Exploring capabilities of elemental mass spectrometry for determination of metal and biomolecules in extracellular vesicles

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are increasingly recognized as crucial components influencing various pathophysiological processes, such as cellular homeostasis, cancer progression, and neurological disease. However, the lack of standardized methods for EV isolation and classification, coupled with ambiguity in biochemical markers associated with EV subtypes, remains a major challenge. This Trends article highlights the most common approaches for EV isolation and characterization, along with recent applications of elemental mass spectrometry (MS) to analyse metals and biomolecules in EVs obtained from biofluids or in vitro cellular models. Considering the promising capabilities of elemental MS, the article also looks ahead to the potential analysis of EVs at the single-vesicle and single-cell levels using ICP-MS. These approaches may offer valuable insights into individual characteristics of EVs and their functions, contributing to a deeper understanding of their role in various biological processes.

Capacitive spectroscopy as transduction mechanism for wearable biosensors: opportunities and challenges

Wearable sensors would revolutionize healthcare and personalized medicine by providing individuals with continuous and real-time data about their bodies and environments. Their integration into everyday life has the potential to enhance well-being, improve healthcare outcomes, and offer new opportunities for research. Capacitive sensors technology has great potential to enrich wearable devices, extending their use to more accurate physiological indicators. On the basis of capacitive sensors developed so far to monitor physical parameters, and taking into account the advances in capacitive biosensors, this work discusses the benefits of this type of transduction to design wearables for the monitoring of biomolecules. Moreover, it provides insights into the challenges that must be overcome to take advantage of capacitive transduction in wearable sensors for health.

Prognostic value of preoperative inflammatory ratios in early glottic cancer treated with transoral laser surgery

BACKGROUND

There is growing evidence regarding the prognostic utility of ratios such as neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and systemic immune-inflammatory index (SIII) in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). However, most studies to date include heterogeneous series with different treatments or tumor subsites.

METHODS

We collected data from 201 patients with stage I-II glottic squamous cell carcinoma treated with transoral laser surgery. NLR, PLR, and SIII were calculated from preoperative cell blood count, cut-off points were obtained by ROC curve analysis, and survival rates were calculated.

RESULTS

High NLR (p = 0.012) and SIII (p = 0.037), but not PLR (p = 0.48), were associated with worse disease-specific survival (DSS). A similar trend was observed with overall survival (OS), although it did not reach statistical significance. On multivariable analyses, both high NLR (HR = 3.8, 95% CI = 1.5-9.9, p = 0.006) and high SIII (HR = 2.77, 95% CI = 1.1-6.9, p = 0.03) were significantly associated with shortened DSS.

CONCLUSIONS

Preoperative NLR and SIII emerge as independent prognostic biomarkers for early-stage surgically treated glottic tumors and could guide individualized follow-up.

Evaluation of different isotope dilution mass spectrometry strategies for the characterization of naturally abundant and isotopically labelled peptide standards

Natural abundance and isotopically labelled tryptic peptides are routinely employed as standards in quantitative proteomics. The certification of the peptide content is usually carried out by amino acid analysis using isotope dilution mass spectrometry (IDMS) after the acid hydrolysis of the peptide. For the validation and traceability of the amino acid analysis procedure, expensive certified peptides must be employed. In this work we evaluate different IDMS alternatives which will reduce the amount of certified peptide required for validation of the amino acid analysis procedure. In this context, the characterization of both natural and isotopically labelled synthetic angiotensin I peptides was carried out. First, we applied a fast procedure for peptide hydrolysis based on microwave-assisted digestion and employed two certified peptide reference materials SRM 998 angiotensin I and CRM 6901-b C-peptide for validation of the hydrolysis procedure. The amino acids proline, leucine, isoleucine, valine, tyrosine, arginine and phenylalanine were evaluated for their suitability for peptide certification by IDMS by both liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GC)-MS/MS. Then, natural angiotensin I and 13C1-labelled angiotensin I were synthesized in-house and purified by preparative liquid chromatography. The concentration of the 13C1-labelled angiotensin I peptide was established by reverse IDMS in its native form using SRM 998 angiotensin I as reference. The concentration of the natural synthesized peptide was determined by IDMS both using the 13C1-labelled peptide in its native form and by amino acid analysis showing comparable results. Finally, the synthetic naturally abundant angiotensin I peptide was employed as "in-house" standard for the validation of subsequent peptide characterization procedures. Therefore, the novelty of this work relies on, first, the development of a faster hydrolysis procedure assisted by focused microwaves, providing complete hydrolysis in 150 min, and secondly, a validation strategy combining GC-MS and LC-MS/MS that allowed us to certify the purity of an in-house-synthesized peptide standard that can be employed as quality control in further experiments.

Evidencing the importance of the functional unit in comparative life cycle assessment of organic berry crops

LCA methodology provides the best framework to evaluate environmental impacts in agriculture systems. However, the interpretation of LCA results, in particular when the objective was to compare different production systems, could be affected by the selection of the functional unit (FU). That is why an accurate definition of the FU, in agreement with the function considered for the systems analysed, is essential. In this work, the organic production at small scale of blueberry, raspberry, blackberry and cape gooseberry in North Spain has been analysed following LCA methodology. Although a different distribution of environmental loads was obtained for each crop, in all cases, the main contributions to most of the considered environmental categories were electric and fertiliser consumptions. The different production systems have been compared on the basis of the environmental impacts associated considering different FUs, i.e. based on fruit mass, cultivated area, farm-gate price and nutritional quality of fruits. Carbon footprints (CF) have been also calculated. It was observed that the order of the crops with respect to their environmental performances was the same for the blueberry and raspberry crops (with the lowest and the highest CF, respectively), independently of the selected FU, whereas the order of the blackberry and cape gooseberry crops was interchanged, depending on the FU used. This work supports the need of being aware of the final objective of the orchards when choosing the FU (i.e. producing fruits, cultivating an area, economic benefits or nourishing people), so that valid conclusions can be achieved from the environmental comparison, even for different agricultural products.

