Quantitative phase imaging with optical differentiation by spatially variable amplitude filters.

We present a non-interferometric technique for quantitative phase imaging (QPI) that is cost-effective, easily integrated into standard microscopes, and capable of wide-field imaging with noncoherent light. Our method measures the phase gradient through optical differentiation using spatially variable amplitude filters, accommodating a range of transmission functions, including commercially available variable neutral-density filters. This flexibility is made possible by a general relationship we derive.

Constricting Gaps: Protocol development, implementation challenges and lessons learned for the eality mp of unet needs for alliative Care nterventions in advanced ancer patient study in Romania and Switzerland.

Background: Patients with advanced cancer experience many symptoms and needs requiring a Palliative Care Intervention (PCI). Identifying gaps between needs for PCIs and experienced delivery may improve health care, furthermore the association of gaps with quality indicators (QI). The multicentre Romanian (RO)-Swiss (CH) reality map study implemented a novel protocol based on needs concepts and culturally adapted quality indicators (QI).

A conceptual framework for cautious escalation of anticancer treatment: How to optimize overall benefit and obviate the need for de-escalation trials.

Background: The developmental workflow of the currently performed phase 1, 2 and 3 cancer trial stages lacks essential information required for the determination of the optimal efficacy threshold of new anticancer regimens. Due to this there is a serious risk of overdosing and/or treating for an unnecessary long time, leading to excess toxicity and a higher financial burden for society. But often post-approval de-escalation trials for dose-optimization and treatment de-intensification are not performed due to failing resources and time.

Development of a tool for palliative care needs assessment and intervention: mixed methods research at a Swiss tertiary oncology clinic.

Background: Palliative care interventions improve quality-of-life for advanced cancer patients and their caregivers. The frequency and quality of service provision could be improved by a clinical tool that helps oncology professionals to assess unmet needs for palliative care interventions and to structure the interventions delivered. This paper aims to answer the following research question: what do oncology professionals and cancer patients view as important elements in a clinical tool for assessing unmet palliative care needs? Based on the feedback from professionals and patients, we developed and refined an intervention-focused clinical tool for use in cancer care.

Overcoming barriers to timely recognition and treatment of cancer cachexia: Sharing Progress in Cancer Care Task Force Position Paper and Call to Action.

Cachexia is a life-threatening disorder affecting an estimated 50-80% of cancer patients. The loss of skeletal muscle mass in patients with cachexia is associated with an increased risk of anticancer treatment toxicity, surgical complications and reduced response. Despite international guidelines, the identification and management of cancer cachexia remains a significant unmet need owing in part to the lack of routine screening for malnutrition and suboptimal integration of nutrition and metabolic care into clinical oncology practice.

Both abundant and rare fungi colonizing Fagus sylvatica ectomycorrhizal root-tips shape associated bacterial communities.

Ectomycorrhizal fungi live in close association with their host plants and form complex interactions with bacterial/archaeal communities in soil. We investigated whether abundant or rare ectomycorrhizal fungi on root-tips of young beech trees (Fagus sylvatica) shape bacterial/archaeal communities. We sequenced 16S rRNA genes and fungal internal transcribed spacer regions of individual root-tips and used ecological networks to detect the tendency of certain assemblies of fungal and bacterial/archaeal taxa to inhabit the same root-tip (i.

Generally Applicable Holographic Torque Measurement for Optically Trapped Particles.

We present a method to measure the optical torque applied to particles of arbitrary shape such as micrometer-sized micro-organisms or cells held in an optical trap, inferred from the change of angular momentum of light induced by the particle. All torque components can be determined from a single interference pattern recorded by a camera in the back focal plane of a high-NA condenser lens provided that most of the scattered light is collected. We derive explicit expressions mapping the measured complex field in this plane to the torque components.

Towards a novel approach guiding the decision-making process for anticancer treatment in patients with advanced cancer: framework for systemic anticancer treatment with palliative intent.

Background: Weighing risks and benefits is currently the primary criterion for decisions regarding systemic anticancer treatment (SACT) in far advanced cancer patients, also in the modern immunotherapy- and molecular-targeted driven oncology. Decision aids rarely include substantially key concepts of early integrated palliative care (PC) and communication science. We compiled decisional factors (DFs) important for guiding the use of SACT with palliative intent (SACT-PI) and explored these DFs regarding their applicability in routine clinical care.

Diagnostic criteria for cancer cachexia: reduced food intake and inflammation predict weight loss and survival in an international, multi-cohort analysis.

Background: Cancer-associated weight loss (WL) associates with increased mortality. International consensus suggests that WL is driven by a variable combination of reduced food intake and/or altered metabolism, the latter often represented by the inflammatory biomarker C-reactive protein (CRP). We aggregated data from Canadian and European research studies to evaluate the associations of reduced food intake and CRP with cancer-associated WL (primary endpoint) and overall survival (OS, secondary endpoint).

Cancer cachexia in adult patients: ESMO Clinical Practice Guidelines.

• This ESMO Clinical Practice Guideline provides key recommendations for managing cancer-related cachexia. • It covers screening, assessment and multimodal management of cancer cachexia. • All recommendations were compiled by a multidisciplinary group of experts.

Patterns of integrating palliative care into standard oncology in an early ESMO designated center: a 10-year experience.

