The expression and prognostic relevance of CDH3 in tongue squamous cell carcinoma

Publisher Copyright: © 2021 Scandinavian Societies for Medical Microbiology and Pathology.P-cadherin (CDH3) is a cell-to-cell adhesion molecule that regulates several cellular homeostatic processes in normal tissues. Lack of CDH3 expression is associated with aggressive behavior in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Previous studies have shown that CDH3 is downregulated in high-grade OSCC and its reduced expression is predictive for poorer survival. The aim of this study was to evaluate the expression and prognostic relevance of CDH3 in tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC). A retrospective series of 211 TSCC and 50 lymph node samples were stained immunohistochemically with polyclonal antibody (anti-CDH3). CDH3 expression was assessed semi-quantitatively with light microscopy. Fisher’s exact test was used to compare patient and tumor characteristics, and the correlations were tested by Spearman correlation. Survival curves were drawn by the Kaplan–Meier method and analyzed by the log-rank test. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression was used to estimate the association between CDH3 expression and survival. CDH3 expression did not affect TSCC patient’s disease-specific survival or overall survival. Strong CDH3 expression in the primary tumor predicted poor disease-specific and overall survival in patients with recurrent disease. CDH3 expression in lymph nodes without metastasis was negative in all cases. CDH3 expression was positive in all lymph node metastases with extranodal extension. In contrast to previous report about the prognostic value of CDH3 in OSCC, we were not able to validate the result in TSCC.Peer reviewe

The expression and prognostic relevance of CDH3 in tongue squamous cell carcinoma

Publisher Copyright: © 2021 Scandinavian Societies for Medical Microbiology and Pathology.P-cadherin (CDH3) is a cell-to-cell adhesion molecule that regulates several cellular homeostatic processes in normal tissues. Lack of CDH3 expression is associated with aggressive behavior in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Previous studies have shown that CDH3 is downregulated in high-grade OSCC and its reduced expression is predictive for poorer survival. The aim of this study was to evaluate the expression and prognostic relevance of CDH3 in tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC). A retrospective series of 211 TSCC and 50 lymph node samples were stained immunohistochemically with polyclonal antibody (anti-CDH3). CDH3 expression was assessed semi-quantitatively with light microscopy. Fisher’s exact test was used to compare patient and tumor characteristics, and the correlations were tested by Spearman correlation. Survival curves were drawn by the Kaplan–Meier method and analyzed by the log-rank test. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression was used to estimate the association between CDH3 expression and survival. CDH3 expression did not affect TSCC patient’s disease-specific survival or overall survival. Strong CDH3 expression in the primary tumor predicted poor disease-specific and overall survival in patients with recurrent disease. CDH3 expression in lymph nodes without metastasis was negative in all cases. CDH3 expression was positive in all lymph node metastases with extranodal extension. In contrast to previous report about the prognostic value of CDH3 in OSCC, we were not able to validate the result in TSCC.Peer reviewe

Behavioral Response Study on Seismic Airgun and Vessel Exposures in Narwhals

One of the last pristine marine soundscapes, the Arctic, is exposed to increasing anthropogenic activities due to climate-induced decrease in sea ice coverage. In this study, we combined movement and behavioral data from animal-borne tags in a controlled sound exposure study to describe the reactions of narwhals, Monodon monoceros, to airgun pulses and ship noise. Sixteen narwhals were live captured and instrumented with satellite tags and Acousonde acoustic-behavioral recorders, and 11 of them were exposed to airgun pulses and vessel sounds. The sound exposure levels (SELs) of pulses from a small airgun (3.4 L) used in 2017 and a larger one (17.0 L) used in 2018 were measured using drifting recorders. The experiment was divided into trials with airgun and ship-noise exposure, intertrials with only ship-noise, and pre- and postexposure periods. Both trials and intertrials lasted ∼4 h on average per individual. Depending on the location of the whales, the number of separate exposures ranged between one and eight trials or intertrials. Received pulse SELs dropped below 130 dB re 1 μPa2 s by 2.5 km for the small airgun and 4–9 km for the larger airgun, and background noise levels were reached at distances of ∼3 and 8–10.5 km, respectively, for the small and big airguns. Avoidance reactions of the whales could be detected at distances >5 km in 2017 and >11 km in 2018 when in line of sight of the seismic vessel. Meanwhile, a ∼30% increase in horizontal travel speed could be detected up to 2 h before the seismic vessel was in line of sight. Applying line of sight as the criterion for exposure thus excludes some potential pre-response effects, and our estimates of effects must therefore be considered conservative. The whales reacted by changing their swimming speed and direction at distances between 5 and 24 km depending on topographical surroundings where the exposure occurred. The propensity of the whales to move towards the shore increased with increasing exposure (i.e., shorter distance to vessels) and was highest with the large airgun used in 2018, where the whales moved towards the shore at distances of 10–15 km. No long-term effects of the response study could be detected

