Persistence with Mammography Screening and Stage at Breast Cancer Diagnosis among Elderly Appalachia-West Virginia Women

The objective of this study is to evaluate the association between persistence with mammography screening and stage at breast cancer diagnosis in elderly Appalachia-West Virginia women diagnosed with first incident breast cancer. The study utilized West Virginia Cancer Registry-Medicare linked database to identify women age 70 and above diagnosed with first incident breast cancer in 2007. Persistence to mammography screening was defined as having had at least three mammography screenings before breast cancer diagnosis. A multiple logistic regression was conducted to assess the association between persistence with mammography screening and stage at breast cancer diagnosis in these women. Of the 221 elderly Appalachia-West Virginia women included in the analysis, 113 women (51.1%) were persistent to mammography screening before their diagnosis with breast cancer. In a multiple logistic regression after adjusting for all the variables, as compared to elderly women who were not persistent with mammography screening, women who were persistent with mammography screening were significantly more likely to be diagnosed with early stage breast cancer (adjusted odds ratio=4.25, 95% confidence interval=1.96-9.19). Persistence with mammography screening is significantly associated with earlier stages of breast cancer in the rural and underserved Appalachia-West Virginia women. The study findings suggest targeting interventions to encourage regular mammography in these women for whom there are no clear guidelines

The Study of Edvard Munch sketches collection in view of it's conservative treatment

Edvard Munch (1863–1944), a Norwegian painter, was one of the most renowned artists of the19th and 20th century. Munch produced great artworks where among them in the “Scream”, one of the most famous paintings in the world. In 1914 Edvard Munch was commissioned to decorate the new assembly hall at the University of Oslo. Munch’s paintings in the University Aula have become a major work within Norwegian monumental painting. Edvard Munch had used fifteen large canvases as sketches for the Aula Magna paintings. These canvases were stored by being exposed to extreme outside environmental conditions and now they present salt efflorescences on their surface and are in dire need of conservation. Therefore, it is the main goal of the present thesis to find novel solutions / products in order to remove and/or stabilize these salts. For this purpose, mock-ups that imitate the structure and composition of Munch’s sketches were created and artificially aged to create salts on their surface (mainly calcium and magnesium sulfates). And for the cleaning solutions / products, agarose and polyacrylamide gels (both plain and loaded gels with various cleaning solutions) were created. These gels were then systematically tested on the mock-ups at multiple time steps in order to determine their efficiency in the removal of salts. FT-IR-ATR, XRD and SEM-EDS were used to characterize the mock-ups, the salts and the sample mock-ups after various gel treatments. Laboratory analyses provided new insights into the ‘cleaning’ capabilities of various agarose and polyacrylamide tested gels; RESUMO: “Estudo da colecção de esboços de Edvard Munch com vista ao seu tratamento de conservação” Edvard Munch (1863–1944), pintor Norueguês, foi um dos artistas mais conceituados nos séculos XIX e XX. Munch produziu grandes obras de arte, entre as quais o “grito”, uma das pinturas mais famosas do mundo. Em 1914, Edvard Munch foi contratado para decorar o novo salão de reuniões da Universidade de Oslo. As pinturas de Munch da Aula da Universidade tornaram-se numa das obras mais importantes da pintura monumental norueguesa. Edvard Munch utilizou quinze telas de grandes dimensões para o esboço das pinturas da Aula Magna. Estas telas foram armazenadas sendo expostas a condições ambientais extremas e agora apresentam eflorescências salinas na sua superfície e precisam urgentemente de tratamento de conservação. Assim, esta dissertação tem como objetivo principal encontrar novas soluções/produtos para a remoção e/ou estabilização destes sais. Para tal, foram criados provetes com estrutura e composição similares aos dos esboços de Munch e estes foram envelhecidos artificialmente para fazer cristalizar sais na sua superfície (principalmente sulfatos de cálcio e magnésio). Para as soluções/produtos de limpeza, foram criados géis de agarose e poliacrilamida (géis simples e carregados com várias soluções de limpeza). Esses géis foram testados sistematicamente nos provetes criados para o efeito, com vários tempos de aplicação, para determinar a sua eficiência na remoção destes sais. FT-IR-ATR, XRD e SEM-EDS foram as técnicas utilizadas para caracterização dos provetes, dos sais e dos provetes após vários tempos de aplicação dos géis. As análises laboratoriais permitiram introduzir novos conhecimentos sobre as capacidades de "limpeza" de vários géis testados de agarose e poliacrilamida e respetivas formulções

