Luteal phase after conventional stimulation in the same ovarian cycle might improve the management of poor responder patients fulfilling the Bologna criteria: a case series.

Objective: To assess the clinical contribution of luteal-phase stimulation (LPS) to follicular-phase stimulation (FPS) in a single ovarian cycle (DuoStim) for poor responder patients fulfilling the Bologna criteria.

Design: Observational study (years 2015-2017) including women satisfying ≥2 of the following characteristics: maternal age ≥40 years and/or ≤3 oocytes retrieved after previous conventional stimulation and/or reduced ovarian reserve (i.e.

Awareness of the Harms of Continued Smoking Among Cancer Survivors.

Background: Smoking cessation is an integral part of cancer survivorship. To help improve survivorship education, clinicians need an understanding of patient awareness of the harms of continued smoking.

Methods: Cancer survivors from Princess Margaret Cancer Centre (Toronto, ON) were surveyed on their awareness of the harms of continued smoking on cancer-related outcomes.

Does vaccination with 4CMenB convey protection against meningococcal serogroup B strains not predicted to be covered by MATS? A study of the UK clonal complex cc269.

The Meningococcal Antigen Typing System (MATS) has been developed as an hSBA surrogate to evaluate potential coverage afforded by the 4-component meningococcal serogroup B vaccine (4CMenB: , GSK). We investigated whether the lower value of MATS coverage among invasive Meningococcus serogroup B clonal complex 269 strains from the United Kingdom (53% in 2014-2015 versus 73% in 2007-2008) reflected the lower bactericidal activity of the vaccine against these isolates. A total of 34 MATS-negative strains (31 were cc269 or closely related) were tested against pooled sera from 32 or 72 4CMenB-vaccinated infants in a serum bactericidal antibody assay in presence of human complement (hSBA).

Soluble Fraction from Lysates of Selected Probiotic Strains Differently Influences Re-Epithelialization of HaCaT Scratched Monolayer through a Mechanism Involving Nitric Oxide Synthase 2.

A growing body of evidence supports the use of probiotics in the treatment of several skin conditions, including wounds. Even if in vitro and in vivo studies have highlighted the pro-healing effects of some probiotic bacteria, the underlying mechanisms are still not fully defined. The current investigation aimed to determine the re-epithelialization potential of the soluble fraction from lysate of seven different probiotic strains belonging to different genera (i.

Mapping the University of Washington Quality of life questionnaire onto EQ-5D and HUI-3 indices in patients with head and neck cancer.

Background: There is no mechanism to predict health utility (HU) values from the University of Washington Quality of Life Questionnaire (UWQoL) scores. We sought to develop a mapping algorithm capable of using UWQoL data to approximate HU scores.

Methods: Outpatients with head and neck cancer completed the UWQoL, EQ-5D, and the Health Utilities Index-Mark 3 (HUI-3).

Defining the role of adjuvant therapy for early-stage large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma.

Introduction: Large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma is a rare, high-grade neuroendocrine tumor. The mainstay of treatment for early, node-negative disease is surgical resection, and optimal adjuvant treatment strategies are not well defined.

Methods: Patients with early, node-negative large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma were identified in the National Cancer Database from 2004 to 2014.

Characterization of pUL5, an HCMV protein interacting with the cellular protein IQGAP1.

Among the Herpesviridae, human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) owns the largest genome and displays a huge coding potential. Here, we characterized the UL5 gene product (pUL5) of the clinical isolate TR strain. The protein was predicted as a 166-amino-acid membrane protein with a theoretical mass of 19 kDa.

Prognostic importance of radiologic extranodal extension in HPV-positive oropharyngeal carcinoma and its potential role in refining TNM-8 cN-classification.

Purpose: This study examines outcome heterogeneity and potential to refine the TNM-8 cN-classification using radiologic extranodal extension (rENE) in a contemporary HPV-positive (HPV+) oropharyngeal carcinoma (OPC) cohort.

Methods: All HPV+ OPC treated with definitive IMRT from 2010-2015 were included. Pre-treatment CT/MR of cN+ cases were reviewed by a head-neck radiologist for rENE.

Examining Associations Between Physician Data Utilization for Practice Improvement and Lifelong Learning.

Introduction: Practice data can inform the selection of educational strategies; however, it is not widely used, even when available. This study's purpose was to determine factors that influence physician engagement with practice data to advance competence and drive practice change.

Methods: A practice-based, pan-Canadian survey was administered to three physician subspecialties: psychiatrists (Psy), radiation oncologists (RO), and general surgeons (GS).

Evaluation of the scope, quality, and health literacy demand of Internet-based anal cancer information.

Objectives: As there is a dearth of information about anal cancer available at cancer centers, patients often use the Internet to search for information. This is problematic, however, because the quality of information on the Internet is variable, and the health literacy demanded is higher than the average patrons' capacity. The purposes of this study were to (1) determine the most common websites with anal cancer consumer health information, (2) identify the supportive care needs that each website addresses, and (3) evaluate the websites' quality and health literacy demand.

Chemical hazard for dental hygienists: a systematic review.

Objective: Dental hygienists (DHs) are professionals responsible for oral health. They deal with professional oral hygiene, counselling, and screening patients for oral health, as well as preventing and treating oral diseases. However, DH responsibilities and duties may vary worldwide, characterising changeable occupational exposure scenarios and making it difficult to achieve a suitable evaluation of workplace risks, particularly regarding chemical exposure.

Mentorship Needs for Radiation Oncology Residents: Implications for Programme Design.

Aims: Mentorship during residency guides and supports professional and personal development. Despite this, mentorship programmes within many postgraduate medicine programmes, including radiation oncology, are not standard. The objective of this qualitative study was to carry out a needs assessment to determine the perceived mentorship needs and experiences of radiation oncology residents and faculty.

