Establishing and Characterizing the Molecular Profiles, Cellular Features, and Clinical Utility of a Patient-Derived Xenograft Model Using Benign Prostatic Tissues.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a common condition marked by the enlargement of the prostate gland, which often leads to significant urinary symptoms and a decreased quality of life. The development of clinically relevant animal models is crucial for understanding the pathophysiology of BPH and improving treatment options. This study aims to establish a patient-derived xenograft (PDX) model using benign prostatic tissues to explore the molecular and cellular mechanisms of BPH.

Tracking Chlamydia - Host interactions and antichlamydial activity in Caenorhabditis elegans.

The fading efficacy of antibiotics is a growing global health concern due to its life-threatening consequences and increased healthcare costs. Non-genetic mechanisms of antimicrobial resistance, such as those employed by Chlamydia pneumoniae and Chlamydia trachomatis, complicate treatment as these bacteria can enter a non-replicative, persistent state under stress, evading antibiotics and linking to inflammatory conditions. Understanding chlamydial persistence at the molecular level is challenging, and new models for studying Chlamydia-host interactions in vivo are urgently needed.

A Prospective Cohort Protocol for the Remnant Investigation in Sepsis Study.

Background: Sepsis is a common and deadly syndrome, accounting for more than 11 million deaths annually. To mature a deeper understanding of the host and pathogen mechanisms contributing to poor outcomes in sepsis, and thereby possibly inform new therapeutic targets, sophisticated, and expensive biorepositories are typically required. We propose that remnant biospecimens are an alternative for mechanistic sepsis research, although the viability and scientific value of such remnants are unknown.

The Effect of Fruit and Berry Pomaces on the Growth Dynamics of Microorganisms and Sensory Properties of Marinated Rainbow Trout.

Plant pomaces in suitable forms (powders, extracts) can be used in foods of animal origin to increase the nutritional value and safety of these foods. In the present study, water extracts of apple, black currant, rhubarb and tomato pomaces were used in fish marinade solutions to evaluate their effect on the growth dynamics of microorganisms and the growth potential of by challenge testing. The results showed that mesophilic aerobic microorganisms, spp.

Charge within Nt17 peptides modulates huntingtin aggregation and initial lipid binding events.

Toxic aggregation of pathogenic huntingtin protein (htt) is implicated in Huntington's disease and influenced by various factors, including the first seventeen amino acids at the N-terminus (Nt17) and the presence of lipid membranes. Nt17 has a propensity to form an amphipathic α-helix in the presence of binding partners, which promotes α-helix rich oligomer formation and facilitates htt/lipid interactions. Within Nt17 are multiple sites that are subject to post-translational modification, including acetylation and phosphorylation.

PATHWAYS ASSOCIATED WITH POSITIVE SEPSIS SURVIVAL OUTCOMES IN AFRICAN AMERICAN/BLACK AND NON-HISPANIC WHITE PATIENTS WITH URINARY TRACT INFECTION.

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are a common cause of sepsis worldwide. Annually, more than 60,000 US deaths can be attributed to sepsis secondary to UTIs, and African American/Black adults have higher incidence and case-fatality rates than non-Hispanic White adults. Molecular-level factors that may help partially explain differences in sepsis survival outcomes between African American/Black and Non-Hispanic White adults are not clear.

Integrating Validity Evidence to Revise a Child Abuse Knowledge Test for Early Childhood Education Providers: A Mixed Methods Approach.

Knowledge tests used to evaluate child protection training program effectiveness for early childhood education providers may suffer from threats to construct validity given the contextual variability inherent within state-specific regulations around mandated reporting requirements. Unfortunately, guidance on instrument revision that accounts for such state-specific mandated reporting requirements is lacking across research on evaluation practices. This study, therefore, explored how collection and integration of validity evidence using a mixed methods framework can guide the instrument revision process to arrive at a more valid program outcome measure.

Proteomic changes associated with racial background and sepsis survival outcomes.

