Venous and arterial thrombotic risks with thalidomide: evidence and practical guidance.

Oral immunomodulatory drugs (IMiDs), namely thalidomide, lenalidomide and pomalidomide, interfere with several pathways important for disease progression. Today they play a crucial role in the treatment of multiple myeloma patients, and have considerably improved myeloma outcomes. These agents, and thalidomide in particular, are associated with higher rates of thromboembolic events, both venous and arterial. Individual risk factors for thromboembolic events include advanced age, previous history of thromboembolism, an indwelling central venous catheter, comorbid conditions (e.g. infections, diabetes, cardiac disease, obesity), current or recent immobilization, recent surgery and inherited thrombophilic abnormalities. Cancer therapy and cancer itself also increase the risk of thromboembolic events. The aim of this review is to help clinicians to define the risk of thrombotic events in patients treated with thalidomide and thus to provide practical recommendations to manage thromboprophylaxis in these patients

Thermal Comfort Evaluation Within Non-residential Environments: Development of Artificial Neural Network by Using the Adaptive Approach Data☆

Abstract A new algorithm for the PMV calculation was developed using Artificial Neural Networks. Several experimental investigations were carried out in two classrooms using both Fanger static model and adaptive approaches for the PMV evaluation. The Artificial Neural Network was trained considering a few input parameters; specifically for the network development only the air temperature and relative humidity were considered as experimental data. This algorithm allows to correlate the thermal sensation to both indoor and outdoor factors and it is a useful tool for predicting the PMV index, replacing the traditional methods with less time and cost demanding

Effects of semantic relationship and preactivation on memory updating.

Semantic relationship modulates working memory (WM) processes by promoting recall but impairing recognition. Updating is a core mechanism of WM responsible for its stability and flexibility; it allows maintenance of relevant information while removing no-longer relevant one. To our knowledge, no studies specifically investigated how WM updating may benefit from the processing of semantically related material. In the current study, two experiments were run with this aim. In Experiment 1, we found an advantage for semantically related words (vs. unrelated) regardless of their association type (i.e., taxonomic or thematic). A second experiment was run boosting semantic association through preactivation. Findings replicated those of Experiment 1 suggesting that preactivation was effective and improved semantic superiority. In sum, we demonstrated that long-term semantic associations benefitted the updating process, or more generally, overall WM function. In addition, pre-activating semantic nodes of a given word appears likely a process supporting WM and updating; thus, this may be the mechanism favoring word process and memorization in a semantically related text

Definitional skills as a bridge towards school achievement

none4noThe general aim of the current study was to investigate the role of definitional skills in promoting primary school achievement (third- to fifth-graders) and how school learning may shape defini-tional skills. Marks from four school-subjects, linguistic (Italian and English) and scientific (Math and Science) were collected as well as scores in a Definitional Task. These two domains were cho-sen as they clearly entail the two different definition types, that is lexicographic and scientific. Re-sults indicated that scientific school-subject marks are more predictive of definitional skills than linguistic school-marks are. The opposite direction (i.e., how definitional skills are predictive of school achievement) appears less clear. In sum, results, yet preliminary, suggests that definitional skills represent a bridge towards school achievement as they promote good marks in all disci-plines. Moreover, definitional skills are predicted from levels of competence acquired especially in scientific school-subjects that request a higher degree of formal/organized learning. It is then of primary importance to promote interaction-integration between these two kind of concepts via formal schooling.openArtuso C., Palladino P.,Valentini P., Belacchi C.Artuso, C.; Palladino, P.; Valentini, P.; Belacchi, C

Associations between active travel and weight, blood pressure and diabetes in six middle income countries: a cross-sectional study in older adults

