Non-pharmaceutical infection prevention measures in nosocomial SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks: a retrospective multi-centre cohort study.

Background: Hospital severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) outbreaks are relevant for patients and healthcare systems within and beyond the pandemic.

Aim: To explore the characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks and their infection prevention and control (IPC) measures during the different pandemic waves.

Methods: A comprehensive structured template for SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks was developed and filled out by six university hospitals.

Glioblastoma vulnerability to neddylation inhibition is dependent on PTEN status, and dysregulation of the cell cycle and DNA replication.

Background: Neddylation (NAE) inhibition, affecting posttranslational protein function and turnover, is a promising therapeutic approach to cancer. We report the cytotoxic vulnerability to NAE inhibitors in a subset of glioblastoma (GBM) preclinical models and identify genetic alterations and biological processes underlying differential response.

Methods: GBM DNA sequencing and transcriptomic data were queried for genes associated with response to NAE inhibition; candidates were validated by molecular techniques.

The CCL2-CCR4 axis promotes Regulatory T cell trafficking to canine glioma tissues.

Purpose: Spontaneously occurring glioma in pet dogs is increasingly recognized as a valuable translational model for human glioblastoma. Canine high-grade glioma and human glioblastomas share many molecular similarities, including the accumulation of immunosuppressive regulatory T cells (Tregs) that inhibit anti-tumor immune responses. Identifying in dog mechanisms responsible for Treg recruitment may afford to target the cellular population driving immunosuppression, the results providing a rationale for translational clinical studies in human patients.

Pandemic Preparedness - A Proposal for a Research Infrastructure and its Functionalities for a Resilient Health Research System.

Während einer Pandemie muss Resilienz nicht nur als Eigenschaft des Gesundheitssystems, sondern auch des umgebenden Forschungsumfelds betrachtet werden. Um verlässliche, evidenzbasierte Empfehlungen aus der Universitätsmedizin an die Gesundheitspolitik und die Entscheidungsträger bereitstellen zu können, müssen wissenschaftliche Erkenntnisse schnell, integrativ und multidisziplinär generiert, synthetisiert und kommuniziert werden. Die Resilienz der öffentlichen Gesundheitssysteme und der Gesundheitsforschungssysteme sind somit eng verknüpft.

The CCL2-CCR4 Axis Promotes Regulatory T Cell Trafficking to Canine Glioma Tissues.

Purpose: Spontaneously occurring glioma in pet dogs is increasingly recognized as a valuable translational model for human glioblastoma. Canine high grade glioma and human glioblastomas share many molecular similarities, including accumulation of immunosuppressive regulatory T cells (Tregs) that inhibit anti-tumor immune responses. Identifying in dog mechanisms responsible for Treg recruitment may afford targeting the cellular population driving immunosuppression, the results providing a rationale for translational clinical studies in human patients.

Refining the hospitalization rate: A mixed methods approach to differentiate primary COVID-19 from incidental cases.

Purpose: Until now, the Hospitalization Rate (HR) served as an indicator (among others) for the COVID-19 associated healthcare burden. To ensure that the HR accomplishes its full potential, hospitalizations caused by COVID-19 (primary cases) and hospitalizations of patients with incidental positive SARS-CoV-2 test results (incidental cases) must be differentiated. The aim of this study was to synthesize the existing evidence on differentiation criteria between hospitalizations of primary cases and incidental cases.

Evaluating the Base Excision Repair Inhibitor TRC102 and Temozolomide for Patients with Recurrent Glioblastoma in the Phase 2 Adult Brain Tumor Consortium Trial BERT.

Purpose: Patients with glioblastoma (GBM) have a dismal prognosis. Although the DNA alkylating agent temozolomide (TMZ) is the mainstay of chemotherapy, therapeutic resistance rapidly develops in patients. Base excision repair inhibitor TRC102 (methoxyamine) reverses TMZ resistance in preclinical glioma models.

Bioelectrochemical reactor to manage anthropogenic sulfate pollution for freshwater ecosystems: Mathematical modeling and experimental validation.

Anthropogenic sulfate loading into otherwise low-sulfate freshwater systems can cause significant ecological consequences as a biogeochemical stressor. To address this challenge, in situ bioremediation technologies have been developed to leverage naturally occurring microorganisms that transform sulfate into sulfide rather than implementing resource-intensive physio-chemical processes. However, bioremediation technologies often require the supply of electron donors to facilitate biological sulfate reduction.

Androgen loss weakens anti-tumor immunity and accelerates brain tumor growth.

Many cancers, including glioblastoma (GBM), have a male-biased sex difference in incidence and outcome. The underlying reasons for this sex bias are unclear but likely involve differences in tumor cell state and immune response. This effect is further amplified by sex hormones, including androgens, which have been shown to inhibit anti-tumor T cell immunity.

Novel Brain-Penetrant, Small-Molecule Tubulin Destabilizers for the Treatment of Glioblastoma.