Intra-abdominal infection is a common cause of sepsis, and intra-abdominal sepsis leads to ∼156 000 U.S. deaths annually.

Advancements in automation for plasma proteomics sample preparation.

Automation is necessary to increase sample processing throughput for large-scale clinical analyses. Replacement of manual pipettes with robotic liquid handler systems is especially helpful in processing blood-based samples, such as plasma and serum. These samples are very heterogenous, and protein expression can vary greatly from sample-to-sample, even for healthy controls.

Impact of COVID-19 Restrictions on Stage of Breast Cancer at Presentation and Time to Treatment at an Urban Safety-Net Hospital.

Background: COVID-19 disrupted health systems across the country. Pre-pandemic, patients accessing our urban safety-net hospital presented with three-fold higher rates of late-stage breast cancer than other Commission-on-Cancer sites. We sought to determine the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on stage of breast cancer presentation and time to first treatment at our urban safety-net hospital.

Alterations in Bacterial Metabolism Contribute to the Lifespan Extension Exerted by Guarana in .

Guarana (Paullinia cupana) is a widely consumed nutraceutical with various health benefits supported by scientific evidence. However, its indirect health impacts through the gut microbiota have not been studied. Caenorhabditis elegans is a useful model to study both the direct and indirect effects of nutraceuticals, as the intimate association of the worm with the metabolites produced by Escherichia coli is a prototypic simplified model of our gut microbiota.

Compounding Parenteral Products in Pediatric Wards-Effect of Environment and Aseptic Technique on Product Sterility.

Parenteral products must be compounded using an aseptic technique to ensure sterility of the medicine. We compared the effect of three clinical environments as compounding areas as well as different aseptic techniques on the sterility of the compounded parenteral product. Clinical pharmacists and pediatric nurses compounded 220 samples in total in three clinical environments: a patient room, a medicine room and biological safety cabinet.

Electric clothes dryers: An underestimated source of microfiber pollution.

Microplastics, particularly microfibers, are ubiquitous, found in aquatic (freshwater and marine) and terrestrial environments and within the food web worldwide. It is well-established that microplastics in the form of textile fibers enter the environment via washing machines and wastewater treatment effluent. Less is known about the release of microfibers from electric clothes dryers.

COGNITIVE MAPPING FOR ILOOKOUT FOR CHILD ABUSE: AN ONLINE TRAINING PROGRAM FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD PROFESSIONALS.

This article delineates the theory and framework for an innovative child abuse training program for mandated reporters called ''. is an online learning delivery system that utilizes mastery learning and self-determination theory in the Core Training program, along with spaced retrieval and retrieval practice in a follow-up micro-learning program that reinforces learning from the Core Training. A cognitive mapping model provides the structure for documenting and organizing the learning content in both the Core training and the follow-up micro-learning program.

Incidence of Morphea following Adjuvant Irradiation of the Breast in 2,268 Patients.

Background: Morphea of the breast is an autoimmune reaction of the subcutaneous connective tissue which can be triggered by exposure to ionizing radiation. The literature suggests incidence rates of 1:500 to 1:3,000 which, however, do not seem to match the very small number of cases reported.

Objectives: The aim of the present study was to determine the incidence of morphea following irradiation of the breast in order to generate more evidence about the frequency of this serious and mutilating complication.

Decrease in treatment intensity predicts worse outcome in patients with locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma undergoing radiochemotherapy.

Purpose: Radiochemotherapy (RCT) is an effective standard therapy for locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (LA-HNSCC). Nonetheless, toxicity is common, with patients often requiring dose modifications.

Methods: To investigate associations of RCT toxicities according to CTCAE version 5.

Clinical parameters predictive for sphincter-preserving surgery and prognostic outcome in patients with locally advanced low rectal cancer.

Background: Although controversial, there are data suggesting that clinical parameters can predict the probability of sphincter preserving procedures in rectal cancer. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between clinical parameters and the sphincter-preserving surgery rate in patients who had undergone neoadjuvant combination therapy for advanced low rectal cancer.

