The Complexity of Matching Games: A Survey

Matching games naturally generalize assignment games, a well-known class of cooperative games. Interest in matching games has grown recently due to some breakthrough results and new applications. This state-of-the-art survey provides an overview of matching games and extensions, such as $b$-matching games and partitioned matching games; the latter originating from the emerging area of international kidney exchange. In this survey we focus on computational complexity aspects of various game-theoretical solution concepts, such as the core, nucleolus and Shapley value, when the input is restricted to some (generalized) matching game

RhoA knockout fibroblasts lose tumor-inhibitory capacity in vitro and promote tumor growth in vivo

Fibroblasts are a main player in the tumor-inhibitory microenvironment. Upon tumor initiation and progression, fibroblasts can lose their tumor-inhibitory capacity and promote tumor growth. The molecular mechanisms that underlie this switch have not been defined completely. Previously, we identified four proteins over-expressed in cancer-associated fibroblasts and linked to Rho GTPase signaling. Here, we show that knocking out the Ras homolog family member A (RhoA) gene in normal fibroblasts decreased their tumor-inhibitory capacity, as judged by neighbor suppression in vitro and accompanied by promotion of tumor growth in vivo. This also induced PC3 cancer cell motility and increased colony size in 2D cultures. RhoA knockout in fibroblasts induced vimentin intermediate filament reorganization, accompanied by reduced contractile force and increased stiffness of cells. There was also loss of wide F-actin stress fibers and large focal adhesions. In addition, we observed a significant loss of a-smooth muscle actin, which indicates a difference between RhoA knockout fibroblasts and classic cancer-associated fibroblasts. In 3D collagen matrix, RhoA knockout reduced fibroblast branching and meshwork formation and resulted in more compactly clustered tumor-cell colonies in coculture with PC3 cells, which might boost tumor stem-like properties. Coculturing RhoA knockout fibroblasts and PC3 cells induced expression of proinflammatory genes in both. Inflammatory mediators may induce tumor cell stemness. Network enrichment analysis of transcriptomic changes, however, revealed that the Rho signaling pathway per se was significantly triggered only after coculturing with tumor cells. Taken together, our findings in vivo and in vitro indicate that Rho signaling governs the inhibitory effects by fibroblasts on tumor-cell growth.Peer reviewe

Tuberculosis in Prisons in Sub-Saharan Africa – The Need for Improved Health Services, Surveillance and Control.

Prisons have long been associated with rapid transmission of infectious diseases. The HIV/AIDS epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has fuelled the spread of TB and HIV in prisons. The poor living conditions and ineffective health services in prisons in SSA are a major breeding ground of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). The spread of TB between prisoners, prison staff and visitors and the emergence of drug-resistant TB in prisons now poses a threat to control efforts of national TB programmes in SSA. Accurate data required to develop appropriate interventions to tackle the ominous problem of TB in African prisons are scanty and unreliable. The health of prisoners is by default a neglected political issue. This article reviews the available literature on TB and drug-resistant TB in prisons from SSA countries, discusses the risk factors for acquiring TB and highlights the priorities for further translational research in prisons. Ethical issues pertaining to research on captive African populations are discussed. Scientific, political and funder attention is required urgently to improve prison health services. (C) 2010 Published by Elsevier Ltd

Impact of COVID-19 on cardiovascular testing in the United States versus the rest of the world

