Does Marital Status Influence Levels of Anxiety and Depression Before Palliative Radiotherapy?

Background/aim: To evaluate whether or not single patients report increased levels of anxiety and depression, compared to married or partnered patients scheduled to receive palliative radiotherapy. In principle, different levels of social support might cause such disparities.

Patients And Methods: Retrospective comparison of two groups of patients (28% single, overall 100 patients), who scored their symptoms before palliative radiotherapy with the Edmonton symptom assessment system (ESAS).

Tissue analyses reveal a potential immune-adjuvant function of FAP-1 positive fibroblasts in non-small cell lung cancer.

Objectives: Selective targeting of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) has been proposed to synergize with immune-checkpoint inhibitors. While the roles of CAFs in cancer development are well described, their immune-regulatory properties remain incompletely understood. This study investigates correlations between CAF and immune-markers in tumor stroma from non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients, and examines whether a combination of CAF and immune cell scores impact patient prognosis.

Does Patient-reported Dyspnea Reflect Thoracic Disease Characteristics in Patients with Incurable Cancer?

Background/aim: A considerable proportion of patients with incurable cancer experience dyspnea. This study evaluates associations between the feeling of dyspnea, as quantified by radiotherapy patients scoring their symptoms before palliative treatment with the Edmonton symptom assessment system (ESAS), and potential underlying causes.

Patients And Methods: Retrospective comparison of the incidence of different parameters that could cause a feeling of dyspnea in two groups, patients with no or minimal dyspnea (ESAS score 0-2) and those with dyspnea scores >2.

CRISPR/Cas9-Advancing Orthopoxvirus Genome Editing for Vaccine and Vector Development.

The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)/associated protein 9 (Cas9) technology is revolutionizing genome editing approaches. Its high efficiency, specificity, versatility, flexibility, simplicity and low cost have made the CRISPR/Cas9 system preferable to other guided site-specific nuclease-based systems such as TALENs (Transcription Activator-like Effector Nucleases) and ZFNs (Zinc Finger Nucleases) in genome editing of viruses. CRISPR/Cas9 is presently being applied in constructing viral mutants, preventing virus infections, eradicating proviral DNA, and inhibiting viral replication in infected cells.

Patient-reported symptoms before palliative radiotherapy predict survival differences.

Background: Widely used prognostic scores, e. g., for brain or bone metastases, are based on disease- and patient-related factors such as extent of metastases, age and performance status, which were available in the databases used to develop the scores.

Some inequalities for Cesàro means of double Vilenkin-Fourier series.

In this paper, we state and prove some new inequalities related to the rate of approximation by Cesàro means of the quadratic partial sums of double Vilenkin-Fourier series of functions from .

A new look at classical inequalities involving Banach lattice norms.

Some classical inequalities are known also in a more general form of Banach lattice norms and/or in continuous forms (i.e., for 'continuous' many functions are involved instead of finite many as in the classical situation).

No overdiagnosis in the Norwegian Breast Cancer Screening Program estimated by combining record linkage and questionnaire information in the Norwegian Women and Cancer study.

Background: The Norwegian Breast Cancer Screening Program (NBCSP) was implemented across the country in 2005 and has been criticised for potential 'overdiagnosis', i.e. a breast cancer diagnosis that otherwise would not have been detected or treated in a woman's lifetime.

Indigenous Values and Health Systems Stewardship in Circumpolar Countries.

Circumpolar regions, and the nations within which they reside, have recently gained international attention because of shared and pressing public policy issues such as climate change, resource development, endangered wildlife and sovereignty disputes. In a call for national and circumpolar action on shared areas of concern, the Arctic states health ministers recently met and signed a declaration that identified shared priorities for international cooperation. Among the areas for collaboration raised, the declaration highlighted the importance of enhancing intercultural understanding, promoting culturally appropriate health care delivery and strengthening circumpolar collaboration in culturally appropriate health care delivery.

An Aristotelian view of therapists' practice in multifamily therapy for young adults with severe eating disorders.

Background: Eating disorders are serious conditions which also impact the families of adult patients. There are few qualitative studies of multifamily therapy with adults with severe eating disorders and none concerning the practice of therapists in multifamily therapy.

Objectives: The aim of the study is to explore therapists' practice in multifamily therapy.

Hazard Characterization of Modified Vaccinia Virus Ankara Vector: What Are the Knowledge Gaps?

Modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) is the vector of choice for human and veterinary applications due to its strong safety profile and immunogenicity in vivo. The use of MVA and MVA-vectored vaccines against human and animal diseases must comply with regulatory requirements as they pertain to environmental risk assessment, particularly the characterization of potential adverse effects to humans, animals and the environment. MVA and recombinant MVA are widely believed to pose low or negligible risk to ecosystem health.

Transcriptomic Landscape of Treatment-Naïve Ulcerative Colitis.

Background And Aims: Ulcerative colitis [UC] is a chronic inflammatory disease that effects the gastrointestinal tract and is considered one of the most prominent and common forms of inflammatory bowel disease [IBD]. This study aimed to define and describe the entire transcriptomic landscape in a well-stratified, treatment-naïve UC patient population compared with control patients by using next-generation technology, RNA-Seq.

Methods: Mucosal biopsies from treatment-naïve UC patients [n = 14], and healthy controls [n = 16] underwent RNA-Seq.

A prospective evaluation of plasma phospholipid fatty acids and breast cancer risk in the EPIC study.

Background: Intakes of specific fatty acids have been postulated to impact breast cancer risk but epidemiological data based on dietary questionnaires remain conflicting.

Materials And Methods: We assessed the association between plasma phospholipid fatty acids and breast cancer risk in a case-control study nested within the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition study. Sixty fatty acids were measured by gas chromatography in pre-diagnostic plasma phospholipids from 2982 incident breast cancer cases matched to 2982 controls.

