Where are the female experts? Perceptions about the absence of female presenters at a Digital Health Conference in Bolivia.

Background: Gender disparities exist worldwide related to female representation in digital health initiatives especially in low and middle income countries (LMICs). Upstream approaches and policy implementation has been effective in some countries to reduce the gender gap in the areas of political and sector leadership. At an international digital health conference in Bolivia, all-male expert panels presented their research and innovations to audiences from the Bolivian national and regional health departments and private and non-governmental organization heath leaders.

Intensity-modulated Radiotherapy for Rectal Cancer in the UK in 2020.

Aims: Preoperative (chemo)radiotherapy followed by total mesorectal excision is the current standard of care for patients with locally advanced rectal cancer. The use of intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) for rectal cancer is increasing in the UK. However, the extent of IMRT implementation and current practice was not previously known.

Long-Term Results of Dose-Intensified Fractionated Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT) for Painful Spinal Metastases.

Purpose: To report long-term outcome of fractionated stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) for painful spinal metastases.

Methods And Materials: This prospective, single-arm, multicenter phase 2 clinical trial enrolled 57 patients with 63 painful, unirradiated spinal metastases between March 2012 and July 2015. Patients were treated with 48.

A rapid review of the pathoetiology, presentation, and management of delirium in adults with COVID-19.

Background COVID-19 causes significant morbidity and mortality. Despite the high prevalence of delirium and delirium-related symptoms in COVID-19 patients, data and evidence-based recommendations on the pathophysiology and management of delirium are limited. Objective We conducted a rapid review of COVID-19-related delirium literature to provide a synthesis of literature on the prevalence, pathoetiology, and management of delirium in these patients.

Stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy in patients with oligometastatic cancers: a prospective, registry-based, single-arm, observational, evaluation study.

Background: Stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy (SABR) is increasingly being used to treat oligometastatic cancers, but high-level evidence to provide a basis for policy making is scarce. Additional evidence from a real-world setting is required. We present the results of a national study of patients with extracranial oligometastases undergoing SABR, representing the largest dataset, to our knowledge, on outcomes in this population so far.

The Evolving Role of Radiation Therapy in the Treatment of Biliary Tract Cancer.

Biliary tract cancers (BTC) are a disease entity comprising diverse epithelial tumors, which are categorized according to their anatomical location as intrahepatic (iCCA), perihilar (pCCA), distal (dCCA) cholangiocarcinomas, and gallbladder carcinomas (GBC), with distinct epidemiology, biology, and prognosis. Complete surgical resection is the mainstay in operable BTC as it is the only potentially curative treatment option. Nevertheless, even after curative (R0) resection, the 5-year survival rate ranges between 20 and 40% and the disease free survival rates (DFS) is approximately 48-65% after one year and 23-35% after three years without adjuvant treatment.

Patient and Public Involvement Refines the Design of ProtOeus: A Proposed Phase II Trial of Proton Beam Therapy in Oesophageal Cancer.

Background: Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy for oesophageal cancer significantly improves overall survival but is associated with severe post-operative complications. Proton beam therapy may reduce these toxicities by sparing normal tissues compared with standard radiotherapy. ProtOeus is a proposed randomised phase II study of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy in oesophageal cancer that compares proton beam therapy to standard radiotherapy techniques.

Folding Stability of Pax9 Intronic G-Quadruplex Correlates with Relative Molar Size in Eutherians.

Eutherian dentition has been the focus of a great deal of studies in the areas of evolution, development, and genomics. The development of molar teeth is regulated by an antero-to-posterior cascade mechanism of activators and inhibitors molecules, where the relative sizes of the second (M2) and third (M3) molars are dependent of the inhibitory influence of the first molar (M1). Higher activator/inhibitor ratios will result in higher M2/M1 or M3/M1.

Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy Reirradiation for Locally Recurrent Rectal Cancer: Outcomes and Toxicity.

Purpose: Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) has emerged as a potential therapeutic option for locally recurrent rectal cancer (LRRC) but contemporaneous clinical data are limited. We aimed to evaluate the local control, toxicity, and survival outcomes in a cohort of patients previously treated with neoadjuvant pelvic radiation therapy for nonmetastatic locally recurrent rectal cancer, now treated with SBRT.

Methods And Materials: Inoperable rectal cancer patients with ≤3 sites of pelvic recurrence and >6 months since prior pelvic radiation therapy were identified from a prospective registry over 4 years.

Structural insights into the bypass of the major deaminated purines by translesion synthesis DNA polymerase.

The exocyclic amines of nucleobases can undergo deamination by various DNA damaging agents such as reactive oxygen species, nitric oxide, and water. The deamination of guanine and adenine generates the promutagenic xanthine and hypoxanthine, respectively. The exocyclic amines of bases in DNA are hydrogen bond donors, while the carbonyl moiety generated by the base deamination acts as hydrogen bond acceptors, which can alter base pairing properties of the purines.

The Preliminary Efficacy of a Sleep Self-management Intervention Using a Personalized Health Monitoring Device during Pregnancy.

: Sleep disturbances are common during pregnancy and are associated with the development of adverse pregnancy outcomes. Personal health monitors (PHM) can facilitate change in health behaviors, though few studies have examined their use in improving sleep during pregnancy. This pilot study aimed to characterize sleep changes during pregnancy in women participating in a self-management intervention using a PHM.

SPARC, a phase-I trial of pre-operative, margin intensified, stereotactic body radiation therapy for pancreatic cancer.