Assessment of the ecological risk and mobility of arsenic and heavy metals in soils and mine tailings from the Carmina mine site (Asturias, NW Spain)

An evaluation of the pollution, distribution, and mobility of arsenic and heavy metals in spoil heaps and soils surrounding the abandoned Carmina lead-zinc mine (Asturias, northern Spain) was carried out. Fractionation of arsenic was performed by an arsenic-specific sequential extraction method; while, heavy metal fractionations was carried out using the protocol of the Bureau Community of Reference (BCR) (now renamed Standards, Measurements and Testing Programme). Arsenic appeared predominantly associated with amorphous iron oxyhydroxides. Among the heavy metals, lead and zinc showed high availability since significant amounts were extracted in the nonresidual fractions; whereas, chromium, copper and nickel showed very low availability, indicating their lithogenic origins. The results showed that the extractability of heavy metals in soils is influenced mainly by the presence of iron and manganese oxides as well as by pH and Eh. Multiple pollution indices, including the enrichment factor (EF), geoaccumulation index (Igeo), ecological risk index (Er) and potential ecological risk index (PERI), were used to assess the degree of soil pollution in the mine area. All results showed that lead was the key factor causing the pollution and ecological risk in the studied area, and copper, zinc and arsenic also had significant contributions. Notably, the sites at higher risk coincided with those with high availability of arsenic and heavy metals. This study provides an integrative approach that serves as a powerful tool to evaluate the metal pollution status and potential threats to the local environment of abandoned mining areas, and the results are useful for making management decisions in these areas.

Scrutinizing microbiome determinism: why deterministic hypotheses about the microbiome are conceptually ungrounded

This paper addresses the topic of determinism in contemporary microbiome research. I distinguish two types of deterministic claims about the microbiome, and I show evidence that both types of claims are present in the contemporary literature. First, the idea that the host genetics determines the composition of the microbiome which I call "host-microbiome determinism". Second, the idea that the genetics of the holobiont (the individual unit composed by a host plus its microbiome) determines the expression of certain phenotypic traits, which I call "microbiome-phenotype determinism". Drawing on the stability of traits conception of individuality (Suárez in Hist Philos Life Sci 42:11, 2020) I argue that none of these deterministic hypotheses is grounded on our current knowledge of how the holobiont is transgenerationally assembled, nor how it expresses its phenotypic traits.

Effectiveness of an e-Health Quasi-Randomized Controlled Universal Prevention Program for Eating Disorders in Spanish Adolescents

Eating disorders (EDs) and sub-threshold conditions are prevalent in the adolescent population. Unfortunately, most preventive interventions have been targeted at emerging adults and the effectiveness of online prevention programs has yet to be determined in adolescents. This study sought to examine the short-term effectiveness of a universal e-Health psychoeducational prevention program for EDs compared to a control (non-intervention) group in Spanish adolescents. Using a quasi-randomized trial design, a total of 161 [% girls: 45.96; Mage(SD) = 12.43 (0.43)] adolescents from 5 participating schools were allocated to two intervention arms: (1) psychoeducational intervention (n = 79) and (2) wait-list control (n = 82). The intervention was delivered over 3 months through 3 modules that were accessible 24/7 and 3 school sessions guided by the students´ tutors focusing on nutrition, promoting a healthy lifestyle, mitigating body concerns, and social pressures. Participants completed an online assessment battery including the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26) and measures of self-esteem, family disruption, compliance with the Mediterranean diet, and lifestyle. Correlational analysis showed small to moderate relationships between self-esteem and family function (rho = 0.413, p = 0.001), BMI (body mass index) and the EAT-26 dieting subscale (rho = 0.417, p = 0.001), physical activity and the bulimia subscale (rho =  - 0.237, p = 0.003), and self-esteem and the dieting subscale (rho =  - 0.223, p = 0.004). At the post-intervention assessment, the intervention group showed a statistically significant reduction in ED risk (EAT-26) (d =  - 0.323, p = 0.040) and the oral control subscale (d = 0.327, p = 0.038). The e-health intervention including tutor-led digital components was effective for reducing ED risk in children. Results must be interpreted with caution due to the low statistical power and the limited sample size. Large scale randomized controlled trials with longer follow-ups will be needed to bolster the evidence.

Assessment of hydrological, geological, and biological parameters of a river basin impacted by old Hg mining in NW Spain

Mercury (Hg) is a toxic metal that can cause adverse effects for the health of ecosystems. The Caudal River is one of the main rivers in the Asturias region (NW Spain), whose basin is highly anthropized, hosting several Hg mines, closed in the last century. Arsenic (As) is also found in the mineral paragenesis of the Hg deposits, posing a greater environmental risk. In the mining sites, remaining old facilities and tailings continue to release these elements into the environment. In this work, samples of fluvial sediments and water were taken, both in areas affected by anthropic activity and in pristine areas, in order to establish the background levels for the critical elements. The mineralogical study of the sediments, combined with EDS microanalysis, is useful to identify mineralogical traps such as Fe oxides or clays to retain the As. The As content in all sampled sediments is above the threshold effect levels (TEL), the possible effect range within which adverse effects occasionally occur, according to the Canadian Sediment Quality Guidelines for the Protection of Aquatic Life. This fact is related to a naturally high geochemical background in the basin, due to the existing mineral deposits. The PEL threshold (the probable effect range within which adverse effects frequently occur) is exceeded by more than an order of magnitude in the sediments downstream of the Hg mines. In these points, the As content in the water, exceeding 700 μg L-1 As, is also above the quality standard established in Spanish legislation. As a result, the Caudal River tributaries in the lower part of the basin do not reach a good ecological state, according to the Hydrological Planning Office, and in some cases their state is deficient, showing low richness and high dominance of macroinvertebrates. Although the concentrations decrease with distance from the source, these findings justify the low ecological quality of the affected watercourses.

Pb Removal Efficiency by Calcium Carbonates: Biogenic versus Abiogenic Materials

The sorption of heavy metals on mineral surfaces plays a key role in controlling the fate and bioavailability of harmful elements through dissolution-precipitation reactions. Here, we investigate the efficiency of Pb removal from highly contaminated waters by two calcium carbonate hard tissues, scallop shells (up to 99.9 mol %; -biocalcite) and cuttlefish bones (up to 90.0 mol %; bioaragonite), which template the precipitation of the highly insoluble mineral cerussite (PbCO3). The experiments show that both biomaterials are about five times more effective Pb scavengers (5 mmol of cerussite precipitated/g sample) than their inorganic counterparts (∼1 mmol/g). We relate this enhanced Pb scavenging capacity of biocarbonates to their composite organic-inorganic nature, which modulates their specific nano- and microstructural features and defines their larger surface areas, solubility, and reactivity compared to those of their inorganic counterparts. The oriented growth of cerussite progressively passivates the bioaragonite surface, reducing its long-term Pb scavenging capacity. In contrast, the randomly oriented growth of cerussite crystals on biocalcite prevents surface passivation and explains why biocalcite outperforms bioaragonite as a long-term Pb scavenger. The use of biocarbonates could be a key for designing more efficient decontamination strategies for heavy metal-polluted waters.

