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Cancer 2021 Apr 13. Epub 2021 Apr 13.

Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

With rapid modifications in cancer clinical trial operations necessitated by the global pandemic over the last year, there is now an unprecedented opportunity to reform clinical research permanently and solidify innovative practices that have clearly been effective. On the basis of the authors' experience and recommendations from other institutions, a set of specific proposals for clinical trial reform are identified that can be implemented immediately by sponsors, regulators, and study sites. Improvements in clinical trial processes should include increased leverage of technology to facilitate remote trial activity and electronic documents, more efficient and effective communication of adverse event information, and better study design to optimize inclusion criteria, required research procedures, and data collection. Read More

J Environ Manage 2021 Apr 10;289:112522. Epub 2021 Apr 10.

Central Department of Environmental Science, Institute of Science and Technology, Tribhuvan University, Nepal.

COVID-19 pandemic has caused profound impacts on human life and the environment including freshwater ecosystems globally. Despite the various impacts, the pandemic has improved the quality of the environment and thereby creating an opportunity to restore the degraded ecosystems. This study presents the imprints of COVID-19 lockdown on the surface water quality and chemical characteristics of the urban-based Bagmati River Basin (BRB), Nepal. Read More

Sci Total Environ 2021 Apr 5;782:146882. Epub 2021 Apr 5.

Gruppo Ricicla labs., DiSAA, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 2, 20133 Milan, Italy. Electronic address:

The use of digestate in agriculture represents an opportunity for reducing the use of synthetic fertilizers while promoting nutrient and organic matter recycling, i.e. contributing to a circular economy. Read More

Sci Total Environ 2021 Mar 30;782:146841. Epub 2021 Mar 30.

Cold Regions Research Centre, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON, Canada.

Naturally-ignited wildfires are increasing in frequency and severity in northern regions, contributing to rapid permafrost thaw-induced landscape change driven by climate warming. Low-severity wildfires typically result in minor organic matter loss. The impacts of such fires on the hydrological and geochemical dynamics of peat plateau-wetland complexes have not been examined. Read More

J Surg Res 2021 Apr 10;264:346-361. Epub 2021 Apr 10.

Division of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Background: Machine learning (ML) has garnered increasing attention as a means to quantitatively analyze the growing and complex medical data to improve individualized patient care. We herein aim to critically examine the current state of ML in predicting surgical outcomes, evaluate the quality of currently available research, and propose areas of improvement for future uses of ML in surgery.

Methods: A systematic review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) checklist. Read More

Eur J Radiol 2021 Apr 7;139:109698. Epub 2021 Apr 7.

Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Radiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Box 1141, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY, 10029, USA. Electronic address:

Objective: Bremsstrahlung SPECT/CT (bSPECT/CT) is one of the most common methods for post-therapy imaging in Y microspheres selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT) of liver cancers. Here, we are proposing a simple approach using bSPECT/CT to estimate mean absorbed dose to the liver in patients undergoing treatment with Y microspheres.

Materials And Methods: In our previous study comparing Y dosimetry obtained using bSPECT/CT vs PET/CT, we found that there was a large difference between the mean absorbed dose values to the whole-liver. Read More

Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021 Apr 10. Epub 2021 Apr 10.

Human Motor Control Section, Medical Neurology Branch, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA. Electronic address:

Functional movement disorders (FMD) are a common and disabling neuropsychiatric condition, part of the spectrum of functional neurological/conversion disorder. FMD represent one of the most enigmatic disorders in the history of medicine. However, in the twenty years after the first report of distinctive abnormal brain activity associated with functional motor symptoms, there have been tremendous advances in the pathophysiologic understanding of these disorders. Read More

Am J Trop Med Hyg 2021 Apr 13. Epub 2021 Apr 13.

1Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and International Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Migrant and immigrant farmworkers are cornerstones to food security and production in many nations. In the United States, farmworkers have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. Because they are considered essential workers, vaccines may be made imminently available to them and offer an opportunity to reduce these COVID-19-related impacts. Read More

Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 2021 Apr 13. Epub 2021 Apr 13.

Medicine, Georgetown University Medical Center, United States.

Throughout the world, including the United States, men have worse outcomes from COVID-19 than women. SARS-CoV-2, the causative virus of the COVID-19 pandemic, uses angiotensin-converting-enzyme-2 (ACE2) to gain cellular entry. ACE2 is a member of the renin-angiotensin-system (RAS) and plays an important role in counteracting the harmful effects mediated by the angiotensin-type-1-receptor. Read More

J Mol Histol 2021 Apr 13. Epub 2021 Apr 13.

Department of Pathology, Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman.

Breast cancer is the leading cancer worldwide among women. Traditional clinicopathological prognostic and predictive markers need refining to improve clinical outcomes. This study explored the association between traditional clinicopathological factors and the expression of Akt1 and E2F1 transduction proteins and their phosphorylated forms in breast cancer, to determine their value as novel biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets. Read More

JAMA Netw Open 2021 Apr 1;4(4):e215503. Epub 2021 Apr 1.

Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

Importance: Rehospitalization after major surgery is common and represents a significant cost to the health care system. Little is known regarding the causes of these readmissions and the degree to which they may be preventable.

Objective: To evaluate the degree to which readmissions after major surgery are potentially preventable. Read More

JAMA 2021 Apr;325(14):1399-1400

Deputy Editor, JAMA Health Forum.

Medicine (Baltimore) 2021 Apr;100(15):e25526

Department of Molecular Pathology, Tokyo Medical University, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8402, Japan.

Rationale: In some cases, autopsy is the first opportunity to find a previously unrecognized critical infection. Pathogens are identified by various methods, such as microscopic examination, special stains, culture tests, and immunohistochemistry. Here, we report a case of 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene sequencing using a postmortem formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue, which was useful for identifying pathogenic microbes. Read More

J Clin Sleep Med 2021 Apr 13. Epub 2021 Apr 13.

Sleep Research Group, Charles Perkins Centre & Northern Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia.

Study Objectives: Oral appliance (OA) therapy usage can be objectively measured through temperature-sensing data chips embedded in the appliance. Initial reports of group data for short-term treatment usage suggest good nightly hours of usage. However, individual variability in treatment usage patterns has not been assessed. Read More

Radiology 2021 Apr 13:210798. Epub 2021 Apr 13.

Department of Radiology, New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Imaging, New York, NY, United States.

Wiley Interdiscip Rev Nanomed Nanobiotechnol 2021 Apr 13:e1719. Epub 2021 Apr 13.

Department of Internal Medicine, Radboud Institute of Molecular Life Sciences (RIMLS) and Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases (RCI), Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.

Immunotherapy has firmly established itself as a compelling avenue for treating disease. Although many clinically approved immunotherapeutics engage the adaptive immune system, therapeutically targeting the innate immune system remains much less explored. Nanomedicine offers a compelling opportunity for innate immune system engagement, as many nanomaterials inherently interact with myeloid cells (e. Read More

Phytother Res 2021 Apr 13. Epub 2021 Apr 13.

Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Guru Gobind Singh College of Pharmacy, Yamuna Nagar, India.

Natural products are used since ancient times in folklore for the treatment of various ailments. Plant-derived products have been recognized for many years as a source of therapeutic agents and structural diversity. A literature survey has been carried out to determine the utility of natural molecules and their modified analogs or derivatives as pharmacological active entities. Read More

Catheter Cardiovasc Interv 2021 Apr 13. Epub 2021 Apr 13.

Division of Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology, Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA.

Objectives: We present our initial experience with the fourth-generation MitraClip™ (G4) system and propose preliminary criteria for device selection.

Background: The MitraClip™ G4 system recently underwent a "controlled release" for transcatheter edge-to-edge mitral valve repair. The four new devices include technical improvements such as controlled gripper actuation (independent leaflet capture) and continuous left atrial pressure monitoring. Read More

Hum Vaccin Immunother 2021 Apr 13:1-8. Epub 2021 Apr 13.

UOC Radioterapia Oncologica, Dipartimento di Diagnostica per Immagini, Radioterapia Oncologica ed Ematologia, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli, IRCCS, Roma, Italy.

Melanoma is an extremely aggressive tumor and is considered to be an extremely immunogenic tumor because compared to other cancers it usually presents a well-expressed lymphoid infiltration. The aim of this paper is to perform a multidisciplinary comprehensive review of the evidence available about the combination of radiotherapy and immunotherapy for melanoma. Radiation, in fact, can increase tumor antigens visibility and promote priming of T cells but can also exert immunosuppressive action on tumor microenvironment. Read More

J Anat 2021 Apr 12. Epub 2021 Apr 12.

Institute for Molecular and Cellular Anatomy (MOCA) - Prosektur, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany.

This article presents the results of a dissection series investigating a previously neglected ligamentous structure attached to the human occipital bone, the Ligamentum condylicum posterius or posterior condylar ligament, and relates these results to the manifestation of a likewise poorly recognized occipital bony variation, the Processus condylicus posterior. The dissection of 50 human cranio-cervical junctions revealed the existence of the posterior condylar ligament in 98% of all cases, sometimes containing free elongated ossicles and osseous spurs at the insertion points at the occipital bone. In two cases the osseous formation of a Processus condylicus posterior became apparent (4%), which further provided the opportunity to study the behaviour of the ligament in these cases. Read More

Int J Behav Med 2021 Apr 13. Epub 2021 Apr 13.

School of Population Health, Curtin University, Kent St Bentley, 6102, WA, Australia.