Abundance of whales in West and East Greenland in summer 2015

An aerial line transect survey of whales in West and East Greenland was conducted in August-September 2015. The survey covered the area between the coast of West Greenland and offshore (up to 100 km) to the shelf break. In East Greenland, the survey lines covered the area from the coast up to 50 km offshore crossing the shelf break. A total of 423 sightings of 12 cetacean species were obtained and abundance estimates were developed for common minke whale, (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) (32 sightings), fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) (129 sightings), humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) (84 sightings), harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) (55 sightings), long-finned pilot whale, (Globicephala melas) (42 sightings) and white-beaked dolphin (Lagenorhynchus albirostri) (50 sightings). The developed at-surface abundance estimates were corrected for both perception bias and availability bias if possible. Data on surface corrections for minke whales and harbour porpoises were collected from whales instrumented with satellite-linked time-depth-recorders. Options for estimation methods are presented and the preferred estimates are: minke whales: 5,095 (95% CI: 2,171-11,961) in West Greenland and 2,762 (95% CI: 1,160-6,574) in East Greenland, fin whales: 2,215 (95% CI: 1,017-4,823) in West Greenland and 6,440 (95% CI: 3,901-10,632) in East Greenland, humpback whales: 993 (95% CI: 434-2,272) in West Greenland and 4,223 (95% CI: 1,845-9,666) in East Greenland, harbour porpoises: 83,321 (95% CI: 43,377-160,047) in West Greenland and 1,642 (95% CI: 319-8,464) in East Greenland, pilot whales: 9,190 (95% CI: 3,635-23,234) in West Greenland and 258 (95% CI: 50-1,354) in East Greenland, white-beaked dolphins 15,261 (95% CI: 7,048-33,046) in West Greenland and 11,889 (95% CI: 4,710-30,008) in East Greenland. The abundance of cetaceans in coastal areas of East Greenland has not been estimated before, but the limited historical information from the area indicates that the achieved abundance estimates were remarkably high. When comparing the abundance estimates from 2015 in West Greenland with a similar survey conducted in 2007, there is a clear trend towards lower densities in 2015 for the three baleen whale species and white-beaked dolphins. Harbour porpoises and pilot whales, however, did not show a similar decline. The decline in baleen whale and white-beaked dolphin abundance is likely due to emigration to the East Greenland shelf areas where recent climate driven changes in pelagic productivity may have accelerated favourable conditions for these species

High source levels and small active space of high-pitched song in bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus)

© The Author(s), 2012. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Public Library of Science, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0052072.The low-frequency, powerful vocalizations of blue and fin whales may potentially be detected by conspecifics across entire ocean basins. In contrast, humpback and bowhead whales produce equally powerful, but more complex broadband vocalizations composed of higher frequencies that suffer from higher attenuation. Here we evaluate the active space of high frequency song notes of bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) in Western Greenland using measurements of song source levels and ambient noise. Four independent, GPS-synchronized hydrophones were deployed through holes in the ice to localize vocalizing bowhead whales, estimate source levels and measure ambient noise. The song had a mean apparent source level of 185±2 dB rms re 1 µPa @ 1 m and a high mean centroid frequency of 444±48 Hz. Using measured ambient noise levels in the area and Arctic sound spreading models, the estimated active space of these song notes is between 40 and 130 km, an order of magnitude smaller than the estimated active space of low frequency blue and fin whale songs produced at similar source levels and for similar noise conditions. We propose that bowhead whales spatially compensate for their smaller communication range through mating aggregations that co-evolved with broadband song to form a complex and dynamic acoustically mediated sexual display.This work was funded by the Oticon Foundation (grant # 08-3469 to Arctic Station, OT). OT and MC were additionally funded by AP Møller og Hustru Chastine Mc-Kinney Møllers Fond til almene Formaal, MS by a PhD scholarship from the Oticon Foundation, FHJ by a Danish Council for Independent Research, Natural Sciences post-doctoral grant, SEP by a grant from the U.S. Office of Naval Research, and PTM by frame grants from the Danish Natural Science Research Council