Tubulointerstitial nephritis and uveitis syndrome and SARS-CoV-2 infection in an adolescent: just a coincidence in time?

BACKGROUND

Despite recent well-established kidney tropism of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), usually presenting as acute kidney injury (AKI), there are few published cases with SARS-CoV-2-related tubulointerstitial nephritis (TIN). We report an adolescent with TIN and delayed association with uveitis (TINU syndrome), where SARS-CoV-2 spike protein was identified in kidney biopsy.

CASE-DIAGNOSIS/TREATMENT

A 12-year-old girl was assessed for a mild elevation of serum creatinine detected during the evaluation of systemic manifestations including asthenia, anorexia, abdominal pain, vomiting, and weight loss. Data of incomplete proximal tubular dysfunction (hypophosphatemia and hypouricemia with inappropriate urinary losses, low molecular weight proteinuria, and glucosuria) were also associated. Symptoms had initiated after a febrile respiratory infection with no known infectious cause. After 8 weeks, the patient tested positive in PCR for SARS-CoV-2 (Omicron variant). A subsequent percutaneous kidney biopsy revealed TIN and immunofluorescence staining with confocal microscopy detected the presence of SARS-CoV-2 protein S within the kidney interstitium. Steroid therapy was started with gradual tapering. Ten months after onset of clinical manifestations, as serum creatinine remained slightly elevated and kidney ultrasound showed mild bilateral parenchymal cortical thinning, a second percutaneous kidney biopsy was performed, without demonstrating acute inflammation or chronic changes, but SARS-CoV-2 protein S within the kidney tissue was again detected. At that moment, simultaneous routine ophthalmological examination revealed an asymptomatic bilateral anterior uveitis.

CONCLUSIONS

We present a patient who was found to have SARS-CoV-2 in kidney tissue several weeks following onset of TINU syndrome. Although simultaneous infection by SARS-CoV-2 could not be demonstrated at onset of symptoms, since no other etiological cause was identified, we hypothesize that SARS-CoV-2 might have been involved in triggering the patient's illness.

Gender Differences in the Propensity to Start Gambling

Gambling opportunities have greatly expanded in recent years leading to an alternative form of leisure but also raising social concerns. Participation in such activities may be conditioned by individual characteristics affecting the willingness of individuals to gamble, including gender, but also by time effects linked to the availability and exposure of gambling. Using data from Spain, estimates from a time-varying split population duration model show significant gender differences in the propensity to start gambling (men's episodes as non-gamblers were observed to be shorter than women's). Additionally, expansion of gambling opportunities over time is found to be correlated with an increase in the propensity to start gambling. Both men and women are clearly more likely to start gambling at earlier ages than before. These results are expected to improve knowledge of gender differences in terms of consumer decision making about gambling and to be helpful in designing public policies for gambling.

Palladium nanoclusters as a label to determine GFAP in human serum from donors with stroke by bimodal detection: inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry and linear sweep voltammetry

Water-soluble, stable, and monodisperse palladium nanoclusters (PdNCs) were synthesized using NaBH4 as a reductant and lipoic acid as a ligand. PdNCs, measured by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, showed a round shape and a diameter of 2.49 ± 0.02 nm. It was found that each PdNC contains 550 Pd atoms on average. These PdNCs offer high amplification as a label of biochemical reactions when inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) is used as a detector. In addition, PdNCs have catalytic activity on electrochemical reactions, allowing detection by linear sweep voltammetry (LSV). As a proof of applicability, a competitive immunoassay based on PdNC labels was developed for the determination of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in human serum, comparing ICP-MS and LSV detection. GFAP is a biomarker for differentiating between patients with ischemic stroke (IS) and hemorrhagic stroke (HS). The limit of detection (LoD), corresponding to IC10 (4-parameter logistic curve), was 0.03 pM of GFAP, both by ICP-MS and LSV, being lower than the 0.31 pM LoD provided by the ELISA commercial kit. Using the error profile method, 0.03 pM and 0.11 pM LoDs were obtained respectively by ICP-MS and LSV: LoD is lower by ICP-MS due to the better precision of the measurements. The analyses of human serum samples from IS, HS, and control (CT) donors using PdNC labels and detection by ICP-MS and LSV were validated with a commercial ELISA kit (for CT donors only ICP-MS provided enough sensitivity). Results point out toward the future use of PdNCs as a label in other immunoprobes for the determination of specific proteins requiring very low LoDs as well as the development of electrochemical decentralized methodologies.

E-H Bond Cleavage Processes in Reactions of Heterometallic Phosphinidene-Bridged MoRe and MoMn Complexes with Hydrogen and p-Block Element Hydrides

Reactions of complexes [MoMCp(μ-PMes*)(CO)6] with H2 and several p-block element (E) hydrides mostly resulted in the cleavage of E-H bonds under mild conditions [M = Re (1a) and Mn (1b); Mes* = 2,4,6-C6H2tBu3]. The reaction with H2 (ca. 4 atm) proceeded even at 295 K to give the hydrides [MoMCp(μ-H)(μ-PHMes*)(CO)6]. The same result was obtained in the reactions with H3SiPh and, for 1a, upon reduction with Na(Hg) followed by protonation of the resulting anion [MoReCp(μ-PHMes*)(CO)6]-. The latter reacted with [AuCl{P(p-tol)3}] to yield the related heterotrimetallic cluster [MoReAuCp(μ-PHMes*)(CO)6{P(p-tol)3}]. The reaction of 1a with thiophenol gave the thiolate-bridged complex [MoReCp(μ-PHMes*)(μ-SPh)(CO)6], which evolved readily to the pentacarbonyl derivative [MoReCp(μ-PHMes*)(μ-SPh)(CO)5]. In contrast, no P-H bond cleavage was observed in reactions of complexes 1a,b with PHCy2, which just yielded the substituted derivatives [MoMCp(μ-PMes*)(CO)5(PHCy2)]. Reactions with HSnPh3 again resulted in E-H bond cleavage, but now with the stannyl group terminally bound to M, while 1a reacted with BH3·PPh3 to give the hydride-bridged derivatives [MoReCp(μ-H)(μ-PHMes*)(CO)5(PPh3)] and [MoReCp(μ-H){μ-P(CH2CMe2)C6H2tBu2}(CO)5(PPh3)], which follow from hydrogenation, C-H cleavage, and CO/PPh3 substitution steps. Density functional theory calculations on the PPh-bridged analogue of 1a revealed that hydrogenation likely proceeds through the addition of H2 to the Mo=P double bond of the complex, followed by rearrangement of the Mo fragment to drive the resulting terminal hydride into a bridging position.

