Enhanced Efficiency of Anionic Guerbet-Type Amino Acid Surfactants.

This study investigates the surfactant properties and efficiency of linear and Guerbet-type amino acid surfactants. Utilizing a Wilhelmy plate method, we assessed the colloidal efficiency of these surfactants, with the lowest observed critical micelle concentration at 0.046 mmol L, significantly reducing surface tension to as low as 25.

MLL oncoprotein levels influence leukemia lineage identities.

Chromosomal translocations involving the mixed-lineage leukemia (MLL) locus generate potent oncogenic fusion proteins (oncoproteins) that disrupt regulation of developmental gene expression. By profiling the oncoprotein-target sites of 36 broadly representative MLL-rearranged leukemia samples, including three samples that underwent a lymphoid-to-myeloid lineage-switching event in response to therapy, we find the genomic enrichment of the oncoprotein is highly variable between samples and subject to dynamic regulation. At high levels of expression, the oncoproteins preferentially activate either an acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) program, enriched for pro-B-cell genes, or an acute myeloid leukemia (AML) program, enriched for hematopoietic-stem-cell genes.

How Can General Managers Best Leverage Medical Affairs Now and in the Future?

General managers (GMs) play a crucial role as enterprise leaders of the country affiliate of multi-national pharmaceutical companies, balancing needs, objectives and governance across all local functions. One such function, Medical Affairs, has undergone a significant evolution from a support function into a strategic partner and in some organizations a strategic leader supported by the increasing complexity of medications and a shift to more specialized medicines. Although the function has progressed significantly, there is opportunity to elevate Medical Affairs to another level, with GMs and business unit directors (BUDs) recommending increased business acumen, strategic approach, innovation and project management as competencies that could be further cultivated.

Quantifying cell-state densities in single-cell phenotypic landscapes using Mellon.

Cell-state density characterizes the distribution of cells along phenotypic landscapes and is crucial for unraveling the mechanisms that drive diverse biological processes. Here, we present Mellon, an algorithm for estimation of cell-state densities from high-dimensional representations of single-cell data. We demonstrate Mellon's efficacy by dissecting the density landscape of differentiating systems, revealing a consistent pattern of high-density regions corresponding to major cell types intertwined with low-density, rare transitory states.

Staging and Restaging Pediatric Abdominal and Pelvic Tumors: A Practical Guide.

The most common abdominal malignancies diagnosed in the pediatric population include neuroblastoma, Wilms tumor, hepatoblastoma, lymphoma, germ cell tumor, and rhabdomyosarcoma. There are distinctive imaging findings and patterns of spread for each of these tumors that radiologists must know for diagnosis and staging and for monitoring the patient's response to treatment. The multidisciplinary treatment group that includes oncologists, surgeons, and radiation oncologists relies heavily on imaging evaluation to identify the best treatment course and prognostication of imaging findings, such as the image-defined risk factors for neuroblastomas, the PRETreatment EXtent of Disease staging system for hepatoblastoma, and the Ann Arbor staging system for lymphomas.

A reliable transcriptomic risk-score applicable to formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded biopsies improves outcome prediction in localized prostate cancer.

Background: Clinical manifestation of prostate cancer (PCa) is highly variable. Aggressive tumors require radical treatment while clinically non-significant ones may be suitable for active surveillance. We previously developed the prognostic ProstaTrend RNA signature based on transcriptome-wide microarray and RNA-sequencing (RNA-Seq) analyses, primarily of prostatectomy specimens.

Incidence of pulmonary toxicity in bleomycin-containing regimens for testicular cancer with and without the use of growth factor.

Introduction: The concurrent use of bleomycin and granulocyte colony-stimulating factors (G-CSFs) has historically been debated as a risk factor for bleomycin-induced pulmonary toxicity in patients with both testicular cancer and Hodgkin's lymphoma. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the incidence of pulmonary toxicity in patients with testicular cancer who were treated with bleomycin and pegfilgrastim concurrently.

Methods: This is a retrospective study that includes male patients over the age of 18 years old diagnosed with testicular cancer who received bleomycin-containing chemotherapy regimens with and without the use of G-CSF agents.

KMT2A oncoproteins induce epigenetic resistance to targeted therapies.

