Targeting chromosomally unstable tumors with a selective KIF18A inhibitor.

Chromosome instability is a prevalent vulnerability of cancer cells that has yet to be fully exploited therapeutically. To identify genes uniquely essential to chromosomally unstable cells, we mined the Cancer Dependency Map for genes essential in tumor cells with high levels of copy number aberrations. We identify and validate KIF18A, a mitotic kinesin, as a vulnerability of chromosomally unstable cancer cells.

Exploring correlates of high psychiatric inpatient utilization in Switzerland: a descriptive and machine learning analysis.

Background: This study investigated socio-demographic, psychiatric, and psychological characteristics of patients with high versus low utilization of psychiatric inpatient services. Our objective was to better understand the utilization pattern and to contribute to improving psychiatric care.

Methods: One-hundred and twenty inpatients of the University Psychiatric Clinics (UPK) Basel, Switzerland, participated in this cross-sectional study.

The Epigenetic Landscape of Breast Cancer, Metabolism, and Obesity.

Obesity is a risk factor for developing breast cancer, and significantly increases mortality rates in patients diagnosed with this disease. Drivers of this unfortunate relationships are multifactorial, with obesity-induced changes in the epigenetic state of breast cancer cells being identified as a critical mechanism that impact survival, metastasis, and therapeutic responses. Recent studies have investigated the epigenetic landscape of breast cancer to elucidate the molecular interplay between the breast tissue epigenome and its cellular microenvironment.

Memory Tract Sparing Using Diffusion Tensor Imaging in Radiation Planning of Primary Brain Tumors.

Purpose: Radiation therapy (RT) is a critical treatment modality for both primary and metastatic brain tumors, yet ∼30% of patients experience cognitive decline post-RT. This cognitive toxicity is linked to low radiation doses affecting the hippocampal dentate gyrus. Hippocampal avoidance-whole brain RT combined with memantine has shown promising outcomes in preserving cognitive function and quality of life in patients with brain metastases.

Reliability and Safety Testing of a Ventilator Remote Control System Against Communication Failures and Network Disruptions.

Introduction: The need for remote ventilator control has been highlighted by the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency. Remote ventilator control from outside a patient's room can improve response time to patient needs, protect health care workers, and reduce personal protective equipment (PPE) consumption. Extending remote control to distant locations can expand the capabilities of frontline health care workers by delivering specialized clinical expertise to the point of care, which is much needed in diverse health care settings, such as tele-critical care and military medicine.

The Importance of Radiation Planning Guidelines in Spinal Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy.

Introduction: Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) is a well-established treatment for spinal metastases. Official guidelines for radiation planning were published and revised by several groups. Here, we present real-world data about the importance of adhering to those guidelines.

Total dose, fraction dose and respiratory motion management impact adrenal SBRT outcome.

Purpose/objectives: Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) is an effective treatment for oligometastatic disease in multiple sites. However, the optimal radiation dose for long-term local control of adrenal metastases has yet to be determined. The aim of this study is to evaluate outcomes of adrenal SBRT and to evaluate factors that correlate with local control.

[HEARTS in the Americas: targeting health system change to improve population hypertension controlHEARTS nas Américas: impulsionar mudanças no sistema de saúde para melhorar o controle da hipertensão arterial na população].

Purpose Of Review: HEARTS in the Americas is the regional adaptation of Global Hearts, the World Health Organization initiative for cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention and control. Its overarching goal is to drive health services to change managerial and clinical practice in primary care settings to improve hypertension control and CVD risk management. This review describes the HEARTS in the Americas initiative.

Navigating college campuses: The impact of stress on mental health and substance use in the post COVID-19 era.

The college years are one of excitement and often thought of as a dream like setting of growth, creativity, and independence. This exciting time can be marred by the onset or exacerbation of mental health conditions, alcohol, and/or drug dependence. This writing looks to explore the world of college mental health and the changes the provisions of this type of care has undergone during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Implementation of a Budo group therapy for psychiatric in- and outpatients: a feasibility study.

Introduction: Physical exercise has been shown to have numerous health benefits on co-morbid somatic conditions in psychiatry and can also enhance mental health. Thus, it is not difficult to recommend physical training programs as part of an integrated and holistic treatment approach for mental health disorders. However, getting patients to participate and keeping them engaged is a major challenge.

The T-cell niche tunes immune function through modulation of the cytoskeleton and TCR-antigen forces.

Obesity is a major public health crisis given its rampant growth and association with an increased risk for cancer. Interestingly, patients with obesity tend to have an increased tumor burden and decreased T-cell function. It remains unclear how obesity compromises T-cell mediated immunity.

