Description of the clinical and radiological characteristics of pulmonary embolism in COVID-19 vs non-COVID-19 patients: a multicentric cross-sectional study over a 24-month perspective.

Background: COVID-19 is associated with intense systemic inflammation and abnormal coagulation profile, leading to an increased incidence of pulmonary embolism (PE).

Objectives: This study investigates whether PE in COVID-19 patients has different clinical, laboratory, and radiological characteristics compared with traditional PE in COVID-19-negative patients.

Methods: We conducted an observational, multicentric, cross-sectional study on consecutive patients diagnosed with PE at admission or during hospital stay from February 21, 2019, to February 20, 2021.

Narratives and opinion polarization: a survey experiment.

We explore the impact of narratives on beliefs and policy opinions through a survey experiment that exposes US subjects to two media-based explanations of the causes of COVID-19. The Lab Narrative ascribes the pandemic to human error and scientific misconduct in a Chinese lab, and the Nature Narrative describes the natural causes of the virus. First, we find that both narratives influence individual beliefs about COVID-19 origins.

Black race and lower age at surgery are associated with smoking relapse in a safety-net setting after surgery for stage I non-small cell lung cancer.

Background: Smoking relapse after surgical resection for lung cancer (LC) remains a health concern. This study aims to determine various factors associated with postoperative smoking relapse in patients undergoing surgical resection for stage I non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) at an urban safety net hospital.

Methods: We analyzed the demographic and clinical variables of all patients who underwent surgical resection for stage I NSCLC from 2002 to 2016 at our institution.

miR-126 identifies a quiescent and chemo-resistant human B-ALL cell subset that correlates with minimal residual disease.

Complete elimination of B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) by a risk-adapted primary treatment approach remains a clinical key objective, which fails in up to a third of patients. Recent evidence has implicated subpopulations of B-ALL cells with stem-like features in disease persistence. We hypothesized that microRNA-126, a core regulator of hematopoietic and leukemic stem cells, may resolve intratumor heterogeneity in B-ALL and uncover therapy-resistant subpopulations.

Longitudinal single-cell profiling of chemotherapy response in acute myeloid leukemia.

Acute myeloid leukemia may be characterized by a fraction of leukemia stem cells (LSCs) that sustain disease propagation eventually leading to relapse. Yet, the contribution of LSCs to early therapy resistance and AML regeneration remains controversial. We prospectively identify LSCs in AML patients and xenografts by single-cell RNA sequencing coupled with functional validation by a microRNA-126 reporter enriching for LSCs.

Frailty Index is Associated with Treatment Decisions for Stage I Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer at a High-Burden Safety-Net Hospital.

Background: Lobectomy remains the cornerstone of care for stage I NSCLC while sublobar resection and stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) are reserved for patients with smaller tumors and/or poor operative risk. Herein, we investigate the effect of patient frailty on treatment modality for stage I NSCLC at a safety-net hospital.

Patients And Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed of stage I NSCLC patients between 2006 and 2015.

Topographical and Compositional Gradient Tubular Scaffold for Bone to Tendon Interface Regeneration.

The enthesis is an extremely specific region, localized at the tendon-bone interface (TBI) and made of a hybrid connection of fibrocartilage with minerals. The direct type of enthesis tissue is commonly subjected to full laceration, due to the stiffness gradient between the soft tissues and hard bone, and this often reoccurs after surgical reconstruction. For this purpose, the present work aimed to design and develop a tubular scaffold based on pullulan (PU) and chitosan (CH) and intended to enhance enthesis repair.

Smart Device for Biologically Enhanced Functional Regeneration of Osteo-Tendon Interface.

The spontaneous healing of a tendon laceration results in the formation of scar tissue, which has lower functionality than the original tissue. Moreover, chronic non-healing tendon injuries frequently require surgical treatment. Several types of scaffolds have been developed using the tissue engineering approach, to complement surgical procedures and to enhance the healing process at the injured site.

Redlining, structural racism, and lung cancer screening disparities.

