A retrospective study suggests 55 days of persistence of SARS-CoV-2 during the first wave of the pandemic in Santiago de Chile.

Background: As the COVID-19 pandemic persists, infections continue to surge globally. Presently, the most effective strategies to curb the disease and prevent outbreaks involve fostering immunity, promptly identifying positive cases, and ensuring their timely isolation. Notably, there are instances where the SARS-CoV-2 virus remains infectious even after patients have completed their quarantine.

Soft-metal(loid)s induce protein aggregation in .

Metal(loid) salts were used to treat infectious diseases in the past due to their exceptional biocidal properties at low concentrations. However, the mechanism of their toxicity has yet to be fully elucidated. The production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) has been linked to the toxicity of soft metal(loid)s such as Ag(I), Au(III), As(III), Cd(II), Hg(II), and Te(IV).

Impact of inter-observer variability on first axillary level dosimetry in breast cancer radiotherapy: An AIRO multi-institutional study.

This study quantified the incidental dose to the first axillary level (L1) in locoregional treatment plan for breast cancer. Eighteen radiotherapy centres contoured L1-L4 on three different patients (P1,2,3), created the L2-L4 planning target volume (single centre planning target volume, SC-PTV) and elaborated a locoregional treatment plan. The L2-L4 gold standard clinical target volume (CTV) along with the gold standard L1 contour (GS-L1) were created by an expert consensus.

Genomic Evidence Suggests Viral Persistence of SARS-CoV-2 for 386 Days in Health Worker: A Case Report from Santiago of Chile.

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect several countries. One of the best ways to control its spread is the timely identification of infected patients for isolation and quarantine. While an episode of infection lasts an average of 8-10 days from the onset of symptoms, there is literature describing long-lasting viral persistence events.

Evaluation and comparison of the sensitivity of three commercial RT-qPCR kits used for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 in Santiago, Chile.

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic is still in force, causing global public health challenges and threats. Although vaccination and herd immunity have proven to be the most efficient way to control the pandemic, massive and early testing of patients using the RT-qPCR technique is crucial for constant genomic surveillance. The appearance of variants of SARS-CoV-2 with new mutations can reduce the efficiency of diagnostic detection.

Epidemiological characteristics of Omicron and Delta SARS-CoV-2 variant infection in Santiago, Chile.

The variant of concern (VOC) SARS-CoV-2 Omicron (B.1.1529) has been described as a highly contagious variant but less virulent than the current variant being monitored (VBM) Delta (B.

Sensitivity analysis of rapid antigen tests for the Omicron SARS-CoV-2 variant detection from nasopharyngeal swab samples collected in Santiago of Chile.

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to be a concern and keeps global health authorities on alert. The RT-PCR technique has been the gold-standard assay for detecting the SARS-CoV-2 virus. However, rapid antigen tests (RATs) have been widely used to increase the number of tests faster and more efficiently in the population.

Anaerobiosis favors biosynthesis of single and multi-element nanostructures.

Herein we report the use of an environmental multimetal(loid)-resistant strain, MF05, to biosynthesize single- or multi-element nanostructures under anaerobic conditions. Inorganic nanostructure synthesis typically requires methodologies and conditions that are harsh and environmentally hazardous. Thus, green/eco-friendly procedures are desirable, where the use of microorganisms and their extracts as bionanofactories is a reliable strategy.

Comparison of the First and Second Wave of Infections by SARS-CoV-2: A Retrospective and Longitudinal Study From a Primary Health Care Center in Santiago of Chile.

The current COVID-19 pandemic is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Many countries have reported the experience of at least two contagion waves, describing associated mortality rates and population behavior. The analysis of the effect of this pandemic in different localities can provide valuable information on the key factors to consider in the face of future massive infectious diseases.

The Comparative Analysis of Two RT-qPCR Kits for Detecting SARS-CoV-2 Reveals a Higher Risk of False-Negative Diagnosis in Samples with High Quantification Cycles for Viral and Internal Genes.

The early detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) using the real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) as a gold-standard molecular tool has allowed to test and trace the viral spread and the isolation of COVID-19-infected patients. The detection capacity of viral and internal genes is an essential parameter to consider and analyze during the assay. In this study, we analyze the performance of the two commercial RT-qPCR kits used in Chile, TaqMan™ 2019-nCoV Control Kit v1 (Thermo Fisher) and MaxCov19 (TAAG Genetics), for the COVID-19 diagnosis from nasopharyngeal swab samples (NPSs).

Anaerobic RSH-dependent tellurite reduction contributes to Escherichia coli tolerance against tellurite.

Background: Tellurium is a rare metalloid that exerts high toxicity on cells, especially on bacteria, partly due to reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. Moreover, it has also been observed that tellurite can target free cell thiols groups (RSH) (i.e.

The Rapid Antigen Detection Test for SARS-CoV-2 Underestimates the Identification of COVID-19 Positive Cases and Compromises the Diagnosis of the SARS-CoV-2 (K417N/T, E484K, and N501Y) Variants.

