studied. Recently, virulent strains of colonizing the mite's mouth were found vectored into the honeybee body, leading to septicemia and death. also occurs as an opportunistic pathogen in the honeybee's gut with a low absolute abundance.

Detrimental effects of amitraz exposure in honey bees (Apis mellifera) infected with Nosema ceranae.

In recent years, there has been growing concern on the potential weakening of honey bees and their increased susceptibility to pathogens due to chronic exposure to xenobiotics. The present work aimed to study the effects on bees undergoing an infection by Nosema ceranae and being exposed to a frequently used in-hive acaricide, amitraz. To achieve this, newly emerged bees were individually infected with N.

The S-REAL study: Spanish real-world data on unresectable stage III NSCLC patients treated with durvalumab after chemoradiotherapy.

Objectives: The S-REAL study aimed to assess the effectiveness of durvalumab as consolidation therapy after definitive chemoradiotherapy (CRT) in a real-world cohort of patients with locally advanced, unresectable stage III non-small cell lung cancer (LA-NSCLC) included in a Spanish early access program (EAP).

Methods: In this multicentre, observational, retrospective study we analysed data from patients treated in 39 Spanish hospitals, who started intravenous durvalumab (10 mg/kg every 2 weeks) between September 2017 and December 2018. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS).

Expression of Mitochondrial Long Non-Coding RNAs, MDL1 and MDL1AS, Are Good Prognostic and/or Diagnostic Biomarkers for Several Cancers, Including Colorectal Cancer.

Non-coding RNAs provide new opportunities to identify biomarkers that properly classify cancer patients. Here, we study the biomarker status of the mitochondrial long non-coding RNAs, MDL1 and MDL1AS. Expression of these genes was studied in public transcriptomic databases.

Toward a molecular microbial blood test for tuberculosis infection.

The World Health Organization's aim to end the global tuberculosis (TB) epidemic by 2050 cannot be achieved without taking measures to identify people with asymptomatic Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection and offer them an intervention to reduce the risk of disease progression, such as preventive antimicrobial therapy. Implementation of this strategy is limited by the fact that existing tests for Mtb infection, which use immunosensitization to Mtb-specific antigens as a proxy for infection, have low positive predictive value for progression to TB. A blood test that detects Mtb deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) could allow preventive therapy to be targeted at individuals with microbiological evidence of persistent infection.

Lipidomics signature in post-COVID patient sera and its influence on the prolonged inflammatory response.

Background: The ongoing issues with post-COVID conditions (PCC), where symptoms persist long after the initial infection, highlight the need for research into blood lipid changes in these patients. While most studies focus on the acute phase of COVID-19, there's a significant lack of information on the lipidomic changes that occur in the later stages of the disease. Addressing this knowledge gap is critical for understanding the long-term effects of COVID-19 and could be key to developing personalized treatments for those suffering from PCC.

Overall Survival From the EORTC LCG-1613 APPLE Trial of Osimertinib Versus Gefitinib Followed by Osimertinib in Advanced -Mutant Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer.

JCO Osimertinib has been established as a standard of care for patients with common sensitizing -mutant advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) although the sequential approach (first-generation inhibitor gefitinib followed by osimertinib) has not been formally compared. The phase II APPLE trial (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02856893) enrolled 156 treatment-naïve patients, and two treatment strategies were evaluated: osimertinib up front or the sequential treatment approach with gefitinib up front followed by osimertinib at the time of progression, either molecular progression (detection of plasma T790M resistance mutation) regardless of the radiologic status or just at the time of radiologic progression.