Objectives: This study sought to quantify and compare the decline in volumes of cardiovascular procedures between the United States and non-US institutions during the early phase of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the care of many non-COVID-19 illnesses. Reductions in diagnostic cardiovascular testing around the world have led to concerns over the implications of reduced testing for cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity and mortality. Methods: Data were submitted to the INCAPS-COVID (International Atomic Energy Agency Non-Invasive Cardiology Protocols Study of COVID-19), a multinational registry comprising 909 institutions in 108 countries (including 155 facilities in 40 U.S. states), assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on volumes of diagnostic cardiovascular procedures. Data were obtained for April 2020 and compared with volumes of baseline procedures from March 2019. We compared laboratory characteristics, practices, and procedure volumes between U.S. and non-U.S. facilities and between U.S. geographic regions and identified factors associated with volume reduction in the United States. Results: Reductions in the volumes of procedures in the United States were similar to those in non-U.S. facilities (68% vs. 63%, respectively; p = 0.237), although U.S. facilities reported greater reductions in invasive coronary angiography (69% vs. 53%, respectively; p < 0.001). Significantly more U.S. facilities reported increased use of telehealth and patient screening measures than non-U.S. facilities, such as temperature checks, symptom screenings, and COVID-19 testing. Reductions in volumes of procedures differed between U.S. regions, with larger declines observed in the Northeast (76%) and Midwest (74%) than in the South (62%) and West (44%). Prevalence of COVID-19, staff redeployments, outpatient centers, and urban centers were associated with greater reductions in volume in U.S. facilities in a multivariable analysis. Conclusions: We observed marked reductions in U.S. cardiovascular testing in the early phase of the pandemic and significant variability between U.S. regions. The association between reductions of volumes and COVID-19 prevalence in the United States highlighted the need for proactive efforts to maintain access to cardiovascular testing in areas most affected by outbreaks of COVID-19 infection

Training Models for Enucleation and Orbital Compartment Syndrome

ME450 Capstone Design and Manufacturing Experience: Fall 2021Enucleation and lateral canthotomy are two ophthalmic surgeries with little or no training models. Residents learn these procedures in the operating room by watching faculty and then advancing to take over more steps. The goal of this project is to build training models that will give the residents realistic training on the most important steps of both procedures while also being reusable, high-fidelity, and inexpensive. The models will provide training to residents and doctors in low-resource countries as well as the US to reduce post-operative complications and improve surgical quality.Dr. Christine Nelson, MD, FACS: Kellogg Eye Centerhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/172490/1/Team22-TrainingModelsForEnucleationAndLateralCanthotomy.pd

Posttraumatic stress disorder and traumatic stress : from bench to bedside, from war to disaster

War is a tragic event and its mental health consequences can be profound. Recent studies indicate substantial rates of posttraumatic stress disorder and other behavioral alterations because of war exposure. Understanding the psychological, behavioral, and neurobiological mechanism of mental health and behavioral changes related to war exposure is critical to helping those in need of care. Substantial work to encourage bench to bedside to community knowledge and communication is a core component of addressing this world health need

Firearm Behavioral Practices and Suicide Risk in U.S. Army Soldiers and Veterans

In the US, firearms are the most common method of suicide. Veterans bear a disproportionate share of this burden, representing over 69.4% of firearm mediated suicides. Suicide precipitates devastating impacts on service members and veterans’ families and communities, in addition to reducing productivity and burdening the economy. The trauma of firearm mediated violence extends beyond decedents, with a majority of individuals who attempt suicide likely to survive with debilitating injuries, physical disabilities, and chronic mental health problems. Given that veterans are more likely than civilians to own firearms, carry them in public, and use them regularly, there is an unmet need to elucidate the relationship between firearm use and suicide, to identify veterans in need of suicide prevention strategies. Based on preliminary evidence linking gender, geography, personality traits, mental health, lifestyle, age, and other socio-demographic factors to firearm accessibility, we hypothesize that factors beyond firearm accessibility, storage and ownership influence firearm mediated suicide. Our objective is to improve the understanding of motivations for service members and veterans owning firearms, storing them in unsafe conditions and using them to hurt others or themselves. The study will comprise of secondary analyses of data sets obtained from the Army Study to Assess Risk and Resilience in Servicemembers (Army STARRS) and the Study to Assess Risk and Resilience in Servicemembers – Longitudinal Study (STARRS-LS), a longitudinal study of over 14,000 soldiers between 2015–2020