Bisphenol A and Metabolic Syndrome: Results from NHANES

Background. Bisphenol A (BPA) is detected in the urine of 95% of US adults. Recent evidence from population-based studies suggests that BPA is associated with individual components for metabolic syndrome (MetS). However, no previous study has examined the direct association between BPA and MetS. Methods. We examined 2,104 participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2003–2008. The main outcome was the presence of MetS (). Results. Increasing levels of urinary BPA were positively associated with MetS, independent of confounders such as age, gender, race/ethnicity, smoking, alcohol intake, physical activity, and urinary creatinine. Compared to tertile 1 (referent), the multivariable adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval) of MetS in tertile 3 was 1.51 (1.07–2.12); -trend was 0.02. Conclusions. Urinary BPA levels are positively associated with MetS, in a representative sample of US adults and independent of traditional risk factors for MetS. Future, prospective studies are needed to confirm our findings

Depression treatment in individuals with cancer: a comparative analysis with cardio-metabolic conditions

A clear picture of the current state of nationwide depression treatment practices in individuals with cancer and depression does not exist in the United States (US). Therefore, the primary objective of this study was to examine rates of any depression treatment among individuals with cancer and depression in the US. To better understand the relationship between any treatment for depression and presence of cancer, we used a comparison group of individuals with cardio-metabolic conditions owing to the similar challenges faced in management of depression in individuals with these conditions. We used a retrospective cross-sectional design and data from multiple years of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, a nationally representative household-survey on healthcare utilization and expenditures. Study sample consisted of adults aged 21 or older with self-reported depression and cancer (n=528) or self-reported depression and diabetes, heart disease or hypertension (n=1643). Depression treatment comprised of any use of antidepres- sants and/or any use of mental health counseling services. Treatment rates for depression were 78.0% and 81.7% among individuals with cancer and cardio-metabolic conditions respectively. After controlling for socio-demographic, access-to-care, number of physician-visits, health-status, and lifestyle risk-factors related variables; individuals with cancer were less likely to report any treatment for depression (Adjusted Odds Ratio=0.67; 95% Confidence Interval=0.49, 0.92) compared to individuals with cardio-metabolic conditions (P≤0.01). Our findings highlight the possibility that competing demands may crowd out treatment for depression and that cancer diagnosis may be a barrier to depression treatment

Association between Metformin Use and Cancer Stage at Diagnosis among Elderly Medicare Beneficiaries with Preexisting Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Incident Prostate Cancer

Objective. To examine the association between metformin use and cancer stage at diagnosis among elderly men with preexisting diabetes mellitus and incident prostate cancer. Methods. This study used a population-based observational cohort of elderly men (≥66 years) with preexisting diabetes and incident prostate cancer between 2008 and 2009 ( = 2, 652). Cancer stage at diagnosis (localized versus advanced) was based on the American Joint Cancer Committee classification. Metformin use and other independent variables were measured during the one year before cancer diagnosis. Logistic regressions with inverse probability treatment weights were used to control for the observed selection bias. Results. A significantly lower percentage of metformin users were diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer as compared to nonusers (4.7% versus 6.7%, \u3c 0.03). After adjusting for the observed selection bias and other independent variables, metformin use was associated with a 32% reduction in the risk of advanced prostate cancer (adjusted odds ratio, AOR: 0.68, 95% confidence interval, CI: 0.48, 0.97). Conclusions. This is the first epidemiological study to support the role of metformin in reducing the risk of advanced prostate cancer. Randomized clinical trials are needed to confirm the causal link between metformin use and prostate cancer diagnosis stage

Receipt of Guideline-Concordant Care Among Older Women With Stage I-III Breast Cancer: A Population-Based Study

Background: This study examined receipt of guideline-concordant care (GCC) according to evidence-based treatment guidelines and quality measures and specific types of treatment among older women with breast cancer. Patients and Methods: A total of 142,433 patients aged ≥66 years diagnosed with stage I–III breast cancer between 2007 and 2011 were identified in the SEER-Medicare linked database. Algorithms considering cancer characteristics and the appropriate course of care as per guidelines versus actual care received determined receipt of GCC. Multivariable logistic regression estimated the likelihood of GCC and specific types of treatment for women aged ≥75 versus 66 to 74 years. Results: Overall, 39.7% of patients received GCC. Patients diagnosed at stage II or III, with certain preexisting conditions, and of nonwhite race were less likely to receive GCC. Patients with hormone-negative tumors, higher grade tumors, and greater access to oncology care resources were more likely to receive GCC. Patients aged ≥75 years were approximately 40% less likely to receive GCC or adjuvant endocrine therapy, 78% less likely to have any surgery, 61% less likely to have chemotherapy, and about half as likely to have radiation therapy than those aged 66 to 74 years. Conclusions: Fewer than half of older women with breast cancer received GCC, with the lowest rates observed among the oldest age groups, racial/ethnic minorities, and women with later-stage cancers. However, patients with more aggressive tumor characteristics and greater access to oncology resources were more likely to receive GCC. Considering that older women have the highest incidence of breast cancer and that many are diagnosed at stages requiring more aggressive treatment, efforts to increase rates of earlier stage diagnosis and the development of less toxic treatments could help improve GCC and survival while preserving quality of life

