Enhancing Polylactic Acid Properties with Graphene Nanoplatelets and Carbon Black Nanoparticles: A Study of the Electrical and Mechanical Characterization of 3D-Printed and Injection-Molded Samples.

This study investigates the enhancement of polylactic acid (PLA) properties through the incorporation of graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) and carbon black (CB) for applications in 3D printing and injection molding. The research reveals that GNPs and CB improve the electrical conductivity of PLA, although conductivity remains within the insulating range, even with up to 10% wt of nanoadditives. Mechanical characterization shows that nanoparticle addition decreases tensile strength due to stress concentration effects, while dispersants like polyethylene glycol enhance ductility and flexibility.

Multivariate comparison of taxonomic, chemical and operational data from 80 different full-scale anaerobic digester-related systems.

Background: The holistic characterization of different microbiomes in anaerobic digestion (AD) systems can contribute to a better understanding of these systems and provide starting points for bioengineering. The present study investigates the microbiome of 80 European full-scale AD systems. Operational, chemical and taxonomic data were thoroughly collected, analysed and correlated to identify the main drivers of AD processes.

Increasing Annual Cancer Incidence in Patients Age 20-49 Years: A Real-Data Study.

Purpose: Data from population-based studies have shown an increased incidence of certain types of neoplasms in patients younger than 50 years (early-onset cancer [EOC]); however, little information is derived from other real-world data sources. In a nonpopulation registry, we analyzed changes in the incidence of several neoplasms in successive generations.

Methods: This cross-sectional study included all patients with a cancer diagnosis registered in one university hospital in Málaga, Spain, between 1998 and 2021, and 18 neoplasms were analyzed.

NK cell-triggered CCL5/IFNγ-CXCL9/10 axis underlies the clinical efficacy of neoadjuvant anti-HER2 antibodies in breast cancer.

Background: The variability in responses to neoadjuvant treatment with anti-HER2 antibodies prompts to personalized clinical management and the development of innovative treatment strategies. Tumor-infiltrating Natural Killer (TI-NK) cells can predict the efficacy of HER2-targeted antibodies independently from clinicopathological factors in primary HER2-positive breast cancer patients. Understanding the mechanism/s underlying this association would contribute to optimizing patient stratification and provide the rationale for combinatorial approaches with immunotherapy.

A laboratory ice machine as a cold oligotrophic artificial microbial niche for biodiscovery.

Microorganisms are ubiquitously distributed in nature and usually appear as biofilms attached to a variety of surfaces. Here, we report the development of a thick biofilm in the drain pipe of several standard laboratory ice machines, and we describe and characterise, through culture-dependent and -independent techniques, the composition of this oligotrophic microbial community. By using culturomics, 25 different microbial strains were isolated and taxonomically identified.

Comparative study of droplet-digital PCR and absolute Q digital PCR for ctDNA detection in early-stage breast cancer patients.

Background: Analysis of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) is increasingly used for clinical decision-making in oncology. However, ctDNA could represent ≤ 0.1 % of cell-free DNA in early-stage tumors and its detection requires high-sensitive techniques such as digital PCR (dPCR).

sp. nov., isolated from marine aluminium residues from the Mediterranean sea.

A novel Gram-reaction-negative, facultatively anaerobic, rod-shaped, non-motile, non-spore forming, orange-pigmented bacterium identified as M10.2A, was isolated from marine residues submerged on the Malva-rosa beach (València, Spain), on the western coast of the Mediterranean Sea. This strain was catalase-positive and oxidase-negative and grew under mesophilic, neutrophilic and halophilic conditions.

Baseline Mutations and ctDNA Dynamics as Prognostic and Predictive Factors in ER-Positive/HER2-Negative Metastatic Breast Cancer Patients.

Purpose: Prognostic and predictive biomarkers to cyclin-dependent kinases 4 and 6 inhibitors are lacking. Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) can be used to profile these patients and dynamic changes in ctDNA could be an early predictor of treatment efficacy. Here, we conducted plasma ctDNA profiling in patients from the PEARL trial comparing palbociclib+fulvestrant versus capecitabine to investigate associations between baseline genomic landscape and on-treatment ctDNA dynamics with treatment efficacy.

sp. nov., a marine bacterium isolated from coastal seawater.

A novel Gram-negative, aerobic, motile, rod-shaped, beige-pigmented bacterium, strain ARW1-2F2, was isolated from a seawater sample collected from Roscoff, France. Strain ARW1-2F2 was catalase-negative and oxidase-positive, and grew under mesophilic, neutrophilic and halophilic conditions. The 16S rRNA sequences revealed that strain ARW1-2F2 was closely related to LFT 1.

A mouthwash formulated with o-cymen-5-ol and zinc chloride specifically targets potential pathogens without impairing the native oral microbiome in healthy individuals.

Background: Many antimicrobial compounds in mouthwashes can have a negative impact on the oral microbiome. O-cymen-5-ol, a compound derived from a phytochemical, has a targeted mode of action and is being used as an alternative. However, its effect on the native oral microbiome is unknown.

CCNE1 and PLK1 Mediate Resistance to Palbociclib in HR+/HER2- Metastatic Breast Cancer.