Tracking between cardiovascular-related measures at 4 and 8 years of age in the INMA-Asturias cohort

Identifying cardiovascular-related measures that track from early childhood into later ages may help inform early prevention targets for cardiovascular disease. In this study, the tracking of triglycerides (TG), high-density cholesterol (HDL-c), atherogenic coefficient (AC), waist circumference to height ratio (WC/Height), mean arterial pressure (MAP), and homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) was examined in the INMA-Asturias cohort between 4 and 8 years of age. The analysis was conducted in 307 children who participated in the INMA-Asturias cohort (Spain) at 4 and at 8 years of age. Quantile regression models were used to evaluate tracking between measures at both ages, with each measure at 8 years as the dependent variable and the rank transformation of the same measure at 4 years as the independent variable. We found a positive association between HDL-c rank at 4 years and higher quantiles of the HDL-c distribution at 8 years, with an increase of 2.93 mg/dL (95% CI: 1.98, 3.87) per decile in the 0.9 quantile. A positive association was also found for WC/Height, with an increase of 0.008 (95% CI: 0.004, 0.012) per decile in the 0.9 quantile. We observed that tracking for AC increased in the higher quantiles of the distribution at 8 years, with an increase of 0.11 (95% CI: 0.09, 0.14) in the 0.6 quantile compared to an effect of 0.15 (95% CI: 0.09, 0.21) in the 0.9 quantile.  Conclusions: Adult markers of dyslipidemia and central obesity tracked between ages 4 and 8 years. For AC, tracking increased in the higher quantiles of the distribution. What is Known: • Atherosclerosis begins in early life, so preventive efforts that start in childhood may delay progression to clinical disease. Determine what cardiovascular risk factors track into time since childhood bring the opportunity to identified those subjects at risk for later cardiovascular disease. • The study of risk factors in health populations and, particularly in children, copes with not clear and/or controversial thresholds definition. This makes it challenging to study tracking in pediatric ages. What is New: • Quantile regression is a useful tool for assessing the tracking of risk factors for which there are no clinically meaningful thresholds. The increasing trend observed in the tracking of dyslipidemia suggests the possible difficulty that children with abnormal values at 4 years of age might have in normalizing them in future years. • The findings of this article may help to determine which cardiovascular-related measures could be screened and followed-up in children.

MNAzymes and gold nanoparticles as isothermal signal amplification strategy for visual detection of miRNA

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) represent a class of small noncoding RNAs that are considered a novel emerging class of disease biomarkers in a variety of afflictions. Sensitive detection of miRNA is typically achieved using hybridization-based methods coupled with genetic amplification techniques. Although their sensitivity has improved, amplification techniques often present erroneous results due to their complexity. In addition, the use of these techniques is usually linked to the application of protein enzymes, the activity of which is dependent on the temperature and pH of the medium. To address these drawbacks, an alternative genetic enzyme for the highly sensitive detection of miRNAs is proposed in this work. Multicomponent nucleic acid enzymes (MNAzymes), coupled with the use of DNA-functionalized gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), were used in this study to develop an isothermal signal amplification strategy for visual genetic detection. miR146a, a biomarker of bovine mastitis present in milk, was selected as a model analyte. The developed methodology is easily carried out in 80 min at 50 °C, generating a low visual limit of detection of 250 pM based on the observation of a color change. The methodology was successfully applied to the detection of miR146a in raw cow milk samples.

Modelling hydrogen production from biomass pyrolysis for energy systems using machine learning techniques

In the context of Industry 4.0, hydrogen gas is becoming more significant to energy feedstocks in the world. The current work researches a novel artificial smart model for characterising hydrogen gas production (HGP) from biomass composition and the pyrolysis process based on an intriguing approach that uses support vector machines (SVMs) in conjunction with the artificial bee colony (ABC) optimiser. The main results are the significance of each physico-chemical parameter on the hydrogen gas production through innovative modelling and the foretelling of the HGP. Additionally, when this novel technique was employed on the observed dataset, a coefficient of determination and correlation coefficient equal to 0.9464 and 0.9751 were reached for the HGP estimate, respectively. The correspondence between observed data and the ABC/SVM-relied approximation showed the suitable effectiveness of this procedure.

Gamified Environments and Serious Games for Students With Autistic Spectrum Disorder: Review of Research

The aim of this study is to review the available research (N = 70) derived from the use of Gamified Environments and Serious Games with people with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD), identifying: authorship, nationality, publication period, topic, and design of the investigation. After that, the advantages and limitations observed are identified. Results indicate that most of them are focused on the design and testing of prototypes, (mostly) linked to the increase of social and emotional skills. The revision highlights that the game's mechanics and dynamics (feedback, rewards, missions, etc.) involve students from motivation. There is unanimous agreement to emphasize the positive impact of these resources to increment self-control, self-conscience, autonomy, and empathy.

Mine water as a source of energy: an application in a coalfield in Laciana Valley (León, NW Spain)

Mine water can be a renewable and economical source of geothermal and hydraulic energy. Nine discharges from closed and flooded coal mines in the Laciana Valley (León, NW Spain) have been studied. Various technologies for the energy use of mine water, as well as the influence of factors such as temperature, the need for water treatment, investment, potential customers and expansion capacity, have been evaluated by means of a decision-making tool. It is concluded that the most advantageous option is an open-loop geothermal system using the waters of a mountain mine, the temperature of which exceeds 14 °C and whose distance to customers is less than 2 km. A technical-economic viability study for a district heating network designed to supply heating and hot water to six public buildings in the nearby town of Villablino is presented. The proposed use of mine water might help areas that have been greatly affected socioeconomically by the closure of the mines and has other advantages compared to conventional energy systems, such as the reduction of CO2 emissions.

Graphical Abstract

It showing the advantages of using mine water as an energy source for district heating and a simplified layout.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10098-023-02526-y.