Chromosomal translocations involving the ( ) locus generate potent oncogenic fusion proteins (oncoproteins) that disrupt regulation of developmental gene expression. By profiling the oncoprotein-target sites of 36 broadly representative -rearranged leukemia samples, including three samples that underwent a lymphoid-to-myeloid lineage-switching event in response to therapy, we find the genomic enrichment of the oncoprotein is highly variable between samples and subject to dynamic regulation. At high levels of expression, the oncoproteins preferentially activate either an acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) program, enriched for pro-B-cell genes, or an acute myeloid leukemia (AML) program, enriched for hematopoietic-stem-cell genes.

Patients' experience with German primary care practices during Covid-19: an interview study.

Background: Patient access to and communication with German primary care practices (PCPs) changed due to Covid-19. Patients had to comply with Covid-19 regulations, which included closed waiting rooms and appointment-based consultations. It is unclear how patients experienced these changes and how the pandemic impacted their primary care attendance.

Quantifying Cell-State Densities in Single-Cell Phenotypic Landscapes using Mellon.

Cell-state density characterizes the distribution of cells along phenotypic landscapes and is crucial for unraveling the mechanisms that drive cellular differentiation, regeneration, and disease. Here, we present Mellon, a novel computational algorithm for high-resolution estimation of cell-state densities from single-cell data. We demonstrate Mellon's efficacy by dissecting the density landscape of various differentiating systems, revealing a consistent pattern of high-density regions corresponding to major cell types intertwined with low-density, rare transitory states.

Rapid implementation of Veterans Health Administration telehealth creative arts therapies: survey evaluation of adoption and adaptation.

Background: Creative arts therapies (CAT) are employed throughout the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) and are predominantly delivered in-person. Though telehealth delivery of CAT was used at several VHA facilities to increase services to rural Veterans, due to guidance from the Center for Disease Control and VHA that temporarily suspended or reduced in-person services, there was a large increase of CAT therapists enterprise-wide who adopted telehealth delivery. The aims of this study were to evaluate adoption and adaptation of CAT telehealth delivery and identify related barriers and facilitators.

Implementation of a medication delivery service for ambulatory oncology infusion patients.

Objective: Patients receiving infusions for the treatment of cancer are commonly prescribed supportive care medications which are filled through retail pharmacies. The initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic created hurdles for patients to receive supportive care medications due to concerns related to exposure risk. Meds-to-Chemo Chairs (M2CC) was created allowing an onsite retail pharmacy to dispense and hand-deliver supportive care prescriptions to patients in the infusion suite.

Characterization and evaluation of gene fusions as a measure of genetic instability and disease prognosis in prostate cancer.

Background: Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the most prevalent cancers worldwide. The clinical manifestations and molecular characteristics of PCa are highly variable. Aggressive types require radical treatment, whereas indolent ones may be suitable for active surveillance or organ-preserving focal therapies.

Optimal home and hospital laundering of reusable surgical scrubs: Systematic literature review.

Background: Theatre personnel can spread healthcare-associated infections through contaminated surgical scrubs. Decontamination of surgical scrubs through optimal methods is important to minimise transmission of microorganisms from theatre personnel's clothing to different areas in the hospital and their homes.

Aim: This study aimed to review the literature on the optimal home and hospital laundering methods for the decontamination of reusable surgical scrubs worn by theatre personnel.

A Phase I Dose Escalation and Expansion Study of Epidiolex (Cannabidiol) in Patients with Biochemically Recurrent Prostate Cancer.

Purpose: Cannabinoids (CBD) have anti-tumor activity against prostate cancer (PCa). Preclinical studies have demonstrated a significant decrease in prostate specific antigen (PSA) protein expression and reduced tumor growth in xenografts of LNCaP and DU-145 cells in athymic mice when treated with CBD. Over-the-counter CBD products may vary in activity without clear standardization, and Epidiolex is a standardized FDA-approved oral CBD solution for treatment of certain types of seizures.

Physical rehabilitation for the management of cancer-related fatigue during cytotoxic treatment: a systematic review with meta-analysis.

Objective: To assess the effect of physical therapy on cancer-related fatigue (CRF) during cytotoxic anticancer treatment.