Background: Integration of specialist palliative care (PC) into standard oncology care is recommended. This study investigated how integration at the Cantonal Hospital St. Gallen (KSSG) was manifested 10 years after initial accreditation as a European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Designated Center (ESMO-DC) of Integrated Oncology and Palliative Care.

ESPEN practical guideline: Clinical Nutrition in cancer.

Background: This practical guideline is based on the current scientific ESPEN guidelines on nutrition in cancer patients.

Methods: ESPEN guidelines have been shortened and transformed into flow charts for easier use in clinical practice. The practical guideline is dedicated to all professionals including physicians, dieticians, nutritionists and nurses working with patients with cancer.

Pathogen dependent effects of high amounts of oxytocin on the bloodmilk barrier integrity during mastitis in dairy cows.

The reduction of antibiotic use in food producing animals becomes increasingly important. Therefore, suitable alternatives for mastitis treatment in dairy cows have to be considered. Oxytocin (OT) induces milk ejection and hence supports milk removal from infected mammary quarters.

Natural ghrelin in advanced cancer patients with cachexia, a case series.

Background: Natural ghrelin, a peptide growth hormone secretagogue, has a therapeutic potential in cachexia. We designed a dose-finding trial of subcutaneous natural ghrelin to improve nutritional intake (NI) in advanced cancer patients.

Methods: Advanced cancer patients with cachexia management (symptom management, physiotherapy, nutritional, and psychosocial support) started with ghrelin at 32 μg/kg body weight, followed by 50% dose increases.

Tools for guiding interventions to address patient-perceived multidimensional unmet healthcare needs in palliative care: systematic literature review.

Context: The unmet needs of patients with advanced disease are indicative of the patient centredness of healthcare. By tracking unmet needs in clinical practice, palliative interventions are aligned with patient priorities, and clinicians receive support in intervention delivery decisions for patients with overlapping, complex needs.

Objective: Identify tools used in everyday clinical practice for the purpose of identifying and addressing unmet healthcare needs for patients with advanced disease.

Meaning in life and quality of life: palliative care patients versus the general population.

Background And Objectives: Meaning in life (MIL) represent a key topic in palliative care. The aims of this study were to explore (1) the differences in perceived MIL and in the meaning-relevant life areas between a representative sample of the Swiss population and palliative care patients, and (2) to what extent MIL can be considered as a significant predictor of quality of life (QOL).

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted separately for the patients (face-to-face interviews) and the general population (telephone survey).

[Cancer Rehabilitation: integrated in the care pathways of modern oncology].

Cancer Rehabilitation: integrated in the care pathways of modern oncology People suffering from cancer are affected both by the cancer disease and from side-effects of multimodal anticancer interventions such as surgical, radiooncological and drug therapies. These effects can lead to physical, emotional, social, intellectual or existential functional deficits, which presence and impact are often underrecgonized by oncology professionals. Oncological rehabilitation targets such deficits by multimodal, transprofessionally delivered, goal steered and human centered coordinated interventions.

Correction to: Enteral and parenteral nutrition in cancer patients, a comparison of complication rates: an updated systematic review and (cumulative) meta-analysis.

The appendices were incorrectly numbered in the original article. Please see below correcct appendices.

Enteral and parenteral nutrition in cancer patients, a comparison of complication rates: an updated systematic review and (cumulative) meta-analysis.

Introduction: Weight loss in cancer patients is a worrisome constitutional change predicting disease progression and shortened survival time. A logical approach to counter some of the weight loss is to provide nutritional support, administered through enteral nutrition (EN) or parenteral nutrition (PN). The aim of this paper was to update the original systematic review and meta-analysis previously published by Chow et al.

Sarcopenia: A Time for Action. An SCWD Position Paper.

The term sarcopenia was introduced in 1988. The original definition was a "muscle loss" of the appendicular muscle mass in the older people as measured by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA). In 2010, the definition was altered to be low muscle mass together with low muscle function and this was agreed upon as reported in a number of consensus papers.

Forgiveness and Reconciliation Processes in Dying Patients With Cancer.

This article studies forgiveness and reconciliation (F/R) in patients with cancer. It focuses on the end of life, when family conflicts resurface and unfinished business challenges patients and causes spiritual distress. Forgiveness and reconciliation may intensify patient-family relationships and facilitate peace of mind and peaceful death.

A prospective study examining cachexia predictors in patients with incurable cancer.

Background: Early intervention against cachexia necessitates a predictive model. The aims of this study were to identify predictors of cachexia development and to create and evaluate accuracy of a predictive model based on these predictors.

Methods: A secondary analysis of a prospective, observational, multicentre study was conducted.

Spectral image scanning microscopy.

For decades, the confocal microscope has represented one of the dominant imaging systems in biomedical imaging at sub-cellular lengthscales. Recently, however, it has increasingly been replaced by a related, but more powerful successor technique termed image scanning microscopy (ISM). In this article, we present ISM capable of measuring spectroscopic information such as that contained in fluorescence or Raman images.

Orphan disease status of cancer cachexia in the USA and in the European Union: a systematic review.

Background: Cachexia has significant impact on the patients' quality of life and prognosis. It is frequently observed in patients with cancer, especially in advanced stages, but prevalence data for the overall population are lacking. Good quality estimates of cancer cachexia in general and for each of the major cancer types would be highly relevant for potential treatment development efforts in this field.