Glioblastoma (GB) is the most lethal brain cancer in adults, with a 5-year survival rate of 5%. The standard of care for GB includes maximally safe surgical resection, radiation, and temozolomide (TMZ) therapy, but tumor recurrence is inevitable in most GB patients. Here, we describe the development of a blood-brain barrier (BBB)-penetrant tubulin destabilizer, RGN3067, for the treatment of GB.

Differentiating patients admitted primarily due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) from those admitted with incidentally detected severe acute respiratory syndrome corona-virus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) at hospital admission: A cohort analysis of German hospital records.

Objective: The number of hospitalized patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) does not differentiate between patients admitted due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) (ie, primary cases) and incidental SARS-CoV-2 infection (ie, incidental cases). We developed an adaptable method to distinguish primary cases from incidental cases upon hospital admission.

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

The Texas Immuno-Oncology Biorepository, a statewide biospecimen collection and clinical informatics system to enable longitudinal tumor and immune profiling.

A detailed understanding of the molecular and immunological changes that occur longitudinally across tumors exposed to immune checkpoint inhibitors is a significant knowledge gap in oncology. To address this unmet need, we created a statewide biospecimen collection and clinical informatics system to enable longitudinal tumor and immune profiling and to enhance translational research. The Texas Immuno-Oncology Biorepository (TIOB) consents patients to collect, process, store, and analyze serial biospecimens of tissue, blood, urine, and stool from a diverse population of over 100,000 cancer patients treated each year across the Baylor Scott & White Health system.

Interrogating the Human Diplome: Computational Methods, Emerging Applications, and Challenges.

Human DNA sequencing protocols have revolutionized human biology, biomedical science, and clinical practice, but still have very important limitations. One limitation is that most protocols do not separate or assemble (i.e.

Upfront Biology-Guided Therapy in Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma: Therapeutic, Molecular, and Biomarker Outcomes from PNOC003.

Purpose: PNOC003 is a multicenter precision medicine trial for children and young adults with newly diagnosed diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG).

Patients And Methods: Patients (3-25 years) were enrolled on the basis of imaging consistent with DIPG. Biopsy tissue was collected for whole-exome and mRNA sequencing.

PTEN loss drives resistance to the neddylation inhibitor MLN4924 in glioblastoma and can be overcome with TOP2A inhibitors.

Background: Neddylation inhibition, affecting posttranslational protein function and turnover, is a promising therapeutic approach to cancer. We report vulnerability to MLN4924 or pevonedistat (a neddylation inhibitor) in a subset of glioblastoma (GBM) preclinical models and identify biomarkers, mechanisms, and signatures of differential response.

Methods: GBM sequencing data were queried for genes associated with MLN4924 response status; candidates were validated by molecular techniques.

Independently validated sex-specific nomograms for predicting survival in patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma: NRG Oncology RTOG 0525 and 0825.

Background/purpose: Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common primary malignant brain tumor. Sex has been shown to be an important prognostic factor for GBM. The purpose of this study was to develop and independently validate sex-specific nomograms for estimation of individualized GBM survival probabilities using data from 2 independent NRG Oncology clinical trials.

Rigorous approach for unifying wave optics and state of the art rendering techniques.

With the capabilities of diffractive optics there is a rising demand for determining the light interaction of diffractive elements with arbitrary illumination and scenery. Since the structured surfaces' scale lies within the visible wavelengths and below, the light's interaction cannot be simulated with state of the art geometric optic rendering approaches. This paper presents a new model for the inclusion of wave-optical effects into Monte Carlo path rendering concepts.

Importance of the intersection of age and sex to understand variation in incidence and survival for primary malignant gliomas.

Background: Gliomas are the most common type of malignant brain and other CNS tumors, accounting for 80.8% of malignant primary brain and CNS tumors. They cause significant morbidity and mortality.

Exploring the Utility of Compound-Specific Isotope Analysis for Assessing Ferrous Iron-Mediated Reduction of RDX in the Subsurface.

Subsurface contamination with the explosive hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) at ordnance production and testing sites is a problem because of the persistence, mobility, and toxicity of RDX and the formation of toxic products under anoxic conditions. While the utility of compound-specific isotope analysis for inferring natural attenuation pathways from stable isotope ratios has been demonstrated, the stable isotope fractionation for RDX reduction by iron-bearing minerals remains unknown. Here, we evaluated N and C isotope fractionation of RDX during reduction by Fe(II) associated with Fe minerals and natural sediments and applied N isotope ratios to the assessment of mineral-catalyzed RDX reduction in a contaminant plume and in sediment columns treated by chemical reduction.

Barriers to atrial fibrillation ablation during mitral valve surgery.

Background: Nearly 40% of patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) undergoing mitral valve surgery do not receive concomitant ablation despite societal guidelines. We assessed barriers to implementation of this evidence-based practice through a survey of cardiac surgeons in 2 statewide quality collaboratives.

Methods: Adult cardiac surgeons across 2 statewide collaboratives were surveyed on their knowledge and practice regarding AF ablation.