The concordance between the volume hotspot and the grade hotspot: a 3-D reconstructive model using the pathology outputs from the PROMIS trial.

The rationale for directing targeted biopsy towards the centre of lesions has been questioned in light of prostate cancer grade heterogeneity. In this study, we assess the assumption that the maximum cancer Gleason grade (Gleason grade hotspot) lies within the maximum dimension (volume hotspot) of a prostate cancer lesion. 3-D histopathological models were reconstructed using the outputs of the 5-mm transperineal mapping (TPM) biopsies used as the reference test in the pilot phase of Prostate Mri Imaging Study (PROMIS), a paired validating cohort study investigating the performance of multi-parametric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) against transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) biopsies. The prostate was fully sampled with 5 mm intervals; each core was separately labelled, inked and orientated in space to register 3-D cancer lesions location. The data from the histopathology results were used to create a 3-D interpolated reconstruction of each lesion and identify the spatial coordinates of the largest dimension (volume hot spot) and highest Gleason grade (Gleason grade hotspot) and assess their concordance. Ninety-four men, with median age 62 years (interquartile range, IQR= 58-68) and median PSA 6.5 ng ml(-1) (4.6-8.8), had a median of 80 (I69-89) cores each with a median of 4.5 positive cores (0-12). In the primary analysis, the prevalence of homogeneous lesions was 148 (76%; 95% confidence interval (CI) ±6.0%). In all, 184 (94±3.2%) lesions showed concordant hotspots and 11/47 (23±12.1%) of heterogeneous lesions showed discordant hotspots. The median 3-D distance between discordant hotspots was 12.8 mm (9.9-15.5). These figures remained stable on secondary analyses using alternative reconstructive assumptions. Limitations include a certain degree of error within reconstructed models. Guiding one biopsy needle to the maximum cancer diameter would lead to correct Gleason grade attribution in 94% of all lesions and 79% of heterogeneous ones if a true hit was obtained. Further correlation of histological lesions, their MRI appearance and the detectability of these hotspots on MRI will be undertaken once PROMIS results are released

Does true Gleason pattern 3 merit its cancer descriptor?

Nearly five decades following its conception, the Gleason grading system remains a cornerstone in the prognostication and management of patients with prostate cancer. In the past few years, a debate has been growing whether Gleason score 3 + 3 = 6 prostate cancer is a clinically significant disease. Clinical, molecular and genetic research is addressing the question whether well characterized Gleason score 3 + 3 = 6 disease has the ability to affect the morbidity and quality of life of an individual in whom it is diagnosed. The consequences of treatment of Gleason score 3 + 3 = 6 disease are considerable; few men get through their treatments without sustaining some harm. Further modification of the classification of prostate cancer and dropping the label cancer for Gleason score 3 + 3 = 6 disease might be warranted

Twelve-month observational study of children with cancer in 41 countries during the COVID-19 pandemic

Introduction Childhood cancer is a leading cause of death. It is unclear whether the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted childhood cancer mortality. In this study, we aimed to establish all-cause mortality rates for childhood cancers during the COVID-19 pandemic and determine the factors associated with mortality. Methods Prospective cohort study in 109 institutions in 41 countries. Inclusion criteria: children <18 years who were newly diagnosed with or undergoing active treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma, retinoblastoma, Wilms tumour, glioma, osteosarcoma, Ewing sarcoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, medulloblastoma and neuroblastoma. Of 2327 cases, 2118 patients were included in the study. The primary outcome measure was all-cause mortality at 30 days, 90 days and 12 months. Results All-cause mortality was 3.4% (n=71/2084) at 30-day follow-up, 5.7% (n=113/1969) at 90-day follow-up and 13.0% (n=206/1581) at 12-month follow-up. The median time from diagnosis to multidisciplinary team (MDT) plan was longest in low-income countries (7 days, IQR 3-11). Multivariable analysis revealed several factors associated with 12-month mortality, including low-income (OR 6.99 (95% CI 2.49 to 19.68); p<0.001), lower middle income (OR 3.32 (95% CI 1.96 to 5.61); p<0.001) and upper middle income (OR 3.49 (95% CI 2.02 to 6.03); p<0.001) country status and chemotherapy (OR 0.55 (95% CI 0.36 to 0.86); p=0.008) and immunotherapy (OR 0.27 (95% CI 0.08 to 0.91); p=0.035) within 30 days from MDT plan. Multivariable analysis revealed laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection (OR 5.33 (95% CI 1.19 to 23.84); p=0.029) was associated with 30-day mortality. Conclusions Children with cancer are more likely to die within 30 days if infected with SARS-CoV-2. However, timely treatment reduced odds of death. This report provides crucial information to balance the benefits of providing anticancer therapy against the risks of SARS-CoV-2 infection in children with cancer