BACKGROUND: There is little published data on the potential health benefits of active travel in low and middle-income countries. This is despite increasing levels of adiposity being linked to increases in physical inactivity and non-communicable diseases. This study will examine: (1) socio-demographic correlates of using active travel (walking or cycling for transport) among older adults in six populous middle-income countries (2) whether use of active travel is associated with adiposity, systolic blood pressure and self-reported diabetes in these countries. METHODS: Data are from the WHO Study on Global Ageing and Adult Health (SAGE) of China, India, Mexico, Ghana, Russia and South Africa with a total sample size of 40,477. Correlates of active travel (≥150 min/week) were examined using logistic regression. Logistic and linear regression analyses were used to examine health related outcomes according to three groups of active travel use per week. RESULTS: 46.4% of the sample undertook ≥150 min of active travel per week (range South Africa: 21.9% Ghana: 57.8%). In pooled analyses those in wealthier households were less likely to meet this level of active travel (Adjusted Risk Ratio (ARR) 0.77, 95% Confidence Intervals 0.67; 0.88 wealthiest fifth vs. poorest). Older people and women were also less likely to use active travel for ≥150 min per week (ARR 0.71, 0.62; 0.80 those aged 70+ years vs. 18-29 years old, ARR 0.82, 0.74; 0.91 women vs. men). In pooled fully adjusted analyses, high use of active travel was associated with lower risk of overweight (ARR 0.71, 0.59; 0.86), high waist-to-hip ratio (ARR 0.71, 0.61; 0.84) and lower BMI (-0.54 kg/m(2), -0.98;- 0.11). Moderate (31-209 min/week) and high use (≥210 min/week) of active travel was associated with lower waist circumference (-1.52 cm (-2.40; -0.65) and -2.16 cm (3.07; -1.26)), and lower systolic blood pressure (-1.63 mm/Hg (-3.19; -0.06) and -2.33 mm/Hg (-3.98; -0.69)). CONCLUSIONS: In middle-income countries use of active travel for ≥150 min per week is more common in lower socio-economic groups and appears to confer similar health benefits to those identified in high-income settings. Efforts to increase active travel levels should be integral to strategies to maintain healthy weight and reduce disease burden in these settings

EeV Astrophysical neutrinos from FSRQs?

Flat Spectrum Radio Quasars (FSRQ) are the most powerful blazars in the gamma-ray band. Although they are supposed to be good candidates in producing high energy neutrinos, no secure detection of FSRQs has been obtained up to now, except for a possible case of PKS B1424-418. In this work, we compute the expected flux of high energy neutrinos from FSRQs using standard assumptions for the properties of the radiation fields filling the regions surrounding the central supermassive black hole. We obtain as a result that high energy neutrinos are naturally expected from FSRQs in the sub-EeV-EeV energy range and not at PeV energies. This justifies the non-observation of neutrinos from FSRQs with the present technology, since only neutrinos below 10 PeV have been observed. We found that for a non-negligible range of the parameters the cumulative flux from FSRQs is comparable to or even exceeds the expected cosmogenic neutrino flux. This result is intriguing and highlights the importance to disentangle these point-source emissions from the diffuse cosmogenic background.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in A&

Hypervelocity Star Candidates in the SEGUE G & K Dwarf Sample

We present 20 candidate hypervelocity stars from the Sloan Extension for Galactic Understanding and Exploration (SEGUE) G and K dwarf samples. Previous searches for hypervelocity stars have only focused on large radial velocities; in this study we also use proper motions to select the candidates. We determine the hypervelocity likelihood of each candidate by means of Monte Carlo simulations, considering the significant errors often associated with high proper motion stars. We find that nearly half of the candidates exceed their escape velocities with at least 98% probability. Every candidate also has less than a 25% chance of being a high-velocity fluke within the SEGUE sample. Based on orbits calculated using the observed six-dimensional positions and velocities, few, if any, of these candidates originate from the Galactic center. If these candidates are truly hypervelocity stars, they were not ejected by interactions with the Milky Way's supermassive black hole. This calls for a more serious examination of alternative hypervelocity-star ejection scenarios.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures, published in ApJ, this version includes all figures as intende

Oral health status of patients over 18 years. Preventive Clinic Practicum I, UNNE School of Dentistry, Argentina, 2010