Background: Prevalence figures for health-related behaviors disguise the existence of behavioral clusters. A growing body of work indicates the potential effectiveness of using simultaneous (versus sequential) approaches to targeting health-related behaviors to make deeper inroads into addressing non-communicable diseases. To inform future interventions designed to simultaneously address multiple risk factors, the aim of the present study was to identify behavioral clusters including nine behaviors relating to smoking, alcohol consumption, nutrition, physical activity, and sleep. Read More

J Artif Organs 2021 Apr 12. Epub 2021 Apr 12.

Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, German Heart Center Berlin, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany.

Allograft failure secondary to rejection commonly requires a multimodal treatment, ultimately including mechanical circulatory support. A few case reports have demonstrated the use of Impella-devices due to its assumed favorable safety profile in this fragile cohort. However, this treatment option does not play a role in choice of anti-rejective therapy in clinical routine up to date. Read More

Int J Mol Med 2021 Jun 13;47(6). Epub 2021 Apr 13.

Division of Molecular Pathology, The Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton SM25NG, UK.

Oesophageal cancer is one of the most aggressive malignancies with limited treatment options, thus resulting in a high morbidity and mortality. With 5‑year survival rates of only 5‑10%, oesophageal cancer holds a dismal prognosis for patients. In order to improve overall survival, the early diagnosis and tools for patient stratification for personalized treatment are urgent needs. Read More

Stoch Environ Res Risk Assess 2021 Apr 8:1-13. Epub 2021 Apr 8.

Department of Geography, The University of Burdwan, Bardhaman, West Bengal 713104 India.

The long-term lockdown due to COVID-19 has beneficial impact on the natural environment. India has enforced a lockdown on 24th March 2020 and was subsequently extended in various phases. The lockdown due to the sudden spurt of the COVID-19 pandemic has shown a significant decline in concentration of air pollutants across India. Read More

Nat Commun 2021 04 12;12(1):2151. Epub 2021 Apr 12.

Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.

The rapid increase in the amount of genomic data provides researchers with an opportunity to integrate diverse datasets and annotations when addressing a wide range of biological questions. However, genomic datasets are deposited on different platforms and are stored in numerous formats from multiple genome builds, which complicates the task of collecting, annotating, transforming, and integrating data as needed. Here, we developed Go Get Data (GGD) as a fast, reproducible approach to installing standardized data recipes. Read More

Ann Pathol 2021 Apr 9. Epub 2021 Apr 9.

Service d'anatomie et cytologie pathologiques, Hôpital Saint-Joseph, 75014 Paris, France.

The recent availability of targeted anti-TRK therapies represents a new opportunity to treat patients with advanced cancers harboring NTRK gene fusions. In this article, we present an update on the practical modalities of implementing a "NTRK testing" to search for these fusions in view of the performances and availability of the different testing methods and the epidemiological characteristics of the tumors liable to present the NTRK1, NTRK2 or NTRK3 gene fusions. Read More

Prehosp Disaster Med 2021 Apr 13:1-4. Epub 2021 Apr 13.

Professor, Emergency and Critical Care, Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn, AlabamaUSA.

Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel frequently encounter animals in situations ranging from injured law enforcement canines (LEK9s) to pets with smoke inhalation injury. In recent years, several US states have enacted laws that legally allow EMS personnel to provide basic emergency care to certain animals. Currently, nine states allow some type of emergency medical treatment and/or ambulance transport of animals by EMS, and five states limit liability for vehicle damage resulting from rescuing animals trapped inside. Read More

Glob Health Res Policy 2021 Apr 13;6(1):12. Epub 2021 Apr 13.

Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland.

The COVID-19 pandemic is considerably the biggest global health challenge of this modern era. Spreading across all regions of the world, this corona virus disease has disrupted even some of the most advanced economies and healthcare systems. With an increasing global death toll and no near end in sight, questions on the efficacy of global response mechanisms, including the role and relevancy of global health institutions, have emerged. Read More

J Radiol Prot 2021 Apr 12. Epub 2021 Apr 12.

Radian Scientific, Huntsville, Alabama, UNITED STATES.

A very large segment of the population is fearful of radiation, and sometimes rightly so. It's a word that conjures up images of something dangerous and invisible, and is often associated with the real fears of nuclear apocalypse that permeated the cold war era. TV dramas such as HBO's Chernobyl certainly fuel that fear response. Read More

Midwifery 2021 Apr 3;98:102994. Epub 2021 Apr 3.

Centre for Innovative Medical Technology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark; Department of Endocrinology, Odense University Hospital, Denmark; Department of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark; Steno Diabetes Center Odense, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark. Electronic address:

Background: Being overweight or obese is associated with higher risk of adverse maternal and fetal outcomes, including gestational diabetes and childhood obesity. Many women exceed the gestational weight gain recommendations. Thus, it is important to focus on the women's lifestyle between their pregnancies to lower the risk of weight retention before the next pregnancy as well as in a life course perspective. Read More