Contribution of household dishwashing to microplastic pollution

At household level, clothes washing has been recognised as an emitter of microplastics (MPs) into the environment and it is supposed that dishwashing is also a source of MPs, although little attention has been paid so far. In this work, the emission of MPs released from dishwashing procedures at household level has been studied. The effect of different parameters such as time, temperature and type of detergent has been analysed. In addition, the MP content of tap water has been evaluated in order to determine its contribution to the MPs in dishwasher effluent. Results showed that when the dishwasher was operated empty with a pre-wash programme (15 min and room water temperature), between 207 and 427 MPs were released per load (3 L), whereas this value increased notably with an intensive programme (164 min and water at 70 °C) (1025-1370 MPs per load, 15 L), which highlighted the effect of temperature and time on MP release. Additionally, when a polypropylene lunch box was washed, the number of MPs released increased by 14 ± 3 MPs and 166 ± 12 MPs of total. Finally, the influence of the use of detergent with the dishwasher empty and containing lunch boxes has been studied. With detergent, 35-54% more MPs were released from dishwasher accessories, whereas no additional release took place from lunch boxes. This work shows for the first time the important contribution of domestic dishwashing to MP pollution and the environmental benefits of using more environmentally friendly materials in both dishwashing machine accessories and food utensils.

Oncological and functional outcomes of transoral laser surgery for hypopharyngeal carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Surgical resection or radiotherapy (RT) are standard approaches for early-staged hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (HPSCC). Transoral laser microsurgery (TOLMS) seems to provide good oncological and functional results with few local complications. The aim of our study was to analyze the outcomes of TOLMS, with or without neck dissection or RT, in the treatment of HPSCC in a tertiary referral center.

METHODS

A retrospective study was conducted in patients with early T-category (T1-T2) HPSCC treated by TOLMS.

RESULTS

A total of 34 patients were included in the study. The series includes 17 (50%) T1 and 17 (50%) T2 classified tumors. The 5-year overall survival and disease-specific survival rates were 51% and 66%, respectively, with a 5-year local control rate of 92%. All patients reassumed oral diet and none of them had a tracheostomy at the end of the follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

TOLMS offers an effective treatment option in terms of oncologic control and function preservation in locally circumscribed HPSCC.

Germanium Monosulfide as a Natural Platform for Highly Anisotropic THz Polaritons

Terahertz (THz) electromagnetic radiation is key to access collective excitations such as magnons (spins), plasmons (electrons), or phonons (atomic vibrations), thus bridging topics between optics and solid-state physics. Confinement of THz light to the nanometer length scale is desirable for local probing of such excitations in low-dimensional systems, thereby circumventing the large footprint and inherently low spectral power density of far-field THz radiation. For that purpose, phonon polaritons (PhPs) in anisotropic van der Waals (vdW) materials have recently emerged as a promising platform for THz nanooptics. Hence, there is a demand for the exploration of materials that feature not only THz PhPs at different spectral regimes but also host anisotropic (directional) electrical, thermoelectric, and vibronic properties. To that end, we introduce here the semiconducting vdW-material alpha-germanium(II) sulfide (GeS) as an intriguing candidate. By employing THz nanospectroscopy supported by theoretical analysis, we provide a thorough characterization of the different in-plane hyperbolic and elliptical PhP modes in GeS. We find not only PhPs with long lifetimes (τ > 2 ps) and excellent THz light confinement (λ0/λ > 45) but also an intrinsic, phonon-induced anomalous dispersion as well as signatures of naturally occurring, substrate-mediated PhP canalization within a single GeS slab.

Psychological Well-Being during the COVID-19 Lockdown: Labour Market and Gender Implications

In the Spring of 2020, a great number of countries introduced different restrictive measures in order to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic. This article examines the labour market transitions of individuals brought about by some of those measures, and the effect of such transitions on psychological well-being. The fact that it has been possible to distinguish between unemployment transitions before the pandemic began and those resulting from the lockdowns is worth highlighting. Evidence is provided showing that unemployment due to the lockdown had a greater negative impact on psychological well-being than furloughs and teleworking. Gender differences confirm that women experienced greater adverse effects as compared to men. Specifically, women working at home exhibited greater negative effects when compared with those on furlough, probably due to a combination of work disruption and increased family obligations. Finally, on the contrary to men, women living in areas with more rigorous restrictions show a reduced probability of worse PWB when compared to those residing in areas without restrictions. This finding suggests that women are willing to sacrifice freedom of movement as long as restrictions protect their at-risk relatives.

SpaVerb-WN-A megastudy of naming times for 4562 Spanish verbs: Effects of psycholinguistic and motor content variables

Several studies have been carried out in various languages to explore the role of the main psycholinguistic variables in word naming, mainly in nouns. However, reading of verbs has not been explored to the same extent, despite the differences that have been found between the processing of nouns and verbs. To reduce this research gap, we present here SpaVerb-WN, a megastudy of word naming in Spanish, with response times (RT) for 4562 verbs. RT were obtained from at least 20 healthy adult participants in a reading-aloud task. Several research questions on the role of syllable frequency, word length, neighbourhood, frequency, age of acquisition (AoA), and the novel variable 'motor content' in verb naming were also examined. Linear mixed-effects model analyses indicated that (1) RT increase in with increasing word length and with decreasing neighbourhood size, (2) syllable frequency does not show a significant effect on RT, (3) AoA mediates the effect of motor content, with a positive slope of motor content at low AoA scores and a negative slope at high AoA scores, and (4) there is an interaction between word frequency and AoA, in which the AoA effect for low-frequency verbs gradually decreases as frequency increases. The results are discussed in relation to existing evidence and in the context of the consistency of the spelling-sound mappings in Spanish.

Intelligent analysis of the quality of education through teaching practices on virtual campuses

ICTs have been increasingly involved in teaching–learning processes due to the potential offered by the tools as well as to the set of demands derived from the political and health situations of the social environment. In this sense, the introduction of virtual campuses as complex systems that centralize the entire technological component that complements traditional teaching processes has meant a change of paradigm with repercussions at the teaching and pedagogical level. In this context, the purpose of this study aims to analyze students’ perception of the use of virtual campus and how to enhance the quality of the educational process using intelligent systems. For this purpose, 318 students that use virtual campus have been surveyed. The results show that there are three variables that predominantly influence the quality of teaching–learning processes using virtual campuses: frequent contact with teachers through the platform, the digital competence of the student, and the adaptation of training content to the students’ prior knowledge. This information can be useful, as it allows them to establish guidelines to guide the practices of their teaching teams in technological environments, guaranteeing the suitability of the teaching–learning process and improving the evaluation processes and the assessment of their own educational work.