Introducción: con el propósito de conocer la situación de salud bucal de pacientes que asisten a la Cátedra Práctica Clínica Preventiva I de la Facultad de Odontología de la Universidad Nacional del Nordeste (UNNE), se realizó un estudio de corte transversal en septiembre y octubre del año 2010. Métodos: Las variables consideradas fueron: datos socio-demográficos, nivel de conocimientos en salud buco-dental, hábitos de higiene buco-dental y de consumo de hidratos de carbono, estado gingival, higiene bucal, estado de los dientes y acceso a la atención odontológica. Para la recolección de datos se utilizaron encuestas estructuradas auto-administradas y las historias clínicas de cada paciente. Se analizaron los datos con los programas estadísticos SPSS 15.0 y Epidat 3.1. Resultados y Conclusiones: si bien predomina un nivel de conocimientos de salud buco-dental bueno, esto no se refleja en los hábitos de higiene oral y en la periodicidad de búsqueda de atención odontológica preventiva. El examen clínico buco-dental reveló higiene buco-dental deficiente, alta prevalencia de gingivitis leve y elevada prevalencia de caries dental y de dientes obturados y perdidos como consecuencia de la misma. Es necesaria la búsqueda de estrategias programadas que permitan optimizar la educación sanitaria y mejorar los comportamientos preventivos de la población de estudio.Introduction: with the intention of identifying the oral health status of patients attending the Preventive Clinic Practicum I at the School of Dentistry, Universidad Nacional del Nordeste (UNNE), Argentina, a cross-sectional study was conducted between September and October 2010. Methods: the variables taken into account were: socio-demographic data, level of oral health knowledge, oral hygiene habits and carbohydrate consumption, gingival status, oral hygiene, teeth status, and access to dental care. The data were collected by means of structured self-administered surveys and the medical records of each patient, and they were analyzed with the statistical software SPSS® 15.0 and Epidat® 3.1. Results: although a good level of oral health knowledge is predominant, it is not reflected in oral hygiene habits or in the frequency in which individuals seek preventive dental care. The clinical examination revealed poor oral hygiene habits, high prevalence of mild gingivitis and high prevalence of dental caries as well as filled and missing teeth as a result of it. Conclusions: it is necessary to search for strategies to optimize health education and to improve preventive behaviors within the study population.Fil: Dho, María Silvina. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Facultad de Odontologia. Secretaria de Investigacion. Gabinete de Inv.interd.de Prevencion Salud y Epidemologia; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Vila, Vilma G.. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Facultad de Odontologia. Departamento de Clinicas Integradas; ArgentinaFil: Palladino, Alberto C.. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Facultad de Medicina; Argentin

MELK expression correlates with tumor mitotic activity but is not required for cancer growth

The Maternal Embryonic Leucine Zipper Kinase (MELK) has been identified as a promising therapeutic target in multiple cancer types. MELK over-expression is associated with aggressive disease, and MELK has been implicated in numerous cancer-related processes, including chemotherapy resistance, stem cell renewal, and tumor growth. Previously, we established that triple-negative breast cancer cell lines harboring CRISPR/Cas9-induced null mutations in MELK proliferate at wild-type levels in vitro (Lin et al., 2017). Here, we generate several additional knockout clones of MELK and demonstrate that across cancer types, cells lacking MELK exhibit wild-type growth in vitro, under environmental stress, in the presence of cytotoxic chemotherapies, and in vivo. By combining our MELK-knockout clones with a recently described, highly specific MELK inhibitor, we further demonstrate that the acute inhibition of MELK results in no specific anti-proliferative phenotype. Analysis of gene expression data from cohorts of cancer patients identifies MELK expression as a correlate of tumor mitotic activity, explaining its association with poor clinical prognosis. In total, our results demonstrate the power of CRISPR/Cas9-based genetic approaches to investigate cancer drug targets, and call into question the rationale for treating patients with anti-MELK monotherapies