Nature And Occurrence Of Heavy Minerals In The Recent Sediments Of Al-Fagh-Al-Qunfudah Coast Of The Saudi-Arabian Red-Sea

265-268Heavy mineral analyses have been carried out on sandy and silty fraction of recent detrital sediments at the mouths of 6 rivers debouching in the Red Sea. The non-opaque heavy minerals show only one association dominated by chlorite, epidotes, amphiboles, pyroxenes and biotite along with zircon, rutile and garnet. The primary source of these heavy minerals is the igneous-metamorphic rocks of Arabian shield basement complex, in addition to the ancient clastic sediments. The distribution pattern and trends of heavy mineral association are controlled by the mineralogy of the source rocks

AFORS HET 3.0 first approach to a two dimensional simulation of solar cells

We describe the new version 3.0 of AFORS HET, a numerical computer simulation program for modeling the electronic behavior of thin film or wafer based solar cells. This version is the first step from a onedimensional towards a two dimensional 2D solar cell simulation. Two approaches have been implemented A rather simple 2D network approach, describing majority carrier transport problems only, and the rigorous solution of the semiconductor equations in two dimensions, describing minority and majority carrier transport adequately together with the corresponding boundary conditions. Unfortunately, the rigorous approach still suffers from convergence problems. The current capabilities of the two 2D calculation approaches are demonstrated. We present selected results on the simulation of the newly developed Buried Grid RECASH Rear Contact Crystalline Amorphous Silicon Heterojunction Solar Cell [1

Plot-level impacts of improved lentil varieties in Bangladesh

Open Access Journal; Published online: 25 Jan 2022The advent of improved lentil varieties (ILVs) in the mid-1990s solved the disease problem which almost halted lentil production in Bangladesh. Levels of adoption of ILVs have been documented in the literature, but little is known about their impacts. Applying an instrumental variables regression to data collected from a sample of 1,694 lentil plots and DNA fingerprinting for varietal identification, this study provides estimates of the plot-level impacts of adoption of ILVs in Bangladesh. Model results show that adoption of ILVs is associated with 14.3% (181.14 kg/ha) higher yields and 17.23% (US$169.44/ha) higher gross margins. Since 45$8.22 million in imports in 2015 alone. By investing in the generation and scaling of ILVs, Bangladesh and other South Asian countries with similar agro-ecologies can increase production and decrease dependency on lentil imports

Is there an economic case for legume-cereal rotation? A Case of Faba-beans in the Moroccan Wheat Based Production Systems

While the impacts of legume-cereal rotations on soil health are well documented, the literature on their economic benefits, especially in dry areas is scanty. By applying the propensity score matching and endogenous switching regression methods to a nationally representative sample of 1,230 farm households from Morocco, this paper provided empirical evidence that the individual and combined adoption of improved varieties of faba-beans and legume-wheat rotations lead to higher yields, farm income and household consumption. Considering a two-year period, the simultaneous adoption of both faba-bean-wheat rotation and improved faba-bean varieties led to $875/ha (136%%) higher net returns relative to wheat mono-cropping. In the face of these very high benefits, high risk of losing faba-bean crops due to pests, diseases or drought explain the low adoption of rotation and improved varieties which are at 26% and 16% respectively. For reaping both the economic and environmental benefits of faba-beans, Morocco and other similar countries in the dry areas will need to invest on the development of varieties with better pest and diseases resistance, introduce crop insurance and different incentive systems, and create better access to extension and certified seed delivery services that induce wider adoption of improved varieties and legume-cereal rotations. Acknowledgement : Funding for this research was obtained from CRP-WHEAT and the EU-IFAD project on Enhanced small holder wheat cropping systems to improve food security under changing climate in the drylands of West Asia and North Africa

Influence of sintering temperature on structural and optical properties of Cd0.5Cu0.5CrxFe2−xO4 ferrites

Abstract Two ferrite series were synthesized. One series has nanosize samples that have been prepared by the co-precipitation method, and the second series has the corresponding bulk samples that have been sintered at 1000 °C for 6 h. X-ray diffraction has been used to estimate the cubic spinel structure of both series. The crystallite size, theoretical density, and porosity of the nanomaterials are larger than those of the bulk materials. HRTEM analysis demonstrated the aggregation of nanoscale samples, including an average particle size of 9–22.5 nm. However, bulk specimens have a limited surface area. The agglomeration of the nanoparticles was seen in TEM images, in which the mean particle size was within the limit of the crystallite size (R) result and ranged from 14 to 20 nm. The appearance of the spinel phase in the samples was validated through Raman spectroscopy. Different cation occupation ratios in either tetrahedral or octahedral sites have been identified to be associated with an observable systematic shift and asymmetric flattening in Raman spectra with a variation in Cr3+ concentration. The optical characterization was performed using the UV/Vis methodology, and the results reveal that the absorption cutoff frequency declines as the chromium content rises. It was also estimated that the optical bandgap averaged 3.6 eV for nanosamples and 4.6 eV for overall bulk materials. The highest photoluminescence emission was seen at wavelengths between λem = 415 and 460 nm. The photoluminescence emission peaks of both bulk and nanoscale materials were red-shifted. These results accurately reflect the corresponding energy gap values for almost the same ranges. Sintering leads to a rise in photoluminescence

Comparison of Transrectal Ultrasound Biopsy to Transperineal Template Mapping Biopsies Stratified by Multiparametric Magnetic Resonance Imaging Score in the PROMIS Trial.

