Differences in Stronger Versus Weaker Firefighters in Selected Measures of Power

International Journal of Exercise Science 15(4): 552-560, 2022. Firefighters are required to perform a wide array of physically demanding job tasks, such as forcible entry, charged hose advances and victim extractions. An adequate level of muscular strength and power are required to successfully perform these tasks. The purpose of this study is to investigate the differences in stronger and weaker firefighters in measures of power. Archived data for twenty-seven (age = 34.3 ± 7.9 yr, body height = 176.3 ± 7.2 cm, body mass = 89.4 ± 15.7 kg) full-time firefighters were analyzed. Participants were placed into one of two groups [i.e., stronger (HIGH) (n = 13) and weaker (LOW) (n = 14)], based on their relative isometric mid-thigh pull (IMTPr) performance. Power measures included counter-movement jump (CMJ) height, and peak anaerobic power in watts (PAPW). Significant mean score differences were not discovered between HIGH and LOW IMTPr groups on any measures of lower-body power. Moderate positive correlations were observed between IMTP and CMJ (r = .519; p = .01). This study identified significant differences in absolute and relative strength between firefighters who were able to lift at least 2.0x their bodyweight versus those who were not. Additionally, absolute strength (as assessed by the IMTP) was significantly and positively correlated to CMJ height when compared to their weaker counterparts. These findings may provide insight into approaches for improving occupational performance and durability through the physical development of firefighters via strength and conditioning programs which focus on developing absolute strength, relative strength, and power

Uma compreensão etnometodológica de aprendizagem e proficiência em língua adicional

Descrevemos ações que configuram o trabalho de aprender espanhol como língua adicional e o trabalho de ser membro em entrevista de proficiência oral em português como língua adicional em duas sequências de fala-em-interação, segmentadas de dois corpora: 24 horas de gravações audiovisuais de aulas de espanhol como língua adicional em uma escola de línguas no Brasil (ABELEDO, 2008) e 10 horas de gravações em áudio de entrevistas de proficiência oral em português como língua adicional do exame Celpe-Bras (FORTES, 2010). Essas análises, representativas de coleções de ambos os corpora, mostram que os participantes utilizam práticas de descrição e categorização (SACKS, 1992; SCHEGLOFF, 2007a) aceitáveis e compreensíveis para manter a sua intersubjetividade (GARFINKEL, 1967), orientando-se para as práticas de descrição e categorização da língua adicional como sendo não apenas aceitáveis, mas preferíveis. A atribuição e a ratificação de categorias de pertencimento (SACKS, 1992; SCHEGLOFF, 2007a) entre os participantes também são comuns a ambos os corpora: para o trabalho de aprender, os participantes atribuem e ratificam categorias institucionais (SCHEGLOFF, 1992) enquanto demonstram copertencimento na comunidade de práticas linguísticas que eles simultaneamente instauram, reorganizando, portanto, a sua participação (GOODWIN; GOODWIN, 2004); para o trabalho de ser membro competente em entrevistas de teste de proficiência linguística, os participantes conferem uns aos outros categorizações localmente relevantes em torno de [ser daqui] e [ser de lá]. Os resultados da análise nos permitem conceber a aprendizagem de língua adicional como trabalho interacional constante que é inseparável da participação. A análise dos dados de entrevistas de proficiência oral aponta para a necessidade de parâmetros de avaliação de proficiência oral em língua adicional cada vez mais válidos e coerentes com a visão de que o uso da linguagem serve para ação no mundo (CLARK, 1996)

Case report: Fractional brain tumor burden magnetic resonance mapping to assess response to pulsed low-dose-rate radiotherapy in newly-diagnosed glioblastoma

BackgroundPulsed low-dose-rate radiotherapy (pLDR) is a commonly used reirradiation technique for recurrent glioma, but its upfront use with temozolomide (TMZ) following primary resection of glioblastoma is currently under investigation. Because standard magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has limitations in differentiating treatment effect from tumor progression in such applications, perfusion-weighted MRI (PWI) can be used to create fractional tumor burden (FTB) maps to spatially distinguish active tumor from treatment-related effect.MethodsWe performed PWI prior to re-resection in four patients with glioblastoma who had undergone upfront pLDR concurrent with TMZ who had radiographic suspicion for tumor progression at a median of 3 months (0-5 months or 0-143 days) post-pLDR. The pathologic diagnosis was compared to retrospectively-generated FTB maps.ResultsThe median patient age was 55.5 years (50-60 years). All were male with IDH-wild type (n=4) and O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) hypermethylated (n=1) molecular markers. Pathologic diagnosis revealed treatment effect (n=2), a mixture of viable tumor and treatment effect (n=1), or viable tumor (n=1). In 3 of 4 cases, FTB maps were indicative of lesion volumes being comprised predominantly of treatment effect with enhancing tumor volumes comprised of a median of 6.8% vascular tumor (6.4-16.4%).ConclusionThis case series provides insight into the radiographic response to upfront pLDR and TMZ and the role for FTB mapping to distinguish tumor progression from treatment effect prior to redo-surgery and within 20 weeks post-radiation