Timely detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome due to coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) by reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) has been the gold- strategy for identifying positive cases during the current pandemic. However, faster and less expensive methodologies are also applied for the massive diagnosis of COVID-19. In this way, the rapid antigen test (RAT) is widely used.

The dosimetric impact of axillary nodes contouring variability in breast cancer radiotherapy: An AIRO multi-institutional study.

Aim: To quantify the dosimetric impact of contouring variability of axillary lymph nodes (L2, L3, L4) in breast cancer (BC) locoregional radiotherapy (RT).

Materials And Methods: 18 RT centres were asked to plan a locoregional treatment on their own planning target volume (single centre, SC-PTV) which was created by applying their institutional margins to the clinical target volume of the axillary nodes of three BC patients (P1, P2, P3) previously delineated (SC-CTV). The gold standard CTVs (GS-CTVs) of P1, P2 and P3 were developed by BC experts' consensus and validated with STAPLE algorithm.

Comparing TomoHelical and TomoDirect in postmastectomy hypofractionated radiotherapy after immediate breast reconstruction.

Background: Postmastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT) with TomoHelical™ (TH) or TomoDirect™ (TD) allows a uniform target coverage. In this study, we compare treatment plans using TD and TH in the setting of hypofractionated PMRT and immediate breast reconstruction.

Material And Methods: The TD-treatment plans of breast cancer patients treated between May 2016 and August 2019 were retrospectively selected.

Implant risk failure in patients undergoing postmastectomy 3-week hypofractionated radiotherapy after immediate reconstruction.

Aim: To evaluate reconstruction failure (RF) rate in patients receiving implant-based immediate breast reconstruction (IBR) and hypofractionated (HF) postmastectomy radiation therapy (PMRT).

Materials And Methods: Stage II-III breast cancer patients, treated with HF-PMRT using intensity modulated radiotherapy were stratified in two groups according to IBR: single-stage direct-to-implant (DTI-group) and two-stage expander and implant (TE/I-group). Irradiated patients were matched with non-irradiated ones who underwent the same IBR during the same period.

Geometric contour variation in clinical target volume of axillary lymph nodes in breast cancer radiotherapy: an AIRO multi-institutional study.

Objectives: To determine interobserver variability in axillary nodal contouring in breast cancer (BC) radiotherapy (RT) by comparing the clinical target volume of participating single centres (SC-CTV) with a gold-standard CTV (GS-CTV).

Methods: The GS-CTV of three patients (P1, P2, P3) with increasing complexity was created in DICOM format from the median contour of axillary CTVs drawn by BC experts, validated using the simultaneous truth and performance-level estimation and peer-reviewed. GS-CTVs were compared with the correspondent SC-CTVs drawn by radiation oncologists, using validated metrics and a total score (TS) integrating all of them.

Acute and intermediate toxicity of 3-week radiotherapy with simultaneous integrated boost using TomoDirect: prospective series of 287 early breast cancer patients.

Aims: To report toxicity of a hypofractionated scheme of whole-breast (WB) intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) with simultaneous integrated boost (SIB) to the tumor bed (TB) using Tomotherapy with Direct modality.

Methods: Patients with early breast cancer, undergoing radiotherapy (RT) in 15 daily fractions to WB (prescription dose 40.05 Gy) and SIB to the TB (48 Gy), between 2013 and 2017, was analyzed.

Understanding gold toxicity in aerobically-grown Escherichia coli.

Background: There is an emerging field to put into practice new strategies for developing molecules with antimicrobial properties. In this line, several metals and metalloids are currently being used for these purposes, although their cellular effect(s) or target(s) in a particular organism are still unknown. Here we aimed to investigate and analyze Au toxicity through a combination of biochemical and molecular approaches.

Long-Term Results and Reconstruction Failure in Patients Receiving Postmastectomy Radiation Therapy with a Temporary Expander or Permanent Implant in Place.

Background: This study investigated the risk of reconstruction failure after mastectomy, immediate breast reconstruction, and radiotherapy to either a temporary tissue expander or permanent implant.

Methods: Records of women treated at a single institution between June of 1997 and December of 2011 were reviewed. Two patient groups were identified based on type of immediate breast reconstruction: tissue expander followed by exchange with a permanent implant and permanent implant.

HALFMOON TomoTherapy (Helical ALtered Fractionation for iMplant partial OmissiON): implant-sparing post-mastectomy radiotherapy reshaping the clinical target volume in the reconstructed breast.

Purpose: To report the dosimetric feasibility of the radiation technique HALFMOON (Helical ALtered Fractionation for iMplant partial OmissiON) for post-mastectomy radiation therapy (PMRT) in intermediate-high-risk breast cancer patients with implant-based immediate breast reconstruction, where the clinical target volume (CTV) does not include the whole implant (implant-sparing approach).

Methods: In the HALFMOON technique, the CTV consisted of skin, subcutaneous tissues, and pectoralis major muscle, excluding the implant, chest wall muscles, and rib plane. The HALFMOON plans were compared with conventionally contoured CTV plans, in which the whole implant, chest wall muscles, and ribs plane were included in the CTV, in a ratio 1:3.