Prevalence and factors associated with diagnosed diabetes mellitus among Asian Indian adults in the United States

Article describes how a higher prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) has been documented among South Asians living in the United States. However, combining the south Asian subgroups into one category makes the heterogeneity in the diagnosed DM, after controlling for known protective and risk factors. The authors assessed the association of Asian Indian ethnicity to diagnosed DM using a nationally representative sample of 1,986 Asian Indian adults in the US compared to 109,072 Non-Hispanic Whites (NHWs) using disaggregated data from the National health Interview Survey (2012-2016)

Effect of thrombus aspiration on angiography and outcome in patients undergoing primary coronary angioplasty

Thrombus exerts a major impact on the performance and outcome of primary and rescue interventions in acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction. Although the optimal treatment of thrombotic lesions is still controversial, thrombus aspiration provides an effective method to achieve successful reperfusion during primary angioplasty. We compared clinical and angiographic outcomes in 286 patients with acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction undergoing primary percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) and thrombus aspiration with those who underwent conventional PTCA without thrombus aspiration. Thrombus aspiration during primary percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with high thrombus burden resulted in better Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) 3 flow in the infarct-related artery and helped achieve faster ST-segment resolution on the electrocardiogram compared with conventional angioplasty without thrombus aspiration

Flower-like copper sulfide nanocrystals are highly effective against chloroquine-resistant plasmodium falciparum and the malaria vector Anopheles stephensi

Anopheles stephensi is a mosquito of outstanding public health relevance, acting as a major vector of malaria in a number of tropical and subtropical areas worldwide. In recent years, important efforts have been conducted to propose nano-formulated larvicides as valuable alternatives to synthetic insecticides currently marketed. In the present study, the toxicity of flower-like copper sulfide (CuS) nanocrystals has been investigated on the malaria vector A. stephensi and Plasmodium parasites. Characterization of synthesized CuS nanocrystals was carried out using FTIR spectroscopy, XRD analysis, FESEM, HR-TEM and EDS. In mosquitocidal assays, LC50 values ranged from 23.347 ppm (first-instar larvae) to 48.789 ppm (pupae). In vitro anti-plasmodial activity of CuS nanoflowers was evaluated against chloroquine-resistant (CQ-r) and CQ-sensitive (CQ-s) strains of Plasmodium falciparum. IC50were 83.44 μg/mL (CQ-s) and 87.15 μg/mL (CQ-r). However, in vivo antiplasmodial experiments conducted on Plasmodium berghei infecting albino mice showed limited activity of CuS nanocrystals, if compared to CQ. Overall, our findings showed that chemically synthesized flower-like CuS nanocrystals are promising to improve the effectiveness of mosquito control programs, as well as to develop novel antiplasmodial drugs

Fusarium biocontrol: antagonism and mycotoxin elimination by lactic acid bacteria

Mycotoxins produced by Fusarium species are secondary metabolites with low molecular weight formed by filamentous fungi generally resistant to different environmental factors and, therefore, undergo slow degradation. Contamination by Fusarium mycotoxins in cereals and millets is the foremost quality challenge the food and feed industry faces across the globe. Several types of chemical preservatives are employed in the mitigation process of these mycotoxins, and they help in long-term storage; however, chemical preservatives can be used only to some extent, so the complete elimination of toxins from foods is still a herculean task. The growing demand for green-labeled food drives to evade the use of chemicals in the production processes is getting much demand. Thus, the biocontrol of food toxins is important in the developing food sector. Fusarium mycotoxins are world-spread contaminants naturally occurring in commodities, food, and feed. The major mycotoxins Fusarium species produce are deoxynivalenol, fumonisins, zearalenone, and T2/HT2 toxins. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB), generally regarded as safe (GRAS), is a well-explored bacterial community in food preparations and preservation for ages. Recent research suggests that LAB are the best choice for extenuating Fusarium mycotoxins. Apart from Fusarium mycotoxins, this review focuses on the latest studies on the mechanisms of how LAB effectively detoxify and remove these mycotoxins through their various bioactive molecules and background information of these molecules