PURPOSE: We evaluated the performance of transrectal ultrasound guided systematic and transperineal template mapping biopsies with a 5 mm sampling frame stratified by the multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging Likert score in the PROMIS (Prostate MR Imaging Study). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Biopsy naïve men due to undergo prostate biopsy for elevated prostate specific antigen and/or abnormal digital rectal examination underwent multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging, and transperineal template mapping and transrectal ultrasound guided systematic biopsies, which were performed and reported while blinded to other test results. Clinically significant prostate cancer was primarily defined as Gleason 4 + 3 or greater, or a maximum cancer core length of 6 mm or more of any grade. It was secondarily defined as Gleason 3 + 4 or greater, or a maximum cancer core length of 4 mm or more of any grade. RESULTS: In 41 months 740 men were recruited at a total of 11 centers, of whom 576 underwent all 3 tests. Eight of the 150 men (5.1%) with a multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging score of 1-2 had any Gleason 3 + 4 or greater disease on transrectal ultrasound guided systematic biopsy. Of the 75 men in whom transrectal ultrasound guided systematic biopsy showed Gleason 3 + 3 of any maximum cancer core length 61 (81%) had Gleason 3 + 4, 8 (11%) had Gleason 4 + 3 and 0 (0%) had Gleason 4 + 5 or greater disease. For definition 1 (clinically significant prostate cancer) transrectal ultrasound guided systematic biopsy sensitivity remained stable and low across multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging Likert scores of 35% to 52%. For definition 2 (clinically significant prostate cancer and any cancer) sensitivity increased with higher multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging scores. The negative predictive value varied due to varying disease prevalence but for all cancer thresholds it declined with increasing multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging scores. CONCLUSIONS: In the setting of multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging Likert scores 1-2 transrectal ultrasound guided systematic biopsy revealed Gleason 3 + 4 disease in only 1 of 20 men. Further, for any clinically significant prostate cancer definition transrectal ultrasound guided systematic biopsy had poor sensitivity and variable but a low negative predictive value across multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging scores. Men who undergo transrectal ultrasound guided systematic biopsy without targeting in the setting of a multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging score of 3 to 5 should be advised to undergo repeat (targeted) biopsy

Comparison of TRUS-Biopsy to transperineal template mapping biopsies stratified by multi-parametric MRI score within the PROMIS trial.

INTRODUCTION: We evaluated performance of transrectal ultrasound-guided systematic (TRUS) biopsy compared to transperineal template mapping (TPM) with a 5mm sampling frame, stratified by MP-MRI Likert score within the PROMIS study. METHODS: Biopsy-naïve men due prostate biopsy for elevated PSA and/or abnormal digital rectal examination underwent MP-MRI, TPM and TRUS biopsies, conducted and reported blind to other test results. Clinically significant prostate cancer (csPCa) was primarily defined as Gleason >/=4+3 or maximum cancer core length (MCCL) >/=6mm of any grade, and secondarily Gleason >/=3+4 or MCCL >/=4mm of any grade. RESULTS: In 41 months, 740 men at 11 centres were recruited; 576 underwent all three tests. Of 150 with MRI score 1-2, 8 (5.1%) had any Gleason >/=3+4 disease on TRUS-biopsy. In 75 where TRUS-biopsy showed Gleason 3+3 of any MCCL, 61/75 (81%) had Gleason 3+4, 8/75 (11%) Gleason 4+3 and 0/75 (0%) Gleason >/=4+5. For definition1 csPCa, TRUS-biopsy sensitivity remained stable and low across MP-MRI Likert scores (35%-52%). For definition2 csPCa and any cancer, sensitivity increased with higher MP-MRI score. Negative predictive value varied due to varying disease prevalence but for all cancer thresholds declined with increasing MP-MRI score. CONCLUSIONS: TRUS-biopsy in the setting of MP-MRI Likert scores 1-2 finds Gleason 3+4 disease in only 1 in 20 men. Further, for any csPCa definition, TRUS-biopsy had poor sensitivity and variable but low NPV across MP-MRI scores. Men undergoing TRUS-biopsy without targeting in the setting of MP-MRI score 3 to 5 should be advised to undergo a repeat (targeted) biopsy