Existing methods to improve detection of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) have focused on genomic alterations but have rarely considered the biological properties of plasma cell-free DNA (cfDNA). We ...hypothesized that differences in fragment lengths of circulating DNA could be exploited to enhance sensitivity for detecting the presence of ctDNA and for noninvasive genomic analysis of cancer. We surveyed ctDNA fragment sizes in 344 plasma samples from 200 patients with cancer using low-pass whole-genome sequencing (0.4×). To establish the size distribution of mutant ctDNA, tumor-guided personalized deep sequencing was performed in 19 patients. We detected enrichment of ctDNA in fragment sizes between 90 and 150 bp and developed methods for in vitro and in silico size selection of these fragments. Selecting fragments between 90 and 150 bp improved detection of tumor DNA, with more than twofold median enrichment in >95% of cases and more than fourfold enrichment in >10% of cases. Analysis of size-selected cfDNA identified clinically actionable mutations and copy number alterations that were otherwise not detected. Identification of plasma samples from patients with advanced cancer was improved by predictive models integrating fragment length and copy number analysis of cfDNA, with area under the curve (AUC) >0.99 compared to AUC <0.80 without fragmentation features. Increased identification of cfDNA from patients with glioma, renal, and pancreatic cancer was achieved with AUC > 0.91 compared to AUC < 0.5 without fragmentation features. Fragment size analysis and selective sequencing of specific fragment sizes can boost ctDNA detection and could complement or provide an alternative to deeper sequencing of cfDNA.
A major challenge in invasion science is detecting overlooked introductions, their pathways of introduction and spread. One of the most successful introduced taxa in aquatic ecosystems are peracarid ...crustaceans. There are a growing number of reports of accidental introductions of peracarids worldwide, mostly related to human transport hubs (e.g., ports and marinas). Tanaidaceans are especially abundant in these communities. Most frequently given examples of natural and anthropogenic passive dispersers belong to the family Tanaididae. However, their wide distribution requires confirmation. Most records come from 70–80’ of last century, when identification of the species relied only on morphological characters. The small size and large intraspecific variation of tanaidids generate a high taxonomic uncertainty, as in the case of
Zeuxo turkensis
. Population of this species was previously known from Turkish, Japanese, and Australian coasts. In the two last places this tanaidid was identified as
Hexapleomera sasuke
, despite there were some premises that it should be synonymized with
Z. turkensis
. Here we investigate specimens that resembled both
Hexapleomera sasuke
and
Zeuxo turkensis
collected in marinas around the Iberian and Moroccan coasts. Integrating morphological and molecular methods (barcoding) we confirmed: (1) the first record and presence of well-structured populations of
Z. turkensis
in Spain, Portugal and Morocco, representing the first record of the species for Atlantic waters; (2) the conspecificity between
H. sasuke
and
Z. turkensis
, which should be synonymized; and (3) the wide distribution of
Z. turkensis
associated with human transport hubs (i.e. marinas) in the study area, showing its potential for introduction and spread. Integrated approaches and greater taxonomic support are key to advancing knowledge on the origin and invasion patterns of this and other small and poorly known human-mediated widespread species.
Background
Neurological symptoms are common manifestation in acute COVID-19. This includes hyper- and hypokinetic movement disorders. Data on their outcome, however, is limited.
Methods
Cases with ...new-onset COVID-19-associated movement disorders were identified by searching the literature. Authors were contacted for outcome data which were reviewed and analyzed.
Results
Movement disorders began 12.6 days on average after the initial onset of COVID-19. 92% of patients required hospital admission (mean duration 23 days). In a fraction of patients (6 of 27; 22%; 4 males/2 females, mean age 66.8 years) the movement disorder (ataxia, myoclonus, tremor, parkinsonism) was still present after a follow-up period of 7.5 ± 3 weeks. Severe COVID-19 in general and development of encephalopathy were risk factors, albeit not strong predictors, for the persistence.
Conclusions
The prognosis of new-onset COVID-19-associated movement disorder appears to be generally good. The majority recovered without residual symptoms within several weeks or months. Permanent cases may be due to unmasking of a previous subclinical movement disorder or due to vascular/demyelinating damage. Given the relatively low response rate of one third only and the heterogeneity of mechanisms firm conclusions on the (long-term) outome cannot, however, be drawn.
