Non-radioactive in situ hybridization for the detection of cytomegalovirus infections

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Dutch Oncology COVID-19 consortium:Outcome of COVID-19 in patients with cancer in a nationwide cohort study

Aim of the study: Patients with cancer might have an increased risk for severe outcome of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). To identify risk factors associated with a worse outcome of COVID-19, a nationwide registry was developed for patients with cancer and COVID-19. Methods: This observational cohort study has been designed as a quality of care registry and is executed by the Dutch Oncology COVID-19 Consortium (DOCC), a nationwide collaboration of oncology physicians in the Netherlands. A questionnaire has been developed to collect pseudonymised patient data on patients' characteristics, cancer diagnosis and treatment. All patients with COVID-19 and a cancer diagnosis or treatment in the past 5 years are eligible. Results: Between March 27th and May 4th, 442 patients were registered. For this first analysis, 351 patients were included of whom 114 patients died. In multivariable analyses, age ≥65 years (p < 0.001), male gender (p = 0.035), prior or other malignancy (p = 0.045) and active diagnosis of haematological malignancy (p = 0.046) or lung cancer (p = 0.003) were independent risk factors for a fatal outcome of COVID-19. In a subgroup analysis of patients with active malignancy, the risk for a fatal outcome was mainly determined by tumour type (haematological malignancy or lung cancer) and age (≥65 years). Conclusion: The findings in this registry indicate that patients with a haematological malignancy or lung cancer have an increased risk of a worse outcome of COVID-19. During the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, these vulnerable patients should avoid exposure to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, whereas treatment adjustments and prioritising vaccination, when available, should also be considered

Cokriging for multivariate Hilbert space valued random fields: application to multi-fidelity computer code emulation

In this paper we propose Universal trace co-kriging, a novel methodology for interpolation of multivariate Hilbert space valued functional data. Such data commonly arises in multi-fidelity numerical modeling of the subsurface and it is a part of many modern uncertainty quantification studies. Besides theoretical developments we also present methodological evaluation and comparisons with the recently published projection based approach by Bohorquez et al. (Stoch Environ Res Risk Assess 31(1):53–70, 2016. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00477-016-1266-y). Our evaluations and analyses were performed on synthetic (oil reservoir) and real field (uranium contamination) subsurface uncertainty quantification case studies. Monte Carlo analyses were conducted to draw important conclusions and to provide practical guidelines for all future practitioners

Achlya mitochondrial DNA: gene localization and analysis of inverted repeats

Mitochondrial DNA from four strains of the oomycete Achlya has been compared and nine gene loci mapped, including that of the ribosomal protein gene, var1 . Examination of the restriction enzyme site maps showed the presence of four insertions relative to a map common to all four strains. All the insertions were found in close proximity to genic regions. The four strains also cotained the inverted repeat first observed in A. ambisexualis (Hudspeth et al. 1983), allowing an examination by analysis of retained restriction sites of the evolutionary stability of repeated DNA sequences relative to single copy sequences. Although the inverted repeat is significantly more stable than single copy sequences, more detailed analysis indicated that this stability is limited to the portion encoding the ribosomal RNA genes. Thus, the apparent evolutionary stability of the repeat does not appear to derive from the inverted repeat structure per se.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/47563/1/438_2004_Article_BF00330510.pd

Association of Pretreatment Physical and Geriatric Parameters with Treatment Tolerance and Survival in Elderly Patients with Stage I-II Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: An Evaluation of Usual Care Data