Magnetic nanocomposites based on Zn,Al-LDH intercalated with citric and EDTA groups for the removal of U(vi) from environmental and wastewater: synergistic effect and adsorption mechanism study

The efficient removal of U(vi) ions from contaminated natural waters and wastewaters of industrial processing plants by novel magnetic nanocomposites based on magnetite and Zn,Al-layered double hydroxides intercalated with citric and EDTA groups (Fe3O4/Zn,Al-LDH/Cit and Fe3O4/Zn,Al-LDH/EDTA) was shown. These adsorbents were obtained using co-precipitation and ion-exchange techniques. The infrared spectroscopy confirmed the existence of O-containing groups on the surfaces of Fe3O4/Zn,Al-LDH/Cit and Fe3O4/Zn,Al-LDH/EDTA, which could provide active sites in the interlayer of the adsorbents for the pollutants removal. The intercalation of Zn,Al-LDH with chelating EDTA-groups significantly increased the adsorption capacity toward U(vi) ions (131.22 mg g-1) compared to citric moieties in a wide range of pH (3.5-9.0). The maximum adsorption capacities of U(vi) at pH 7.5 were 81.12 mg g-1 for Fe3O4/Zn,Al-LDH/EDTA and 21.6 mg g-1 for Fe3O4/Zn,Al-LDH/Cit. The higher adsorption capacity of Fe3O4/Zn,Al-LDH/EDTA vs. the citric sample might be explained by high affinity of LDH-supports and high-activity of the chelating groups in formation of the complexes in the interlayer space of the magnetic nanocomposite. The removal of U(vi) by the magnetic nanocomposites occurred due to interlayer complexation and electrostatic interactions. The cations (Na+, K+, Ca2+), HCO3 - and fulvic acid anions being typical for natural waters were practically not affected upon the removal of U(vi) from aqueous media. The adsorption performance of Fe3O4/Zn,Al-LDH/EDTA nanocomposites was evaluated in the analysis of environmental and wastewater samples with recoveries in the range of 95.8-99.9%. This superior intercalation performance of LDH-supports provides simple and low-cost adsorbents, providing a strategy for decontamination of radionuclides from wastewater.

Is the Millennial Generation Left Behind? Inter-Cohort Labour Income Inequality in a Context of Economic Shock

This paper provides new evidence on how intergenerational income inequality evolves during the period 2005-2019. Using the Continuous Sample of Working Histories (CSWH), which includes administrative data about working lives and personal characteristics of Spanish workers, we shed light on the effect of the Great Recession on income inequality between cohorts in Spain. As a proxy of income, we employ monthly earnings data, provided by the CSWH. From a life course approach, we use two age-period-cohort (APC) models which allow us to separately identify three components: cohort, age and period effects. First, we examine relative earnings which will reveal whether there are income differences between generations. Second, we measure how absolute earnings have developed over time. Our results suggest that some generations are more disadvantaged in terms of income by their year of birth than others. Likewise, the evidence points out that the economic context experienced by a generation in their transition to the labour market is a key factor in the development of their income.

The influence of schooling on performance in chess and at the Olympics

At the macro-level, it is hard to test the hypothesis that increased schooling in a country will raise labour productivity but sectoral analyses may be tractable. In sports, output is homogenous in that countries' achievements are measurable in the same way. We examine country performances at the Chess Olympiad and the Olympic Games, contrasting tournaments where players in the first use only their minds but most in the second supply substantial physical effort or work with costly physical capital. Modelling success in either leads to a set of results familiar from sports literature: country performance depends on economic resources, represented by population size and per capita income. Supplementary variables capture over-performance by communist/ former communist countries. We then introduce a measure of average years of schooling. This significantly reduces the role of income, especially in chess. It also takes power away from the 'communist' variables, especially at the Olympics. These results suggest that much of any effect from income is mediated through schooling: investment in education is associated with elevated productivity. Increased productivity is observed in both settings, one a knowledge-intensive sub-sector and the other dependent to a significant extent on either raw physical strength or expensive capital input.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00181-022-02259-9.

An empirical evaluation of Lex/Yacc and ANTLR parser generation tools

Parsers are used in different software development scenarios such as compiler construction, data format processing, machine-level translation, and natural language processing. Due to the widespread usage of parsers, there exist different tools aimed at automizing their generation. Two of the most common parser generation tools are the classic Lex/Yacc and ANTLR. Even though ANTLR provides more advanced features, Lex/Yacc is still the preferred choice in many university courses. There exist different qualitative comparisons of the features provided by both approaches, but no study evaluates empirical features such as language implementor productivity and tool simplicity, intuitiveness, and maintainability. In this article, we present such an empirical study by conducting an experiment with undergraduate students of a Software Engineering degree. Two random groups of students implement the same language using a different parser generator, and we statistically compare their performance with different measures. Under the context of the academic study conducted, ANTLR has shown significant differences for most of the empirical features measured.

The contribution of resident physicians to hospital productivity

Resident physicians play a double role in hospital activity. They participate in medical practices and thus, on the one hand, they should be considered as an input. Also, they are medical staff in training and, on the other hand, must be considered as an output. The net effect on hospital activities should therefore be empirically determined. Additionally, when considering their role as active physicians, a natural hypothesis is that resident physicians are not more productive than senior ones. This is a property that standard logarithmic production functions (including Cobb-Douglas and Translog functional forms) cannot verify for the whole technology set. Our main contribution is the development of a Translog modification, which implies the definition of the input "doctors" as a weighted sum of senior and resident physicians, where the weights are estimated from the empirical application. This modification of the standard Translog is able, under suitable parameter restrictions, to verify our main hypothesis across the whole technology set while determining if the net effect of resident physicians in hospitals' production should be associated to an output or to an input. We estimate the resulting output distance function frontier with a sample of Spanish hospitals. Our findings show that the overall contribution of resident physicians to hospitals' production allows considering them as an input in most cases. In particular, their average productivity is around 37% of that corresponding to senior physicians.