Methods: In this single center study, the charts of 540 patients with locally advanced rectal cancer who had been treated with induction chemotherapy-and/or neoadjuvant concomitant radiochemotherapy (nRCT) over an 11-year period were reviewed in order to identify patients with rectal cancer ≤6 cm from the anal verge, who had received the prescribed nRCT only.

Composition and Antibacterial Effect of Mint Flavorings in Candies and Food Supplements.

Mint flavorings are widely used in confections, beverages, and dairy products. For the first time, mint flavoring composition of mint candies and food supplements (n = 45), originating from 16 countries, as well as their antibacterial properties, was analyzed. The flavorings were isolated by Marcusson's type micro-apparatus and analyzed by GC-MS.

Endocrine therapy with or without whole breast irradiation in low-risk breast cancer patients after breast-conserving surgery: 10-year results of the Austrian Breast and Colorectal Cancer Study Group 8A trial.

Purpose: To investigate long-term results of patients with hormonal receptor-positive breast cancer treated with breast-conserving surgery (BCS) and consecutive endocrine therapy (ET) with or without whole breast irradiation (WBI).

Methods And Materials: Within the 8 A trial of the Austrian Breast and Colorectal Cancer Study Group, a total of 869 patients received ET after BCS which was randomly followed by WBI (n = 439, group 1) or observation (n = 430, group 2). WBI was applied up to a mean total dosage of 50 Gy (+/- 10 Gy boost) in conventional fractionation.

Beneficial modulation of the tumor microenvironment and generation of anti-tumor responses by TLR9 agonist lefitolimod alone and in combination with checkpoint inhibitors.

Activation of Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) is known to foster innate and adaptive immune responses and thus improve immune-mediated control of malignant disease. Lefitolimod is a potent TLR9 agonist without chemical modification developed for immunotherapeutic strategies. Modulation of the tumor microenvironment (TME) is a crucial requirement for the response to various immunotherapies: Immunogenic ("hot") tumors, characterized by their T cell-infiltrated TME, respond better compared to non-immunogenic ("cold") tumors.

Lipid Membranes Influence the Ability of Small Molecules To Inhibit Huntingtin Fibrillization.

Several diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and Huntington's disease (HD), are associated with specific proteins aggregating and depositing within tissues and/or cellular compartments. The aggregation of these proteins is characterized by the formation of extended, β-sheet rich fibrils, termed amyloid. In addition, a variety of other aggregate species also form, including oligomers and protofibrils.

Age as a Predictor of Treatment Outcome in Metastatic Testicular Germ Cell Tumors.

Background/aim: To quantify the prognostic impact of age on relapse and mortality in patients with metastatic testicular germ cell tumors (TGCT).

Patients And Methods: Electronical medical records of 1,225 TGCT patients who were treated at a single academic center between 1994 and 2015 were reviewed.

Results: Higher age did not predict for worse progression-free survival (PFS) or for higher progression risk.

Perioperative chemotherapy versus neoadjuvant chemoradiation for patients with adenocarcinoma of the distal esophagus in Austria: a retrospective analysis.

Background: The aim of this study was to compare the outcome of patients with adenocarcinoma of the distal esophagus (AEG type I) treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiation or perioperative chemotherapy.

Methods: Eligible patients from four Austrian centers were selected to conduct a retrospective analysis. All patients treated between January 2007 and October 2017 with chemotherapy according to EOX-protocol (Epirubicin, Oxaliplatin, Xeloda) or chemoradiation according to CROSS-protocol (carboplatin/paclitaxel + RTX 41.

Testing the feasibility of augmented digital skin imaging to objectively compare the efficacy of topical treatments for radiodermatitis.

Introduction: Radiation-induced dermatitis (RID) is routinely graded by visual inspection. Inter-observer variability makes this approach inadequate for an objective assessment of the efficacy of different topical treatments. In this study we report on the first clinical application of a new image-analysis tool developed to measure the relevant effects quantitatively and to compare the effects of two different topical preparations used to treat RID.