In this study, the association of pretreatment physical and geriatric parameters with treatment tolerance and survival in elderly patients with stage I-II NSCLC was evaluated. Retrospective data for patients aged ≥70 years, diagnosed between 2016 and 2020 with stage I-II NSCLC, and who underwent surgery or stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) in a large Dutch teaching hospital were retrieved from medical records. Associations of pretreatment physical and geriatric parameters with treatment tolerance and survival were analyzed. Of 160 patients, 49 of 104 (47%) patients who underwent surgery and 21 of 56 (38%) patients who received SABR did not tolerate treatment. In univariable analysis, World Health Organization (WHO) performance status ≥ 2, short nutritional assessment questionnaire score &gt; 1, short physical performance battery score ≤ 9, and geriatric-8 score ≤ 14 were significantly associated with postoperative complications. Forced expiratory volume of one second &lt; 80% of predicted was significantly associated with intolerance of SABR. In multivariable analysis, WHO performance status ≥ 2 and diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide &lt; 80% were significantly associated with decreased overall survival. This is the first study that investigated the association between pretreatment physical and geriatric parameters and treatment outcomes in patients with stage I-II NSCLC. Evaluation of physical and geriatric parameters before treatment initiation seems highly recommended to select patients who might benefit from preventive interventions before and/or during treatment

Association of Pretreatment Physical and Geriatric Parameters with Treatment Tolerance and Survival in Elderly Patients with Stage I&ndash;II Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: An Evaluation of Usual Care Data

In this study, the association of pretreatment physical and geriatric parameters with treatment tolerance and survival in elderly patients with stage I&ndash;II NSCLC was evaluated. Retrospective data for patients aged &ge;70 years, diagnosed between 2016 and 2020 with stage I&ndash;II NSCLC, and who underwent surgery or stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) in a large Dutch teaching hospital were retrieved from medical records. Associations of pretreatment physical and geriatric parameters with treatment tolerance and survival were analyzed. Of 160 patients, 49 of 104 (47%) patients who underwent surgery and 21 of 56 (38%) patients who received SABR did not tolerate treatment. In univariable analysis, World Health Organization (WHO) performance status &ge; 2, short nutritional assessment questionnaire score &gt; 1, short physical performance battery score &le; 9, and geriatric-8 score &le; 14 were significantly associated with postoperative complications. Forced expiratory volume of one second &lt; 80% of predicted was significantly associated with intolerance of SABR. In multivariable analysis, WHO performance status &ge; 2 and diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide &lt; 80% were significantly associated with decreased overall survival. This is the first study that investigated the association between pretreatment physical and geriatric parameters and treatment outcomes in patients with stage I&ndash;II NSCLC. Evaluation of physical and geriatric parameters before treatment initiation seems highly recommended to select patients who might benefit from preventive interventions before and/or during treatment

The Association of Gross Tumor Volume and Its Radiomics Features with Brain Metastases Development in Patients with Radically Treated Stage III Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Purpose: To identify clinical risk factors, including gross tumor volume (GTV) and radiomics features, for developing brain metastases (BM) in patients with radically treated stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods: Clinical data and planning CT scans for thoracic radiotherapy were retrieved from patients with radically treated stage III NSCLC. Radiomics features were extracted from the GTV, primary lung tumor (GTVp), and involved lymph nodes (GTVn), separately. Competing risk analysis was used to develop models (clinical, radiomics, and combined model). LASSO regression was performed to select radiomics features and train models. Area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUC-ROC) and calibration were performed to assess the models' performance. Results: Three-hundred-ten patients were eligible and 52 (16.8%) developed BM. Three clinical variables (age, NSCLC subtype, and GTVn) and five radiomics features from each radiomics model were significantly associated with BM. Radiomic features measuring tumor heterogeneity were the most relevant. The AUCs and calibration curves of the models showed that the GTVn radiomics model had the best performance (AUC: 0.74; 95% CI: 0.71-0.86; sensitivity: 84%; specificity: 61%; positive predictive value [PPV]: 29%; negative predictive value [NPV]: 95%; accuracy: 65%). Conclusion: Age, NSCLC subtype, and GTVn were significant risk factors for BM. GTVn radiomics features provided higher predictive value than GTVp and GTV for BM development. GTVp and GTVn should be separated in clinical and research practice