The current study examines whether daily coping moderates the effects of daily stress on same‐day mood and next‐day mood among 58 Latino adolescents (Mage = 13.31; 53% male). The daily diary design ...capitalized on repeated measurements, boosting power to detect effects and allowing for a robust understanding of the day‐to‐day experiences of Latino adolescents. Hierarchical linear modeling revealed that on days when youth reported higher levels of peer and academic stress, they also reported more negative moods. However, only poverty‐related stress predicted mood the following day. Engagement coping buffered the effect of poverty‐related stress on next‐day negative and positive mood, while disengagement exacerbated the effects of academic and peer stress. The need for interventions promoting balanced coping repertoires is discussed.
The current study examined (1) spina bifida (SB) youths' health-related quality of life (HRQOL) compared with nonclinical and chronic health condition (CHC) samples, (2) parent-child agreement ...regarding HRQOL, and (3) prospective changes in HRQOL.
Child and parent-proxy reports of Pediatric Quality of Life were collected at two time waves (Time 1: N = 134, ages 8-15 years; Time 2: N = 109, ages 10-17 years) as part of a larger longitudinal study.
SB youth had statistically and clinically reduced physical HRQOL compared with the nonclinical and CHC samples at both time points. There were significant discrepancies between youth and parent-proxy reports of HRQOL; youth reported higher levels of physical and social HRQOL than parents. The majority of parent- and child-reported HRQOL domains remained stable, yet youth-reported social HRQOL increased over time.
Youth with SB are at risk for poor HRQOL. Examining modifiable condition and social-environmental predictors of youth HRQOL will be important in informing future interventions.
Background
This study aimed to conduct a systematic review of the cost-effectiveness studies of interventions to increase cervical cancer screening uptake rates in underserved women in Europe.
...Methods
A search of Embase, Medline, Global Health, PsychINFO, and NHS Economic Evaluation Database was conducted for studies published between January 2000 and September 2022. Studies were eligible if they analysed the cost-effectiveness of any interventions to improve participation in cervical cancer screening among underserved women of any age eligible to participate in cervical cancer screening in European countries, in any language. Study characteristics and cost-effectiveness results were summarised. Study quality was assessed using the Drummond Checklist, and methodological choices were further compared.
Results
The searches yielded 962 unique studies, with 17 of these (from twelve European countries) meeting the eligibility criteria for data extraction. All studies focused on underscreened women as an overarching group, with no identified studies focusing on specific subgroups of underserved women. Generally, self-HPV testing and reminder interventions were shown to be cost-effective to increase the uptake rates. There was also research showing that addressing access issues and adopting different screening modalities could be economically attractive in some settings, but the current evidence is insufficient due to the limited number of studies.
Conclusion
This systematic review has revealed a gap in the literature on the cost-effectiveness of interventions to improve uptake rates of cervical cancer screening through tailored provision for specific groups of underserved women.
Cumulative traumatic migration experiences are compounded by escalating chronic distress related to the current sociopolitical climate for refugee and immigrant children and families. The aim of this ...open trial was to conduct a preliminary evaluation of You're Not Alone, a rapidly mounted, strengths-based, community-focused capacity building training initiative for stakeholders interacting with refugee and immigrant children and families in the Chicago area. Trainings, based on Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) and psychological first aid frameworks, adapted education and universal health promotion strategies for population-specific chronic traumatic stress. Two groups of participants (N = 948), who attended either mandatory (n = 659 educators) or voluntary (n = 289 community stakeholders) trainings, completed surveys at pretraining, post-training, and 6-week follow-up. Outcome indices included participant satisfaction, acceptability of training model, and changes in knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. Over 90% of participants reported satisfaction and acceptability of trainings. For educators, hierarchical linear modeling analyses demonstrated significant increases in trauma knowledge, refugee and immigrant-specific knowledge, positive attitudes toward TIC over time, and a decrease in negative attitudes toward immigrants. Over 95% of participants indicated that they learned and intended to use new strategies to help serve refugee and immigrant children and families. At follow-up, over 80% of those who completed the survey had utilized at least one strategy, and over 55% indicated that they were using resources that they learned about in the training. This study demonstrates that capacity-building trainings swiftly developed and disseminated to community stakeholders can produce positive change in knowledge, attitudes, and practices.