A Longitudinal Examination of Withholding All or Part of School Recess on Children's Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior: Evidence from a Natural Experiment

School recess is a daily opportunity for school-age students to be physically active. However, in some territories teachers often use recess for other purposes (e.g., children's poor classroom behavior might be punished with reduced time for recess). This study aimed to examine the impact of such practices on children's physical activity (PA) and the relationships between PA, gender, body mass index (BMI), and academic achievement. Forty-six first-grade students from two natural classrooms wore an accelerometer over the course of 6 weeks to measure their metabolic equivalent of task (METs) and sedentary behavior during school recess. Gender, age, BMI, the classroom to which students belonged, and academic achievement were also analyzed in two Generalized Estimating Equations models. Results revealed that boys achieved more METs and spent less time participating in sedentary behavior than girls during recess. Children within a healthy weight range of BMI yielded more METs than underweight and overweight/obese children. Academic achievement was positively associated with the METS and negatively with the sedentary behavior. Finally, withholding all or part of school recess significantly reduced children's PA and extended their sedentary behavior. The literature indicates that school recess plays an important role in promoting numerous children's health outcomes. Therefore, students should not be excluded from participation in all or part of recess.

Removal of fluoride from coke wastewater by aluminum doped chelating ion-exchange resins: a tertiary treatment

Coke wastewater is one of the most problematic industrial wastewaters, due to its large volume and complex pollutant load. In this study, ion exchange technology was investigated with the objective of reducing the fluoride content of the effluent from a coke wastewater treatment plant (26.7 mg F^-/L). Two Al-doped exchange resins with chelating aminomethyl-phosphonic acid and iminodiacetic groups were assessed: Al-doped TP260 and TP207 resins, respectively. The effect of resin dosage, varying from 5 to 25 g/L, was evaluated. F^- removal was within the range 57.8-89.3% and 72.0-92.1% for Al-doped TP260 and TP207, respectively. A kinetic study based on a generalized integrated Langmuir kinetic equation fitted the experimental data (R² > 0.98). The parameters of the said kinetics met the optimal conditions for the ion exchange process, which seemed to be more favorable with Al-doped TP260 resin than with Al-doped TP207 resin, using the same resin dosage. Furthermore, the experimental data were well described (R² > 0.98) by Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models, in agreement with the findings of the kinetic study: the maximum sorption capacity was obtained for the Al-doped TP260 resin.

Gambling Outlets Location in Urban Areas: A Case Study of Madrid

Cities are certainly a key factor in the location of gambling facilities. This paper aims to map the location of gambling outlets in urban areas and to examine potential links between neighborhoods socioeconomic and demographic characteristics and gambling supply, taking into account spatial dependencies of neighboring areas. This correlation is of interest because neighborhood characteristics may attract sellers, and because the presence of gambling sellers may cause changes in neighborhood demographics. Using detailed official data from the city of Madrid for the year 2017, three spatial econometric approaches are considered: spatial autoregressive (SAR) model, spatial error model (SEM) and spatial lag of X (explicative variables) model (SLX). Empirical analysis finds a strong correlation between neighborhoods characteristics and co-location of gambling outlets, highlighting a specific geographic patterning of distribution within more disadvantaged urban areas. This may have interesting implications for gambling stakeholders and for local governments when it comes to the introduction and/or increase of gambling availability.

Problematic Social Network Use: Structure and Assessment

Using social networks (SNs) inappropriately can lead to psychological problems. The objective of this study was to develop a new measuring instrument of problematic use of SNs. The sample comprised 1003 participants over 18 years old (M = 42.33; SD = 14.32). Exploratory factor analysis was performed with a randomly selected 30% of the sample, and confirmatory factor analysis with the remaining 70%. The reliability of the instrument was estimated, and evidence of validity in relation to the variables-anxiety, depression and satisfaction with life-was obtained. The new scale demonstrated a two-dimensional structure (GFI =0.99; RMSEA= 0.06), with one factor of negative social comparison (α = 0.94) and another of addictive consequences (α = 0.91). Clear evidence of validity related to other variables was found. The new scale demonstrated good psychometric properties. The advantage of this questionnaire is that it assesses not only excessive use but also social comparison through SNs.

Differences in breast cancer-risk factors between screen-detected and non-screen-detected cases (MCC-Spain study)

Purpose

The variation in breast cancer (BC)-risk factor associations between screen-detected (SD) and non-screen-detected (NSD) tumors has been poorly studied, despite the interest of this aspect in risk assessment and prevention. This study analyzes the differences in breast cancer-risk factor associations according to detection method and tumor phenotype in Spanish women aged between 50 and 69.

Methods

We examined 900 BC cases and 896 controls aged between 50 and 69, recruited in the multicase–control MCC-Spain study. With regard to the cases, 460 were detected by screening mammography, whereas 144 were diagnosed by other means. By tumor phenotype, 591 were HR+, 153 were HER2+, and 58 were TN. Lifestyle, reproductive factors, family history of BC, and tumor characteristics were analyzed. Logistic regression models were used to compare cases vs. controls and SD vs. NSD cases. Multinomial regression models (controls used as a reference) were adjusted for case analysis according to phenotype and detection method.

Results

TN was associated with a lower risk of SD BC (OR 0.30 IC 0.10–0.89), as were intermediate (OR 0.18 IC 0.07–0.44) and advanced stages at diagnosis (OR 0.11 IC 0.03–0.34). Nulliparity in postmenopausal women and age at menopause were related to an increased risk of SD BC (OR 1.60 IC 1.08–2.36; OR 1.48 IC 1.09–2.00, respectively). Nulliparity in postmenopausal women was associated with a higher risk of HR+ (OR 1.66 IC 1.15–2.40). Age at menopause was related to a greater risk of HR+ (OR 1.60 IC 1.22–2.11) and HER2+ (OR 1.59 IC 1.03–2.45) tumors.

Conclusion

Reproductive risk factors are associated with SD BC, as are HR+ tumors. Differences in BC-risk factor associations according to detection method may be related to prevailing phenotypes among categories.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10552-021-01511-4.

Resilience, Perceived Stress, and Depressed Mood in Women Under in Vitro Fertilization Treatment

It has been suggested that women who display higher resilience levels may have less psychological distress during IVF. The aim of this study was to evaluate how infertile women deal with perceived stress, depressed mood, and sleep disturbances at the first IVF attempt and after one or more negative IVF outcomes depending on their level of resilience. An observational, cross-sectional study was carried out in a sample of 207 infertile women undergoing IVF procedures. The participants completed the short version of the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), the short version of the European Spanish Version of Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), the Center of Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CESD-10), and the Jenkins Sleep Scale (JSS). The relationship between CD-RISC scores ranked according to percentiles and mean PSS-10 scores revealed that women with strong resilience had lower perceived stress. After splitting the sample according to CD-RISC percentiles, differences were observed only at the first IVF attempt and the observed protective effect of high resilience scores appears to disappear following a negative IVF outcome. Women with high resilience are less likely to suffer from perceived stress or depressed mood during their first IVF attempt, this protective effect appears to be lost after a negative outcome.