Prevalence, associated factors and outcomes of pressure injuries in adult intensive care unit patients: the DecubICUs study

Funder: European Society of Intensive Care Medicine; doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100013347Funder: Flemish Society for Critical Care NursesAbstract: Purpose: Intensive care unit (ICU) patients are particularly susceptible to developing pressure injuries. Epidemiologic data is however unavailable. We aimed to provide an international picture of the extent of pressure injuries and factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries in adult ICU patients. Methods: International 1-day point-prevalence study; follow-up for outcome assessment until hospital discharge (maximum 12 weeks). Factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injury and hospital mortality were assessed by generalised linear mixed-effects regression analysis. Results: Data from 13,254 patients in 1117 ICUs (90 countries) revealed 6747 pressure injuries; 3997 (59.2%) were ICU-acquired. Overall prevalence was 26.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] 25.9–27.3). ICU-acquired prevalence was 16.2% (95% CI 15.6–16.8). Sacrum (37%) and heels (19.5%) were most affected. Factors independently associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries were older age, male sex, being underweight, emergency surgery, higher Simplified Acute Physiology Score II, Braden score 3 days, comorbidities (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, immunodeficiency), organ support (renal replacement, mechanical ventilation on ICU admission), and being in a low or lower-middle income-economy. Gradually increasing associations with mortality were identified for increasing severity of pressure injury: stage I (odds ratio [OR] 1.5; 95% CI 1.2–1.8), stage II (OR 1.6; 95% CI 1.4–1.9), and stage III or worse (OR 2.8; 95% CI 2.3–3.3). Conclusion: Pressure injuries are common in adult ICU patients. ICU-acquired pressure injuries are associated with mainly intrinsic factors and mortality. Optimal care standards, increased awareness, appropriate resource allocation, and further research into optimal prevention are pivotal to tackle this important patient safety threat

Correction to: Prevalence, associated factors and outcomes of pressure injuries in adult intensive care unit patients: the DecubICUs study

The original version of this article unfortunately contained a mistake

Prevalence, associated factors and outcomes of pressure injuries in adult intensive care unit patients: the DecubICUs study

Funder: European Society of Intensive Care Medicine; doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100013347Funder: Flemish Society for Critical Care NursesAbstract: Purpose: Intensive care unit (ICU) patients are particularly susceptible to developing pressure injuries. Epidemiologic data is however unavailable. We aimed to provide an international picture of the extent of pressure injuries and factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries in adult ICU patients. Methods: International 1-day point-prevalence study; follow-up for outcome assessment until hospital discharge (maximum 12 weeks). Factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injury and hospital mortality were assessed by generalised linear mixed-effects regression analysis. Results: Data from 13,254 patients in 1117 ICUs (90 countries) revealed 6747 pressure injuries; 3997 (59.2%) were ICU-acquired. Overall prevalence was 26.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] 25.9–27.3). ICU-acquired prevalence was 16.2% (95% CI 15.6–16.8). Sacrum (37%) and heels (19.5%) were most affected. Factors independently associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries were older age, male sex, being underweight, emergency surgery, higher Simplified Acute Physiology Score II, Braden score 3 days, comorbidities (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, immunodeficiency), organ support (renal replacement, mechanical ventilation on ICU admission), and being in a low or lower-middle income-economy. Gradually increasing associations with mortality were identified for increasing severity of pressure injury: stage I (odds ratio [OR] 1.5; 95% CI 1.2–1.8), stage II (OR 1.6; 95% CI 1.4–1.9), and stage III or worse (OR 2.8; 95% CI 2.3–3.3). Conclusion: Pressure injuries are common in adult ICU patients. ICU-acquired pressure injuries are associated with mainly intrinsic factors and mortality. Optimal care standards, increased awareness, appropriate resource allocation, and further research into optimal prevention are pivotal to tackle this important patient safety threat