Impact Statement
The You're Not Alone initiative trained front-line, community stakeholders in trauma-informed practice and psychological first aid principles to respond to escalating distress and create safe, welcoming spaces for refugee and immigrant families affected by the current sociopolitical climate. This study demonstrates that trainings swiftly developed and disseminated were well-received and improved knowledge about trauma and refugee and immigrant experiences, attitudes toward immigrants, and utilization of universal mental health promotion strategies.
This study investigates the impact of general anesthesia (GA) versus conscious sedation/local anesthesia (CS/LA) on the outcome of patients with minor stroke and isolated M2 occlusion undergoing ...immediate mechanical thrombectomy (iMT).
The databases of 16 comprehensive stroke centers were retrospectively screened for consecutive patients with isolated M2 occlusion and a baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score ≤5 who received iMT. Propensity score matching was used to estimate the effect of GA versus CS/LA on clinical outcomes and procedure-related adverse events. The primary outcome measure was a 90-day modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score of 0–1. Secondary outcome measures were a 90-day mRS score of 0–2 and all-cause mortality, successful reperfusion, procedural-related symptomatic subarachnoid hemorrhage, intraprocedural dissections, and new territory embolism.
Of the 172 patients who were selected, 55 received GA and 117 CS/LA. After propensity score matching, 47 pairs of patients were available for analysis. We found no significant differences in clinical outcome, rates of efficient reperfusion, and procedural-related complications between patients receiving GA or LA/CS (mRS score 0–1, P = 0.815; mRS score 0–2, P = 0.401; all-cause mortality, P = 0.408; modified Treatment in Cerebral Infarction score 2b–3, P = 0.374; symptomatic subarachnoid hemorrhage, P = 0.082; intraprocedural dissection, P = 0.408; new territory embolism, P = 0.462).
In patients with minor stroke and isolated M2 occlusion undergoing iMT, the type of anesthesia does not affect clinical outcome or the rate of procedural-related complications. Our results agree with recent data showing no benefit of one specific anesthesiologic procedure over the other and confirm their generalizability also to patients with minor baseline symptoms.
Objectives
Family and culture play primary roles in the development of positive mental health functioning for Latino youth. This study utilized observational methods to assess family coping ...strategies among a population at risk for high levels of stress.
Methods
Participants were 104 Mexican-origin immigrant families with a child between the ages of 6–10 (
M
age
= 8.39; 61% female). Families completed a set of audio- and video-recorded observational interaction tasks involving hypothetical situations relevant to low-income immigrant families and appropriate for discussion with young children, in which families were asked to discuss how they would manage or respond to the situation. Following observational tasks, questionnaire measures of familism and mental health were administered verbally.
Results
Longitudinal regression analyses showed that observed family reframing and family problem solving were associated with better mental health functioning over one year among children. However, passive appraisal, mobilizing support from the community, and spiritual support were linked to worse mental health outcomes over time for children. Familism showed significant moderation in only one model, suggesting effects of family coping may not differ across levels of familism.
Conclusions
Family reframing and family problem solving may be important factors to consider in the promotion of child mental health.
Abstract Middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in rodents causes brain infarctions of variable sizes that depend on multiple factors, particularly in models of ischemia/reperfusion. This is a major ...problem for infarct volume comparisons between different experimental groups since unavoidable variability can induce biases in the results and imposes the use of large number of subjects. MRI can help to minimize these difficulties by ensuring that the severity of ischemia is comparable between groups. Furthermore, several studies showed that infarct volumes can be predicted with MRI data obtained soon after ischemia onset. However, such predictive studies require multiparametric MRI acquisitions that cannot be routinely performed, and data processing using complex algorithms that are often not available. The aim here was to provide a simplified method for infarct volume prediction using apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) data in a model of transient MCAO in rats. ADC images were obtained before, during MCAO and after 60 min of reperfusion. Probability histograms were generated using ADC data obtained either during MCAO, after reperfusion, or both combined. The results were compared to real infarct volumes, i.e.T2 maps obtained at day 7. Assessment of the performance of the estimations showed better results combining ADC data obtained during occlusion and at reperfusion. Therefore, ADC data alone can provide sufficient information for a reasonable prediction of infarct volume if the MRI information is obtained both during the occlusion and soon after reperfusion. This approach can be used to check whether drug administration after MRI acquisition can change infarct volume prediction.
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