Academic resilience in European countries: The role of teachers, families, and student profiles

Academic resilience is a student's ability to achieve academic results significantly higher than would be expected according to their socioeconomic level. In this study, we aimed to identify the characteristics of students, families, and teacher activities which had the greatest impact on academic resilience. The sample comprised 117,539 fourth grade students and 6,222 teachers from 4,324 schools in member states of the European Union that participated in the PIRLS 2016 study. We specified a two-level hierarchical linear model in two phases: in the first level we used the students' personal and family background variables, in the second level we used the variables related to teaching activity. In the first phase we used the complete model for all countries and regions, in the second phase we produced a model for each country with the highest possible number of statistically significant variables. The results indicated that the students' personal and family variables that best predicted resilience were the reading self-confidence index, which increased the probability of student resilience by between 62 and 130 percentage points, a feeling of belonging to the school, which increased the chances of being resilient by up to 40 percentage points, and support from the family before starting primary school (Students from Lithuania who had done early literary activities in the family setting were twice as likely to be resilient than those who had not). The teaching-related factors best predicting resilience were keeping order in the classroom, a safe and orderly school environment (increasing chances of resilience by up to 62 percentage points), and teaching focused on comprehension and reflection, which could increase the probability of resilience by up to 61 percentage points.

Social mobility and healthy behaviours from a gender perspective in the Spanish multicase-control study (MCC-Spain)

There is evidence for the influence of socioeconomic status (SES) on healthy behaviours but the effect of social mobility (SM) is not yet well known. This study aims to analyse the influence of origin and destination SES (O-SES and D-SES) and SM on healthy behaviours and co-occurrence, from an integrated gender and age perspective. Data were obtained from the controls of MCC-Spain between 2008-2013 (3,606 participants). Healthy behaviours considered: healthy diet, moderate alcohol consumption, non-smoking and physical activity. SM was categorized as stable high, upward, stable medium, downward or stable low. Binary and multinomial logistic regression models were adjusted. Those aged <65, with a low O-SES, D-SES and stable low SM are less likely to have healthy behaviours in the case of both women (physically active: OR = 0.65 CI = 0.45-0.94, OR = 0.71 CI = 0.52-0.98, OR = 0.61 CI = 0.41-0.91) and men (non-smokers: OR = 0.44 CI = 0.26-0.76, OR = 0.54 CI = 0.35-0.83, OR = 0.41 CI 0.24-0.72; physically active: OR = 0.57 CI = 0.35-0.92, OR = 0.64 CI = 0.44-0.95, OR = 0.53 CI = 0.23-0.87). However, for those aged ≥65, this probability is higher in women with a low O-SES and D-SES (non-smoker: OR = 8.09 CI = 4.18-15.67, OR = 4.14 CI = 2.28-7.52; moderate alcohol consumption: OR = 3.00 CI = 1.45-6.24, OR = 2.83 CI = 1.49-5.37) and in men with a stable low SM (physically active: OR = 1.52 CI = 1.02-1.26). In the case of men, the same behaviour pattern is observed in those with a low O-SES as those with upward mobility, with a higher probability of co-occurring behaviours (three-to-four behaviours: OR = 2.00 CI = 1.22-3.29; OR = 3.13 CI = 1.31-7.48). The relationship of O-SES, D-SES and SM with healthy behaviours is complex and differs according to age and gender.

Hormonal and gene dynamics in de novo shoot meristem formation during adventitious caulogenesis in cotyledons of Pinus pinea

KEY MESSAGE

Several members of WOX and KNOX gene families and several plant growth regulators, basically cytokinins and auxins, play a key role during adventitious caulogenesis in the conifer Pinus pinea. Similar to Arabidopsis thaliana, Pinus pinea shoot organogenesis is a multistep process. However, there are key differences between both species, which may alter the underlying physiological and genetic programs. It is unknown if the genic expression models during angiosperm development may be applicable to conifers. In this work, an analysis of the endogenous content of different plant growth regulators and the expression of genes putatively involved in adventitious caulogenesis in P. pinea cotyledons was conducted. A multivariate analysis of both datasets was also realized through partial least squares regression and principal component analysis to obtain an integral vision of the mechanisms involved in caulogenesis in P. pinea. Analyses show that cotyledons cultured in the presence of benzyladenine during long times (2-6 days) cluster separately from the rest of the samples, suggesting that the benzyladenine increase observed during the first hours of culture is sufficient to trigger the caulogenic response through the activation of specific developmental programs. In particular, the most relevant factors involved in this process are the cytokinins trans-zeatin, dihydrozeatin, trans-zeatin riboside and isopentenyl adenosine; the auxin indoleacetic acid; and the genes PpWUS, PpWOX5, PpKN2, PpKN3 and PipiRR1. WUS is functional in pines and has an important role in caulogenesis. Interestingly, WOX5 also seems to participate in the process, although its specific role has not been determined.

Reproductive risk factors in breast cancer and genetic hormonal pathways: a gene-environment interaction in the MCC-Spain project

BACKGROUND

Reproductive factors are well known risk factors for breast cancer; however, little is known about how genetic variants in hormonal pathways interact with that relationship.

METHODS

One thousand one hundred thirty nine cases of breast cancer in women and 1322 frequency-matched controls were compared. Genetic variants in hormonal pathways (identified in the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) were screened according to their relationship with breast cancer using the Cochran-Armitage statistic. Information on reproductive factors was obtained using a face-to-face questionnaire. The interaction among the selected genetic variants and reproductive factors was tested with logistic regression.

RESULTS

Concerning C allele in rs2229712, compared to nulliparity in non-carriers the ORs for 1-2 and > 2 deliveries were 0.48 (0.28-0.81) and 0.34 (0.19-0.59), and in C carriers they were 0.92 (0.42-1.98) and 0.71 (0.31-1.61). Similar results were found in women carrying the C allele in rs1269851. Carriers of Allele T in rs35652107 and allele C in rs6018027 had the delivery number effect more pronounced.

CONCLUSIONS

The number of deliveries had a dose-response protective effect on breast cancer; women carrying C allele in rs2229712 did not benefit from this protective effect.