Objective: The objective of this study was to understand the effect of historical redlining (preclusion from home loans and wealth-building for Black Americans) and its downstream factors on the completion of lung cancer screening in Boston.

Methods: Patients within our institution were identified as eligible for lung cancer screening on the basis of the United State Preventive Service Task Force criteria and patient charts were reviewed to determine if patients completed low-dose computed tomography screening. Individual addresses were geocoded and overlayed with original 1930 Home Owner Loan Corporation redlining vector files.

Risk Factors for Lung Cancer in an Underrepresented Safety-Net Screening Cohort.

Introduction/background: The USPSTF (United States Preventive Services Task Force) guidelines suggest criteria centering on smoking status and age to select patients for lung cancer screening. Despite the significant advances in screening with low-dose computed tomography (LDCT), cancer detection rate is low (1.1%), highlighting the need to investigate possible ways to refine the current lung cancer screening strategy.

Trust in the Health System and COVID-19 Treatment.

COVID-19 continues to spread across the globe at an exponential speed, infecting millions and overwhelming even the most prepared healthcare systems. Concerns are looming that the healthcare systems in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are mostly unprepared to combat the virus because of limited resources. The problems in LMICs are exacerbated by the fact that citizens in these countries generally exhibit low trust in the healthcare system because of its low quality, which could trigger a number of uncooperative behaviors.

Political Narratives and the US Partisan Gender Gap.

Social scientists have devoted considerable research effort to investigate the determinants of the Partisan Gender Gap (PGG), whereby US women (men) tend to exhibit more liberal (conservative) political preferences over time. Results of a survey experiment run during the COVID-19 emergency and involving 3,086 US residents show that exposing subjects to alternative narratives on the causes of the pandemic increases the PGG: relative to a baseline treatment in which no narrative manipulation is implemented, exposing subjects to either the (claiming that COVID-19 was caused by a lab accident in Wuhan) or the (according to which COVID-19 originated in the wildlife) makes women more liberal. The polarization effect documented in our experiment is magnified by the political orientation of participants' state of residence: the largest PGG effect is between men residing in Republican-leaning states and women living in Democratic-leaning states.

Ruxolitinib for chronic steroid-refractory graft versus host disease: a single center experience.

Background: Chronic Graft versus Host Disease (GvHD) is a serious complication of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant that severely impacts quality of life and long-term survival. About 50-to-60 % of patients treated with steroids require a further line of therapy due to lack of sustained response. Ruxolitinib, a JAK1/2 inhibitor, has recently been approved for the treatment of acute GvHD.

Posttransplantation Cyclophosphamide- and Sirolimus-Based Graft-Versus-Host-Disease Prophylaxis in Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplant.

Post-transplantation cyclophosphamide (PTCy) has emerged as a promising graft-versus-host-disease (GVHD) prophylaxis in the setting of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) from haploidentical donors and more recently in matched donor transplants. Herein, we describe our real-life experience on 249 adult patients undergoing allogeneic HSCT, from HLA-matched related (MRD), HLA-matched unrelated (MUD), or mismatched related donors (MMRD). Patients received unmanipulated peripheral blood stem cells (PBSCs), using a GVHD prophylaxis with PTCy and sirolimus.

The place of ceftazidime/avibactam and ceftolozane/tazobactam for therapy of haematological patients with febrile neutropenia.

Objectives: To evaluate ceftazidime/avibactam (C/A) and ceftolozane/tazobactam (C/T) use in haematological patients with febrile neutropenia receiving high-dose chemotherapy and haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT).

Methods: A retrospective study was conducted to assess C/A and C/T efficacy through infection-related mortality (IRM) and bacteraemia clearance for carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (CR-GNB) pre-engraftment blood-stream infections (PE-BSIs) between January-December 2018.

Results: Seventy patients underwent allogeneic HSCT: C/A and C/T were dispensed in 13% and 3%, respectively.

CPX-351 treatment in secondary acute myeloblastic leukemia is effective and improves the feasibility of allogeneic stem cell transplantation: results of the Italian compassionate use program.