Purpose: In hormone receptor-positive (HR+)/HER2- metastatic breast cancer (MBC), it is imperative to identify patients who respond poorly to cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitors (CDK4/6i) and to discover therapeutic targets to reverse this resistance. Non-luminal breast cancer subtype and high levels of CCNE1 are candidate biomarkers in this setting, but further validation is needed.

Experimental Design: We performed mRNA gene expression profiling and correlation with progression-free survival (PFS) on 455 tumor samples included in the phase III PEARL study, which assigned patients with HR+/HER2- MBC to receive palbociclib+endocrine therapy (ET) versus capecitabine.

sp. nov., isolated from marine plastic residues.

A novel Gram-reaction-negative, aerobic, motile, rod-shaped, grey bacterium, strain P4.10X, was isolated from plastic debris sampled from shallow waters in the Mediterranean Sea (Valencia, Spain). P4.

Development of a Novel NGS Methodology for Ultrasensitive Circulating Tumor DNA Detection as a Tool for Early-Stage Breast Cancer Diagnosis.

Breast cancer (BC) is the most prevalent cancer in women. While usually detected when localized, invasive procedures are still required for diagnosis. Herein, we developed a novel ultrasensitive pipeline to detect circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in a series of 75 plasma samples from localized BC patients prior to any medical intervention.

sp. nov., isolated from marine waste.

A novel Gram-stain-negative, non-motile, halophilic bacterium designated strain M10.9X was isolated from the inner sediment of an aluminium can collected from the Mediterranean Sea (València, Spain). Cells of strain M10.

Unveiling the Potential of Liquid Biopsy in HER2-Positive Breast Cancer Management.

Invasive breast cancer (BC) is the most common cancer in women with a slightly increasing yearly incidence. BC immunohistochemical characterisation is a crucial tool to define the intrinsic nature of each tumour and personalise BC patients' clinical management. In this regard, the characterisation of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) status guides physicians to treat with therapies tailored to this membrane receptor.

A Round Trip to the Desert: Nanopore Sequencing Informs Targeted Bioprospecting.

Bioprospecting expeditions are often performed in remote locations, in order to access previously unexplored samples. Nevertheless, the actual potential of those samples is only assessed once scientists are back in the laboratory, where a time-consuming screening must take place. This work evaluates the suitability of using Nanopore sequencing during a journey to the Tabernas Desert (Spain) for forecasting the potential of specific samples in terms of bacterial diversity and prevalence of radiation- and desiccation-resistant taxa, which were the target of the bioprospecting activities.

Adaptive immunity and neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern following vaccination in patients with cancer: The CAPTURE study.

CAPTURE (NCT03226886) is a prospective cohort study of COVID-19 immunity in patients with cancer. Here we evaluated 585 patients following administration of two doses of BNT162b2 or AZD1222 vaccines, administered 12 weeks apart. Seroconversion rates after two doses were 85% and 59% in patients with solid and hematological malignancies, respectively.

The Spanish gut microbiome reveals links between microorganisms and Mediterranean diet.

Despite the increasing evidence of links between human gut and health, the number of gut microbiomes that have been studied to date at a country level are surprisingly low. Mediterranean countries, including some of the most long-lived and healthy countries in the world, have not been considered so far in those studies at a large scale. The main objective of this work is to characterize the gut microbiome of a healthy adult population of a Mediterranean, paradigmatically healthy country: Spain.

The microbial terroir: open questions on the Nagoya protocol applied to microbial resources.

The Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-sharing (https://www.cbd.int/abs/), primarily designed for vascular plant and animal resources, is also extended to the use of microbial resources, but its application to the microbiological realm has raised many doubts and provoked criticisms.

sp. nov. and sp. nov., isolated from desert biocrust.

Two novel Gram-staining-negative, aerobic, cocci-shaped, non-motile, non-spore forming, pink-pigmented bacteria designated strains T6 and T18, were isolated from a biocrust (biological soil crust) sample from the vicinity of the Tabernas Desert (Spain). Both strains were catalase-positive and oxidase-negative, and grew under mesophilic, neutrophilic and non-halophilic conditions. According to the 16S rRNA gene sequences, strains T6 and T18 showed similarities with CGMCC 1.

High Culturable Bacterial Diversity From a European Desert: The Tabernas Desert.

One of the most diverse ecological niches for microbial bioprospecting is soil, including that of drylands. Drylands are one of the most abundant biomes on Earth, but extreme cases, such as deserts, are considered very rare in Europe. The so-called Tabernas Desert is one of the few examples of a desert area in continental Europe, and although some microbial studies have been performed on this region, a comprehensive strategy to maximize the isolation of environmental bacteria has not been conducted to date.

A lab in the field: applications of real-time, metagenomic sequencing.

High-throughput metagenomic sequencing is considered one of the main technologies fostering the development of microbial ecology. Widely used second-generation sequencers have enabled the analysis of extremely diverse microbial communities, the discovery of novel gene functions, and the comprehension of the metabolic interconnections established among microbial consortia. However, the high cost of the sequencers and the complexity of library preparation and sequencing protocols still hamper the application of metagenomic sequencing in a vast range of real-life applications.