Measurement of Tissue Stiffness with Virtual Touch Tissue Quantification in Two Cases of Spleen Tumor

We performed non-invasive measurement of tissue stiffness in the spleen for two patients using virtualtouch tissue quantification (VTTQ). Case 1 was an 82-year-old woman with Hodgkin lymphoma. Stiffnessmeasured using VTTQ was lower than normal spleen in tumor areas and higher than normal spleen in nontumorareas. Case 2 was a 66-year-old man with ascites and gastric cancer involving the entire spleen. Stiffnessof the spleen tumor as measured by VTTQ was higher than normal spleen. These cases demonstratedtwo new factors associated with elevated spleen stiffness:compression of healthy spleen tissue by tumorand cancer invasion

Cdc42 and RhoA reveal different spatio-temporal dynamics upon local stimulation with Semaphorin-3A

Small RhoGTPases, such as Cdc42 and RhoA, are key players in integrating external cues and intracellular signaling pathways that regulate growth cone (GC) motility. Indeed, Cdc42 is involved in actin polymerization and filopodia formation, whereas RhoA induces GC collapse and neurite retraction through actomyosin contraction. In this study we employed F\uf6rster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) microscopy to study the spatio-temporal dynamics of Cdc42 and RhoA in GCs in response to local Semaphorin-3A (Sema3A) stimulation obtained with lipid vesicles filled with Sema3A and positioned near the selected GC using optical tweezers. We found that Cdc42 and RhoA were activated at the leading edge of NG108-15 neuroblastoma cells during spontaneous cycles of protrusion and retraction, respectively. The release of Sema3A brought to a progressive activation of RhoA within 30 s from the stimulus in the central region of the GC that collapsed and retracted. In contrast, the same stimulation evoked waves of Cdc42 activation propagating away from the stimulated region. A more localized stimulation obtained with Sema3A coated beads placed on the GC, led to Cdc42 active waves that propagated in a retrograde manner with a mean period of 70 s, and followed by GC retraction. Therefore, Sema3A activates both Cdc42 and RhoA with a complex and different spatial-temporal dynamics

Resectable pancreatic small cell carcinoma

Primary pancreatic small cell carcinoma (SCC) is rare, with just over 30 cases reported in the literature. Only 7 of these patients underwent surgical resection with a median survival of 6 months. Prognosis of SCC is therefore considered to be poor, and the role of adjuvant therapy is uncertain. Here we report two institutions' experience with resectable pancreatic SCC. Six patients with pancreatic SCC treated at the Johns Hopkins Hospital (4 patients) and the Mayo Clinic (2 patients) were identified from prospectively collected pancreatic cancer databases and re-reviewed by pathology. All six patients underwent a pancreaticoduodenectomy. Clinicopathologic data were analyzed, and the literature on pancreatic SCC was reviewed. Median age at diagnosis was 50 years (range 27–60). All six tumors arose in the head of the pancreas. Median tumor size was 3 cm, and all cases had positive lymph nodes except for one patient who only had five nodes sampled. There were no perioperative deaths and three patients had at least one postoperative complication. All six patients received adjuvant therapy, five of whom were given combined modality treatment with radiation, cisplatin, and etoposide. Median survival was 20 months with a range of 9–173 months. The patient who lived for 9 months received chemotherapy only, while the patient who lived for 173 months was given chemoradiation with cisplatin and etoposide and represents the longest reported survival time from pancreatic SCC to date. Pancreatic SCC is an extremely rare form of cancer with a poor prognosis. Patients in this surgical series showed favorable survival rates when compared to prior reports of both resected and unresectable SCC. Cisplatin and etoposide appears to be the preferred chemotherapy regimen, although its efficacy remains uncertain, as does the role of combined modality treatment with radiation

The Sloan Digital Sky Survey: Technical Summary

The Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) will provide the data to support detailed investigations of the distribution of luminous and non- luminous matter in the Universe: a photometrically and astrometrically calibrated digital imaging survey of pi steradians above about Galactic latitude 30 degrees in five broad optical bands to a depth of g' about 23 magnitudes, and a spectroscopic survey of the approximately one million brightest galaxies and 10^5 brightest quasars found in the photometric object catalog produced by the imaging survey. This paper summarizes the observational parameters and data products of the SDSS, and serves as an introduction to extensive technical on-line documentation.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figures, AAS Latex. To appear in AJ, Sept 200

The Third Data Release of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey

This paper describes the Third Data Release of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). This release, containing data taken up through June 2003, includes imaging data in five bands over 5282 deg^2, photometric and astrometric catalogs of the 141 million objects detected in these imaging data, and spectra of 528,640 objects selected over 4188 deg^2. The pipelines analyzing both images and spectroscopy are unchanged from those used in our Second Data Release.Comment: 14 pages, including 2 postscript figures. Submitted to AJ. Data available at http://www.sdss.org/dr

Modeling Streptococcus pyogenes Pharyngeal Colonization in the Mouse

Streptococcus pyogenes, or Group A Streptococcus (GAS), is a human-restricted pathogen most commonly found in the posterior oropharynx of the human host. The bacterium is responsible for 600 million annual cases of pharyngitis globally and has been found to asymptomatically colonize the pharynxes of 4–30% of the population. As such, many studies have utilized animals as models in order to decipher bacterial and host elements that contribute to the bacterial-pharyngeal interaction and determine differences between acute infection and asymptomatic colonization. The aim of this review is to first describe both bacterial and host factors that are important for the pharyngeal persistence of GAS in humans, then to detail the bacterial and host factors that are important for colonization in murine model, and finally to compare the two in order to evaluate the strength of murine pharyngeal colonization as a model for the human-GAS pharyngeal interaction

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

Metabolomic analysis of serum and myocardium in compensated heart failure after myocardial infarction

AIMS:To determine the metabolic adaptations to compensated heart failure using a reproducible model of myocardial infarction and an unbiased metabolic screen. To address the limitations in sample availability and model variability observed in preclinical and clinical metabolic investigations of heart failure. MAIN METHODS:Metabolomic analysis was performed on serum and myocardial tissue from rabbits after myocardial infarction (MI) was induced by cryo-injury of the left ventricular free wall. Rabbits followed for 12 weeks after MI exhibited left ventricular dilation and depressed systolic function as determined by echocardiography. Serum and tissue from the viable left ventricular free wall, interventricular septum and right ventricle were analyzed using a gas chromatography time of flight mass spectrometry-based untargeted metabolomics assay for primary metabolites. KEY FINDINGS:Unique results included: a two- three-fold increase in taurine levels in all three ventricular regions of MI rabbits and similarly, the three regions had increased inosine levels compared to sham controls. Reduced myocardial levels of myo-inositol in the myocardium of MI animals point to altered phospholipid metabolism and membrane receptor function in heart failure. Metabolite profiles also provide evidence for responses to oxidative stress and an impairment in TCA cycle energy production in the failing heart. SIGNIFICANCE:Our results revealed metabolic changes during compensated cardiac dysfunction and suggest potential targets for altering the progression of heart failure