Exploring calixarene-based clusters for efficient functional presentation of Streptococcus pneumoniae saccharides.

Calixarenes are promising scaffolds for an efficient clustered exposition of multiple saccharide antigenic units. Herein we report the synthesis and biological evaluation of a calix[6]arene functionalized with six copies of the trisaccharide repeating unit of Streptococcus pneumoniae (SP) serotype 19F. This system has demonstrated its ability to efficiently inhibit the binding between the native 19F capsular polysaccharide and anti-19F antibodies, despite a low number of exposed saccharide antigens, well mimicking the epitope presentations in the polysaccharide.

The Prevalence and Determinants of Return to Work in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Survivors.

Purpose: To assess the employment status in working-age survivors of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and explore clinical, treatment, and sociodemographic factors that may facilitate or impede successful return to work (RTW).

Methods And Materials: This Canadian study was part of a larger cross-sectional study assessing late toxicities in 107 disease-free survivors of NPC who received curative-intent intensity modulated radiation therapy ≥4 years earlier. For this substudy, eligible participants were employed at diagnosis and were of working age (<65 years) at study enrollment.

Treatment outcomes in oropharynx cancer patients who did not complete planned curative radiotherapy.

Purpose: To evaluate outcomes in oropharyngeal cancer (OPC) patients who did not complete their planned curative radiation therapy (RT).

Methods: OPC Patients who received less than planned curative RT dose between 2002 and 2016 were identified for analysis. HPV status was assessed.

The meningococcal vaccine antigen GNA2091 is an analogue of YraP and plays key roles in outer membrane stability and virulence.

GNA2091 is one of the components of the 4-component meningococcal serogroup B vaccine (4CMenB) vaccine and is highly conserved in all meningococcal strains. However, its functional role has not been fully characterized. Here we show that is part of an operon and is cotranscribed with the , and adjacent genes, and a similar but reduced operon arrangement is conserved in many other gram-negative bacteria.

Novel Multiplex Immunoassays for Quantification of IgG against Group B Capsular Polysaccharides in Human Sera.

Group B (GBS) infections constitute a major cause of invasive disease during the first three months of life and an unmet medical need that could be addressed by maternal vaccination. The GBS capsular polysaccharides (CPSs) have shown promise as vaccine targets in clinical studies. A highly specific serological assay to quantify maternal and neonatal anti-CPS antibody levels will be instrumental for GBS vaccine licensure.

Informational needs of brain metastases patients and their caregivers.

Background: In response to a dearth of formal health information targeted towards patients with brain metastases and their caregivers, a formal informational and supportive care needs assessment was conducted.

Methods: Brain metastases patients and caregivers who attended a clinic focused on the treatment of brain metastases at a tertiary medical center completed a self-report survey to assess informational needs across 6 domains: medical, physical, practical, social, emotional, and spiritual informational needs. Univariate and multivariate analyses of associations between variables was conducted using linear regression models.

Secretome of Adipose Tissue-Derived Stem Cells (ASCs) as a Novel Trend in Chronic Non-Healing Wounds: An Overview of Experimental In Vitro and In Vivo Studies and Methodological Variables.

Wound healing is a complex process with a linear development that involves many actors in a multistep timeline commonly divided into four stages: Hemostasis, inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling. Chronic non-healing wounds fail to progress beyond the inflammatory phase, thus precluding the next steps and, ultimately, wound repair. Many intrinsic or extrinsic factors may contribute to such an occurrence, including patient health conditions, age-related diseases, metabolic deficiencies, advanced age, mechanical pressure, and infections.

Impact of cisplatin dose and smoking pack-years in human papillomavirus-positive oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma treated with chemoradiotherapy.

Background: To evaluate the impact of cisplatin cumulative dose (CDDP-D) and smoking pack-years (PYs) on cause-specific survival (CSS) and overall survival (OS) in human papillomavirus-positive (HPV+) oropharyngeal carcinoma (OPSCC) using the eighth edition tumour-node-metastasis (TNM) staging classification (TNM8).

Patients And Methods: We reviewed patients with HPV+ OPSCC treated with high-dose CDDP and intensity-modulated radiotherapy between 2005 and 2015 at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. CSS and OS were compared according to CDDP-D <200/=200/>200 mg/m stratified by TNM8.

Precision-Cut Tissue Slices (PCTS) from the digestive gland of the Mediterranean mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis: An ex vivo approach for molecular and cellular responses in marine invertebrates.

The precision-cut tissue slices (PCTS) represent a largely used biological model in mammalian research. This ex vivo approach offers the main advantages of in vitro systems, while maintaining the natural architecture of the tissue. The use of PCTS in toxicological research has been proposed for investigating the cellular effects of xenobiotics or bioactive compounds mostly in mammalian models.

Twice upon a time: The progression of canine visceral leishmaniasis in an Argentinean city.

Canine Visceral Leishmaniasis (CVL) prevalence, spatial distribution and associated factors were assessed in four locations in Iguazú department in 2014 and in Puerto Iguazú city again in 2018. The city areas were divided into a grid of 400x400m cells. All cells were sampled in 2014 and a random subsampling was developed in 2018.

Structural basis for cooperativity of human monoclonal antibodies to meningococcal factor H-binding protein.

Monoclonal antibody (mAb) cooperativity is a phenomenon triggered when mAbs couples promote increased bactericidal killing compared to individual partners. Cooperativity has been deeply investigated among mAbs elicited by factor H-binding protein (fHbp), a surface-exposed lipoprotein and one of the key antigens included in both serogroup B meningococcus vaccine Bexsero and Trumenba. Here we report the structural and functional characterization of two cooperative mAbs pairs isolated from Bexsero vaccines.