Attributing variance in supportive care needs during cancer: Culture-service, and individual differences, before clinical factors

Background Studies using the Supportive Care Needs Survey (SCNS) report high levels of unmet supportive care needs (SCNs) in psychological and less-so physical & daily living domains, interpreted as reflecting disease/treatment-coping deficits. However, service and culture differences may account for unmet SCNs variability. We explored if service and culture differences better account for observed SCNs patterns. Methods Hong Kong (n = 180), Taiwanese (n = 263) and Japanese (n = 109) CRC patients’ top 10 ranked SCNS-34 items were contrasted. Mean SCNS-34 domain scores were compared by sample and treatment status, then adjusted for sample composition, disease stage and treatment status using multivariate hierarchical regression. Results All samples were assessed at comparable time-points. SCNs were most prevalent among Japanese and least among Taiwanese patients. Japanese patients emphasized Psychological (domain mean = 40.73) and Health systems and information (HSI) (38.61) SCN domains, whereas Taiwanese and Hong Kong patients emphasized HSI (27.41; 32.92) and Patient care & support (PCS) (19.70; 18.38) SCN domains. Mean Psychological domain scores differed: Hong Kong = 9.72, Taiwan = 17.84 and Japan = 40.73 (p<0.03–0.001, Bonferroni). Other SCN domains differed only between Chinese and Japanese samples (all p<0.001). Treatment status differentiated Taiwanese more starkly than Hong Kong patients. After adjustment, sample origin accounted for most variance in SCN domain scores (p<0.001), followed by age (p = 0.01–0.001) and employment status (p = 0.01–0.001). Treatment status and Disease stage, though retained, accounted for least variance. Overall accounted variance remained low. Conclusions Health service and/or cultural influences, age and occupation differences, and less so clinical factors, differentially account for significant variation in published studies of SCNs.published_or_final_versio

Mastitis diagnostics and performance monitoring: a practical approach

In this paper a review is given of frequently used mastitis diagnostic methods in modern dairy practice. Methods used at the quarter, cow, herd and regional or national level are discussed, including their usability for performance monitoring in udder health. Future developments, such as systems in which milk-derived parameters are combined with modern analytical techniques, are discussed. It is concluded that, although much knowledge is available and science is still developing and much knowledge is available, it is not always fully exploited in practice

Accuracy of Transperineal Targeted Prostate Biopsies, Visual Estimation and Image Fusion in Men Needing Repeat Biopsy in the PICTURE Trial

PURPOSE: To evaluate detection of clinically significant prostate cancer (csPCa) using MRI-targeted biopsies, and compare visual-estimation to image-fusion targeting, in patients requiring repeat prostate biopsies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Prospective, ethics-committee approved, registered PICTURE trial enrolling 249 consecutive patients (11th/January/2012-29th/January/2014). Men underwent an mpMRI and were blinded to its results. All underwent transperineal template prostate mapping (TTPM) biopsies. In 200 with a lesion, this was preceded by visual-estimation and image-fusion targeted biopsies. For the primary endpoint, csPCa was defined as Gleason >/=4+3 and/or any grade of cancer length >/=6mm. Other definitions of csPCa were also evaluated. RESULTS: Mean (SD) age was 62.6 (7) years, median (IQR) PSA 7.17ng/ml (5.25, 10.09), mean primary lesion size 0.37cc (SD1.52), with mean 4.3 (SD2.3) targeted cores per lesion (visual-estimation and image-fusion combined) and mean 48.7 (SD12.3) TTPM-biopsy cores. TTPM-biopsies detected 97 (48.5%) cases of csPCa and 85 (42.5%) insignificant cancers. Overall, mpMRI-targeted biopsies detected 81 (40.5%) csPCa and 63 (31.5%) insignificant cancers. Eighteen (9%) with csPCa on MRI-targeted biopsies were benign or clinically insignificant on TTPM-biopsy. Thirty-four (17%) had csPCa detected on TTPM-biopsy but not on MRI-targeted biopsies; approximately half of these were present in non-targeted areas. csPCa was found with visual-estimation and image-fusion in 53/169 (31.3%) and 48/169 (28.4%) (McNemar's test, p=0.5322). Visual-estimation missed 23 (13.6%) csPCa detected by image-fusion; image-fusion missed 18 (10.8%) csPCa that visual-estimation detected. CONCLUSIONS: MRI-targeted biopsies are accurate at detection of csPCa and reducing over-diagnosis of insignificant cancers. To maximise detection both visual-estimation and image-fusion targeted biopsies are required

Development of a Tetrameric Streptavidin Mutein with Reversible Biotin Binding Capability: Engineering a Mobile Loop as an Exit Door for Biotin

A novel form of tetrameric streptavidin has been engineered to have reversible biotin binding capability. In wild-type streptavidin, loop3–4 functions as a lid for the entry and exit of biotin. When biotin is bound, interactions between biotin and key residues in loop3–4 keep this lid in the closed state. In the engineered mutein, a second biotin exit door is created by changing the amino acid sequence of loop7–8. This door is mobile even in the presence of the bound biotin and can facilitate the release of biotin from the mutein. Since loop7–8 is involved in subunit interactions, alteration of this loop in the engineered mutein results in an 11° rotation between the two dimers in reference to wild-type streptavidin. The tetrameric state of the engineered mutein is stabilized by a H127C mutation, which leads to the formation of inter-subunit disulfide bonds. The biotin binding kinetic parameters (koff of 4.28×10−4 s−1 and Kd of 1.9×10−8 M) make this engineered mutein a superb affinity agent for the purification of biotinylated biomolecules. Affinity matrices can be regenerated using gentle procedures, and regenerated matrices can be reused at least ten times without any observable reduction in binding capacity. With the combination of both the engineered mutein and wild-type streptavidin, biotinylated biomolecules can easily be affinity purified to high purity and immobilized to desirable platforms without any leakage concerns. Other potential biotechnological applications, such as development of an automated high-throughput protein purification system, are feasible

Toxicogenomic Analysis Suggests Chemical-Induced Sexual Dimorphism in the Expression of Metabolic Genes in Zebrafish Liver

10.1371/journal.pone.0051971PLoS ONE712

Electronic cigarette use was not associated with quitting of conventional cigarettes in youth smokers

postprin

Inverted Expression Profiles of Sex-Biased Genes in Response to Toxicant Perturbations and Diseases

10.1371/journal.pone.0056668PLoS ONE82