Fetal exposure to maternal human platelet antigen-1a does not induce tolerance. An analytical observational study.

Fetal and neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia (FNAIT) is a disease that may cause severe bleeding complications with risk of perinatal death or lifelong disability. The main cause of FNAIT is maternal antibodies against human platelet antigen (HPA)-1a. Both fetomaternal bleeding and transplacental trafficking of fetal cells during pregnancy could be the cause of alloimmunization.

Time perspectives and convenience food consumption among teenagers in Vietnam: The dual role of hedonic and healthy eating values.

This study uses the subscales of Consideration of Future Consequences (CFC) to explore the effects of future (CFC-future) and immediate (CFC-immediate) on convenience food consumption among teenagers in Vietnam. Furthermore, we investigate the mediating and dual role of hedonic and healthy eating values in the relationships between CFCs and convenience food consumption. Survey data from 451 teenagers in Central Vietnam and structural equation modelling were used to test the relationships in a proposed theoretical model.

Multisite musculoskeletal pain in adolescence as a predictor of medical and social welfare benefits in young adulthood: The Norwegian Arctic Adolescent Health Cohort Study.

Background: Pain in adolescence is associated with mental health problems, the main reason for work disability in young adults. This study explores the relationship between multisite musculoskeletal pain in adolescence and later medical (sickness and medical rehabilitation benefits) and social welfare benefits, adjusted for sociodemographic, adolescent psychosocial and mental health problems.

Methods: Data were obtained by linkage between the National Insurance Registry (2003-11) and the Norwegian Arctic Adolescent Health Study, a school-based survey in North Norway (2003-05), accepted by 3987 fifteen- to sixteen-year-olds (68% of the total population).

Comets as a possible source of nanodust in the Solar System cloud and in planetary debris discs.

Comets, comet-like objects and their fragments are the most plausible source for the dust in both the inner heliosphere and planetary debris discs around other stars. The smallest size of dust particles in debris discs is not known and recent observational results suggest that the size distribution of the dust extends down to sizes of a few nanometres or a few tens of nanometres. In the Solar System, electric field measurements from spacecraft observe events that are explained with high-velocity impacts of nanometre-sized dust.

Assessing the causal relationship between obesity and venous thromboembolism through a Mendelian Randomization study.

Observational studies have shown an association between obesity and venous thromboembolism (VTE) but it is not known if observed associations are causal, due to reverse causation or confounding bias. We conducted a Mendelian Randomization study of body mass index (BMI) and VTE. We identified 95 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that have been previously associated with BMI and assessed the association between genetically predicted high BMI and VTE leveraging data from a previously conducted GWAS within the INVENT consortium comprising a total of 7507 VTE cases and 52,632 controls of European ancestry.

Effect of Inpatient Multicomponent Occupational Rehabilitation Versus Less Comprehensive Outpatient Rehabilitation on Sickness Absence in Persons with Musculoskeletal- or Mental Health Disorders: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Purpose To assess effects of an inpatient multicomponent occupational rehabilitation program compared to less comprehensive outpatient rehabilitation on sickness absence in persons with musculoskeletal- or mental health disorders. Methods Randomized clinical trial with parallel groups. Participants were individuals 18-60 years old on sick-leave for 2-12 months with a sick-leave diagnosis within the musculoskeletal, psychological or general and unspecified chapters of ICPC-2, identified in a national register.

Former patients' experiences of recovery from self-harm as an individual, prolonged learning process: a phenomenological hermeneutical study.

Aim: To explore, describe and understand former patients' experiences of recovery from self-harm.

Background: Previous research shows that a person's development towards a more secure self-image, mastery of their emotions, an understanding of what triggers self-harm and mastery of new ways to cope with problems are central to recovery. Recovery from self-harm is still a relatively new field of research.

Multisite musculoskeletal pain in adolescence and later mental health disorders: a population-based registry study of Norwegian youth: the NAAHS cohort study.

Objectives: To examine the association between multisite musculoskeletal pain in adolescence and mental health disorders in young adulthood.

Design And Setting: Data were obtained from a linkage between the Norwegian Patient Registry (2008-2012) and the Norwegian Arctic Adolescent Health Study, a school-based survey conducted among 10th grade students in North Norway (2003-2005).

Participants: In total, 3987 (68%) of all 5877 invited participants consented to the registry linkage.

Excerpts from the 1st international NTNU symposium on current and future clinical biomarkers of cancer: innovation and implementation, June 16th and 17th 2016, Trondheim, Norway.

The goal of biomarker research is to identify clinically valid markers. Despite decades of research there has been disappointingly few molecules or techniques that are in use today. The "1st International NTNU Symposium on Current and Future Clinical Biomarkers of Cancer: Innovation and Implementation", was held June 16th and 17th 2016, at the Knowledge Center of the St.

Juvenile myasthenia gravis in Norway: A nationwide epidemiological study.

Background: The aim of this study was to assess the incidence rate and prevalence of autoimmune myasthenia gravis (MG) among children in Norway.

Methods: This retrospective population-based study was performed in Norway from January 2012 to December 2013. Cases of juvenile MG (JMG) with onset < 18 years were identified through searches in coding systems of electronic patient records at the 15 main hospitals in Norway from 1989 to 2013.

Outcomes Associated With Isolated Agenesis of the Corpus Callosum: A Meta-analysis.

Context: Antenatal counseling in cases of agenesis of the corpus callosum (ACC) is challenging.

Objectives: To ascertain the outcome in fetuses with isolated complete ACC and partial ACC.

Data Sources: Medline, Embase, CINAHL, and Cochrane databases.