Secondary acute myeloid leukemia (sAML) poorly responds to conventional treatments and allogeneic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). We evaluated toxicity and efficacy of CPX-351 in 71 elderly patients (median age 66 years) with sAML enrolled in the Italian Named (Compassionate) Use Program. Sixty days treatment-related mortality was 7% (5/71).

Transcription factor NF-κB in a basal metazoan, the sponge, has conserved and unique sequences, activities, and regulation.

Herein, we characterize transcription factor NF-κB from the demosponge Amphimedon queenslandica (Aq). Aq-NF-κB is most similar to NF-κB p100/p105 among vertebrate proteins, with an N-terminal DNA-binding domain, a C-terminal Ankyrin (ANK) repeat domain, and a DNA binding-site profile akin to human NF-κB proteins. Like mammalian NF-κB p100, C-terminal truncation allows nuclear translocation of Aq-NF-κB and increases its transcriptional activation activity.

SETBP1 induces transcription of a network of development genes by acting as an epigenetic hub.

SETBP1 variants occur as somatic mutations in several hematological malignancies such as atypical chronic myeloid leukemia and as de novo germline mutations in the Schinzel-Giedion syndrome. Here we show that SETBP1 binds to gDNA in AT-rich promoter regions, causing activation of gene expression through recruitment of a HCF1/KMT2A/PHF8 epigenetic complex. Deletion of two AT-hooks abrogates the binding of SETBP1 to gDNA and impairs target gene upregulation.

Emerging resistant bacteria strains in bloodstream infections of acute leukaemia patients: results of a prospective study by the Rete Ematologica Lombarda (Rel).

Multiresistant bacterial infections are a potentially life-threatening condition in acute leukaemia (AL) patients. We aimed to better define the very recent epidemiology and outcome of bloodstream infections (BSIs) in a real-life setting. We prospectively collected all consecutive febrile/infectious episodes occurring in AL patients admitted to 9 haematology units.

What do hemolyzed whole-blood specimens look like? Analysis with a CellaVision DM96 automated image analysis system.

We planned an original study to investigate the morphological changes caused by spurious hemolysis of whole-blood samples, analyzed using an automated image analysis system. Seven whole-blood specimens anticoagulated with EDTA were pooled and divided in two aliquots. The former was left untreated, whereas the latter was subjected to mechanical hemolysis by forced aspiration with an insulin syringe.

Evaluation of mean platelet volume with four hematological analyzers: harmonization is still an unresolved issue.

The clinical applications of mean platelet volume (MPV) have recently broadened far beyond the differential diagnosis of platelet (PLT) disorders to embrace diagnosis and prognostication of a variety of thrombotic conditions. As the potential usefulness of this simple and inexpensive parameter may be challenged by instrument heterogeneity, we investigated the degree of analytical quality and interinstrument comparability. One hundred consecutive inpatient samples were simultaneously assessed on Abbott Sapphire, Mindray BC6800, Siemens Advia 2120, and Sysmex XE5000.

Development of simple equations for effective screening of spurious hemolysis in whole-blood specimens.

Introduction: We aimed to identify simple but reliable indices for effective screening of spurious hemolysis in whole-blood specimens.

Methods: Thirteen inpatient whole-blood samples were divided in two aliquots. The former was left untreated, whereas the latter was mechanically hemolyzed by forced aspiration with an insulin syringe.

Early molecular diagnosis of aspergillosis in a patient with acute myeloid leukaemia.

Diagnosis of invasive fungal infection remains challenging. Here we report a case of early diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis in a neutropenic patient affected by acute myeloid leukaemia, achieved through the detection of Aspergillus fumigatus species-specific ribonucleic acid sequences by a sensitive multiplex real-time polymerase chain reaction-based molecular assay. Thanks to the early diagnosis, targeted therapy was promptly established and the severe fungal infection controlled, allowing the patient to subsequently receive allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation from a haploidentical donor, her only curative option.