Background And Purpose: Following resection of pancreatic cancer, risk of positive margins and local recurrence remain high, especially for borderline-resectable pancreatic cancer (BRPC). We aimed to establish the maximum tolerated dose of a margin-intensified five-fraction stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) regimen designed to treat the region at risk.

Materials And Methods: We conducted a prospective multicentre phase-1 rolling-six dose-escalation study.

Skin intrinsic fluorescence scores are a predictor of all-cause mortality risk in type 1 diabetes: The Epidemiology of Diabetes Complications study.

Aims: We assessed the association of skin intrinsic fluorescence (SIF) scores, as a measure of advanced glycation end-products (AGE), with all-cause mortality in type 1 diabetes (T1D).

Methods: This is an observational retrospective study of a convenience sample from the Epidemiology of Diabetes Complications (EDC) study. AGEs were measured with a SIF score between 2007 and 2014; vital status was assessed in 2020.

Risk of digestive cancers in a cohort of 69 460 five-year survivors of childhood cancer in Europe: the PanCareSurFup study.

Background: Survivors of childhood cancer are at risk of subsequent primary neoplasms (SPNs), but the risk of developing specific digestive SPNs beyond age 40 years remains uncertain. We investigated risks of specific digestive SPNs within the largest available cohort worldwide.

Methods: The PanCareSurFup cohort includes 69 460 five-year survivors of childhood cancer from 12 countries in Europe.

Subsequent Primary Neoplasms: Risks, Risk Factors, Surveillance, and Future Research.

The authors' objective is to provide a brief update on recent advances in knowledge relating to subsequent primary neoplasms developing in survivors of childhood cancer. This includes a summary of established large-scale cohorts, risks reported, and contrasts with results from recently established large-scale cohorts of survivors of adolescent and young adult cancer. Recent evidence is summarized concerning the role of radiotherapy and chemotherapy for childhood cancer and survivor genomics in determining the risk of subsequent primary neoplasms.

Late Effects in Childhood Cancer Survivors: Early Studies, Survivor Cohorts, and Significant Contributions to the Field of Late Effects.

With improvement in cure of childhood cancer came the responsibility to investigate the long-term morbidity and mortality associated with the treatments accountable for this increase in survival. Several large cohorts of childhood cancer survivors have been established throughout Europe and North America to facilitate research on long-term complications of cancer treatment. The cohorts have made significant contributions to the understanding of early mortality, somatic late complications, and psychosocial outcomes among childhood cancer survivors, which has been translated into the design of new treatment protocols for pediatric cancers, with the goal to reduce the potential risk and severity of late effects.

Polyp Progression in Paediatric Patients With Familial Adenomatous Polyposis: A Single-centre Experience.

Objectives: Prophylactic colectomy at a premalignant stage is the cornerstone of management of familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP). Before surgery, colonoscopy surveillance is recommended in children with FAP. This study aimed to examine the natural history of FAP in children by evaluating adenoma progression and factors influencing timing of colectomy.

Insulin-sensitizing effects of vitamin D repletion mediated by adipocyte vitamin D receptor: Studies in humans and mice.

Objective: Adipose tissue inflammation and fibrosis appear to contribute to insulin resistance in obesity. Vitamin D receptor (Vdr) genes are expressed by adipocytes, macrophages, and fibroblasts, all of which could potentially play a role in adipose tissue inflammation and fibrosis. As vitamin D has been shown to have direct anti-inflammatory effects on adipocytes, we determined whether specific vitamin D receptor-mediated effects on adipocytes could impact adipose tissue inflammation and fibrosis and ultimately insulin resistance.

Sustaining a nurse-led community partnership to promote environmental justice.

The Westlawn Partnership for a Healthier Environment (WPHE) is a longstanding group of community stakeholders that was formed over a decade ago to identify, prioritize, and address environmental health (EH) concerns in a low-income, predominantly African American, urban neighborhood, which faces a disproportionate burden of EH risks, particularly asthma. Launched by the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee College of Nursing, which established a nurse-managed health center within the community 30 years ago, WPHE utilized the Protocol of Assessing Community Excellence in Environment Health methodology to develop, implement, and sustain the partnership. WPHE implemented programs for Healthy Homes, Healthy Day Cares, and bicycling, and made system and infrastructure changes within the community to address the top identified EH concerns: indoor and outdoor air pollution, mold exposure, access to safe and healthy food, and pesticide exposure.

A Prospective Study of Diffusion-weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging as an Early Prognostic Biomarker in Chemoradiotherapy in Squamous Cell Carcinomas of the Anus.

Aims: The use of diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI) as a prognostic marker of treatment response would enable early individualisation of treatment. We aimed to quantify the changes in mean apparent diffusion coefficient (ΔADC) between a DW-MRI at diagnosis and on fraction 8-10 of chemoradiotherapy (CRT) as a biomarker for cellularity, and correlate these with anal squamous cell carcinoma recurrence.

Materials And Methods: This prospective study recruited patients with localised anal cancer between October 2014 and November 2017.

A Comparison of Late Mortality Among Survivors of Childhood Cancer in the United States and United Kingdom.

Background: It is unclear whether late-effect risks among childhood cancer survivors vary internationally. We compared late mortality in the North American Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (CCSS) and British Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (BCCSS).

Methods: Late mortality was assessed among 49 822 5-year survivors of childhood cancer diagnosed before 15 years of age from 1970 to 1999 (CCSS, n = 31 596; BCCSS, n = 18 226) using cumulative mortality probabilities (CM%) and adjusted ratios of the standardized mortality ratio.