Pan-cancer Alterations of the MYC Oncogene and Its Proximal Network across the Cancer Genome Atlas

Although theMYConcogene has been implicated incancer, a systematic assessment of alterations ofMYC, related transcription factors, and co-regulatoryproteins, forming the proximal MYC network (PMN),across human cancers is lacking. Using computa-tional approaches, we define genomic and proteo-mic features associated with MYC and the PMNacross the 33 cancers of The Cancer Genome Atlas.Pan-cancer, 28% of all samples had at least one ofthe MYC paralogs amplified. In contrast, the MYCantagonists MGA and MNT were the most frequentlymutated or deleted members, proposing a roleas tumor suppressors.MYCalterations were mutu-ally exclusive withPIK3CA,PTEN,APC,orBRAFalterations, suggesting that MYC is a distinct onco-genic driver. Expression analysis revealed MYC-associated pathways in tumor subtypes, such asimmune response and growth factor signaling; chro-matin, translation, and DNA replication/repair wereconserved pan-cancer. This analysis reveals insightsinto MYC biology and is a reference for biomarkersand therapeutics for cancers with alterations ofMYC or the PMN

Genomic, Pathway Network, and Immunologic Features Distinguishing Squamous Carcinomas

This integrated, multiplatform PanCancer Atlas study co-mapped and identified distinguishing molecular features of squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) from five sites associated with smokin

Spatial Organization and Molecular Correlation of Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes Using Deep Learning on Pathology Images

Beyond sample curation and basic pathologic characterization, the digitized H&E-stained images of TCGA samples remain underutilized. To highlight this resource, we present mappings of tumorinfiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) based on H&E images from 13 TCGA tumor types. These TIL maps are derived through computational staining using a convolutional neural network trained to classify patches of images. Affinity propagation revealed local spatial structure in TIL patterns and correlation with overall survival. TIL map structural patterns were grouped using standard histopathological parameters. These patterns are enriched in particular T cell subpopulations derived from molecular measures. TIL densities and spatial structure were differentially enriched among tumor types, immune subtypes, and tumor molecular subtypes, implying that spatial infiltrate state could reflect particular tumor cell aberration states. Obtaining spatial lymphocytic patterns linked to the rich genomic characterization of TCGA samples demonstrates one use for the TCGA image archives with insights into the tumor-immune microenvironment

Breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 infections among patients with cancer following two and three doses of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines: a retrospective observational study from the COVID-19 and Cancer Consortium

BACKGROUND: Breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 infections following vaccination against COVID-19 are of international concern. Patients with cancer have been observed to have worse outcomes associated with COVID-19 during the pandemic. We sought to evaluate the clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with cancer who developed breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 infections after 2 or 3 doses of mRNA vaccines. METHODS: We evaluated the clinical characteristics of patients with cancer who developed breakthrough infections using data from the multi-institutional COVID-19 and Cancer Consortium (CCC19; NCT04354701). Analysis was restricted to patients with laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 diagnosed in 2021 or 2022, to allow for a contemporary unvaccinated control population; potential differences were evaluated using a multivariable logistic regression model after inverse probability of treatment weighting to adjust for potential baseline confounding variables. Adjusted odds ratios (aOR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) are reported. The primary endpoint was 30-day mortality, with key secondary endpoints of hospitalization and ICU and/or mechanical ventilation (ICU/MV). FINDINGS: The analysis included 2486 patients, of which 564 and 385 had received 2 or 3 doses of an mRNA vaccine prior to infection, respectively. Hematologic malignancies and recent receipt of systemic anti-neoplastic therapy were more frequent among vaccinated patients. Vaccination was associated with improved outcomes: in the primary analysis, 2 doses (aOR: 0.62, 95% CI: 0.44-0.88) and 3 doses (aOR: 0.20, 95% CI: 0.11-0.36) were associated with decreased 30-day mortality. There were similar findings for the key secondary endpoints of ICU/MV (aOR: 0.60, 95% CI: 0.45-0.82 and 0.37, 95% CI: 0.24-0.58) and hospitalization (aOR: 0.60, 95% CI: 0.48-0.75 and 0.35, 95% CI: 0.26-0.46) for 2 and 3 doses, respectively. Importantly, Black patients had higher rates of hospitalization (aOR: 1.47, 95% CI: 1.12-1.92), and Hispanic patients presented with higher rates of ICU/MV (aOR: 1.61, 95% CI: 1.06-2.44). INTERPRETATION: Vaccination against COVID-19, especially with additional doses, is a fundamental strategy in the prevention of adverse outcomes including death, among patients with cancer. FUNDING: This study was partly supported by grants from the National Cancer Institute grant number P30 CA068485 to C-YH, YS, SM, JLW; T32-CA236621 and P30-CA046592 to C.R.F; CTSA 2UL1TR001425-05A1 to TMW-D; ACS/FHI Real-World Data Impact Award, P50 MD017341-01, R21 CA242044-01A1, Susan G. Komen Leadership Grant Hunt to MKA. REDCap is developed and supported by Vanderbilt Institute for Clinical and Translational Research grant support (UL1 TR000445 from NCATS/NIH)