Methods: Systematic review with meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials published from 2010 to 2021 (EMBASE, MEDLINE, PEDro; SciELO, and LILACS). Studies assessing the effect of supervised physical therapy (IG) for the management of CRF on adults undergoing anticancer treatment compared with a control group (CG) covering usual care or any uncontrolled practice, such as recommendations about exercise and health education, were included in this review.

Correlation Between Trough Level of Abiraterone and Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) Response in Metastatic Hormone-Sensitive Prostate Cancer.

BACKGROUND Prostate cancer growth is primarily driven by testosterone and 5a-dihydrotestosterone. Abiraterone is an irreversible inhibitor of CYP17, and CYP17 inhibition is a required step in testosterone biosynthesis. Previous studies have shown that abiraterone trough levels are predictive of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) response in metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC).

DYSPHAGIA OCCURRENCE IN COVID-19-POSITIVE PATIENTS IN TWO HOSPITALS IN BRAZIL.

Background: COVID-19 comprises a respiratory infection resulting from contamination by SARS-CoV-2, with acute respiratory failure being one of its main characteristics, leading to a high frequency of orotracheal intubation (OTI), which in turn increases the risk for dysphagia. Since this can lead to pulmonary impairment, knowing the real occurrence of dysphagia in part of the Brazilian population and its associations allows early and effective clinical management of the multidisciplinary team in relation to patients.

Objective: To verify the occurrence of dysphagia in COVID-19-positive adult patients in two Brazilian reference hospitals in the care of the pandemic.

Use of Cystatin C to Assess Immunotherapy Toxicity in a Patient With Melanoma.

The advent of immunotherapy has improved outcomes of patients in a number of cancers. While immunotherapy helps the immune system recognize malignant cells, it also can lead to adverse effects that mimic autoimmune diseases including, but not limited to, rash, colitis, pneumonitis, and nephritis. Diagnosis of immunotherapy related nephritis is based on serum creatinine trends, which can be falsely elevated in the setting of high muscle mass.

In Vitro Skin Delivery of Griseofulvin by Layer-by-Layer Nanocoated Emulsions Stabilized by Whey Protein and Polysaccharides.

Griseofulvin is a poorly water-soluble drug administered orally to treat topical fungal infections of the skin and hair. However, oral administration leads to poor and unpredictable drug pharmacokinetics. Additionally, griseofulvin is unstable in the presence of light.

CUT&Tag2for1: a modified method for simultaneous profiling of the accessible and silenced regulome in single cells.

Cleavage Under Targets and Tagmentation (CUT&Tag) is an antibody-directed transposase tethering strategy for in situ chromatin profiling in small samples and single cells. We describe a modified CUT&Tag protocol using a mixture of an antibody to the initiation form of RNA polymerase II (Pol2 Serine-5 phosphate) and an antibody to repressive Polycomb domains (H3K27me3) followed by computational signal deconvolution to produce high-resolution maps of both the active and repressive regulomes in single cells. The ability to seamlessly map active promoters, enhancers, and repressive regulatory elements using a single workflow provides a complete regulome profiling strategy suitable for high-throughput single-cell platforms.

How the COVID-19 pandemic impacts social scientific research on sustainability: questions of methodology, ethics and justice: comment on Santana et al. 2021.

In a highly relevant contribution, Santana et al. (2021) outlined the challenges for qualitative enquiries during the pandemic. We agree that overcoming these challenges is very important since qualitative research is vital for understanding both the impacts of COVID-19 on human communities around the globe and its significance for sustainable futures.

A Data-Driven Digital Application to Enhance the Capacity Planning of the COVID-19 Vaccination Process.

In this paper, a decision support system (DSS) is presented that focuses on the capacity planning of the COVID-19 vaccination process in the Netherlands. With the Dutch national vaccination priority list as the starting point, the DSS aims to minimize the per-class waiting-time with respect to (1) the locations of the medical hubs (i.e.

Vanishing bone metastasis: pictorial essay.

Vanishing bone metastasis (pseudopathological vertebral body enhancement) is a pitfall in the interpretation of contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) scans of patients with thoracic vein obstruction, mainly in the superior vena cava and brachiocephalic veins, typically being related to thrombosis due to malignant tumors. On the basis of the CT findings, pseudopathological vertebral body enhancement can be misdiagnosed as sclerotic bone metastasis, leading to unnecessary treatment. Although not rare, pseudopathological vertebral body enhancement is usually underdiagnosed by radiologists.