Just Not Enough: Utilization of Outpatient Psychotherapy Provided by Clinical Psychologists for Patients With Psychosis and Bipolar Disorder in Switzerland.

Treatment guidelines state that evidence-based psychotherapy is effective for people with psychosis and bipolar disorder and should be offered during every phase of the treatment process. However, research has indicated a lack of outpatient psychotherapeutic services for this patient group, for example, in the United States or Germany. We extend this finding by presenting survey data from Switzerland.

A cavity loadlock apparatus for next-generation quantum optics experiments.

Cavity quantum electrodynamics (QED), the study of the interaction between quantized emitters and photons confined in an optical cavity, is an important tool for quantum science in computing, networking, and synthetic matter. In atomic cavity QED, this approach typically relies upon an ultrahigh vacuum chamber that hosts a cold trapped atomic ensemble and an optical cavity. Upgrading the cavity necessitates a months-long laborious process of removing external optics, venting, replacing the resonator, baking, and replacing optics, constituting a substantial bottleneck to innovation in resonator design.

HEARTS in the Americas: Targeting Health System Change to Improve Population Hypertension Control.

Purpose Of Review: HEARTS in the Americas is the regional adaptation of Global Hearts, the World Health Organization initiative for cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention and control. Its overarching goal is to drive health services to change managerial and clinical practice in primary care settings to improve hypertension control and CVD risk management. This review describes the HEARTS in the Americas initiative.

Education, Training, and Support Across the Continuum of Recovery for Caregivers of Persons with Disorders of Consciousness.

Evolving knowledge highlights the deleterious effects of caregiving on the emotional, psychosocial, and financial well-being of caregivers of persons with disorders of consciousness (DoC). Current practice guidelines and minimal competency recommendations emphasize the importance of identifying and addressing DoC caregiver needs. This article serves as a dissemination tool to enhance communication between providers and caregivers.

Synthetic Reader-Actuators Targeted to Polycomb-Silenced Genes Block Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Proliferation and Invasion.

Scientists have used pharmacological inhibitors of polycomb proteins to restore the expression of tumor suppressor genes and stop cancer proliferation and invasion. A major limitation of this approach is that key transcriptional activators, such as TP53 and BAF SWI/SNF, are often mutated in cancer. Poor clinical results for polycomb-targeting therapies in solid cancers, including triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), could discourage the further development of epigenetic monotherapies.

Elevated Serum Androstenedione Level in a Patient With Ectopic Adrenocorticotropic Hormone Syndrome.

Background/objective: Ectopic Cushing syndrome can be challenging to diagnose when its presentation is atypical. Herein, we highlight features of ectopic adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) syndrome in a patient with worsening hypertension, hypokalemia, ACTH-dependent hypercortisolism, and disproportionate elevation in serum androstenedione levels.

Case Report: A 59-year-old woman presented with rapidly progressing hypertension, severe hypokalemia, confusion, and weakness.

Colonic Hamartomatous Ganglioneuromatosis in a 4 Mo Old Puppy.

A 4 mo old male goldendoodle puppy was evaluated for chronic hematochezia with a history of recurrent rectal prolapse and tenesmus. A colo-colonic intussusception was diagnosed via abdominal imaging. Surgery was elected to reduce the intussusception, wherein a colonic mass was discovered.

Qualitative insights from a randomized clinical trial of a mother-child emotional preparation program for preschool-aged children.

Background: Early life stress and adversity conveys risk for emotional, behavioral, and developmental disorders. To address this risk in the preschool population, Mother-Child Emotional Preparation (MCEP) was tested as an in-school dyadic intervention for facilitating mother-child emotional connection through mother-child calming cycles. In a computer-generated block randomized controlled trial enrolling preschool-aged children and their mothers, in partnership with an early childhood learning center, we at Columbia University Irving Medical Center tested effects of MCEP across multiple domains.

Ex vivo biomechanical evaluation of a bone-screw-fastener for tibial plateau leveling osteotomy.

Introduction: The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of a novel screw type on stiffness and failure characteristics of a tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO) construct under cyclic loading conditions. The authors hypothesized that bone-screw-fasteners (BSF) would result in superior biomechanical stability compared with locking buttress screws (LBS).

Materials And Methods: Twelve pairs of canine cadaveric pelvic limbs were included in this biomechanical study.

The 'omics of obesity in B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

The obesity pandemic currently affects more than 70 million Americans and more than 650 million individuals worldwide. In addition to increasing susceptibility to pathogenic infections (eg, SARS-CoV-2), obesity promotes the development of many cancer subtypes and increases mortality rates in most cases. We and others have demonstrated that, in the context of B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL), adipocytes promote multidrug chemoresistance.