Prolonged expression of the γ-H2AX DNA repair biomarker correlates with excess acute and chronic toxicity from radiotherapy treatment

The normal tissue tolerance levels to fractionated radiotherapy have been appreciated by a century of careful clinical observations and radiobiological studies in animals. During clinical fractionated radiotherapy, these normal tissue tolerance levels are respected, and severe sequelae of radiotherapy are avoided in the majority of patients. Notwithstanding, a minority of patients experience unexpectedly severe normal tissue reactions. The ability to predict which patients might form this minority would be important. We have conducted a study to develop a rapid and reliable diagnostic test to predict excessive normal tissue toxicity (NTT) in radiotherapy patients. A flow cytometric immunocytochemical assay was used to measure DNA damage in peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) from cancer patients exposed to 2-Gy gamma radiation. DNA damage and repair was measured by induction of cellular γ-H2AX in unirradiated and exposed cells at specific time points following exposure. In 12 cancer patients that experienced severe atypical NTT following radiotherapy, there was a failure to repair DNA double-strand breaks (DSB) as measured by γ-H2AX induction and persistence. In ten cancer patients that experienced little or no NTT and in seven normal (noncancer controls), efficient repair of DNA DSB was observed in the γ-H2AX assay. We conclude that a flow cytometric assay based on γ-H2AX induction in PBL of radiotherapy patients may represent a robust, rapid and reliable biomarker to predict NTT during radiotherapy. Further research is required with a larger patient cohort to validate this important study

Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, Threat (SWOT) Analysis of the Adaptations to Anatomical Education in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland in Response to the Covid‐19 Pandemic

The Covid-19 pandemic has driven the fastest changes to higher education across the globe, necessitated by social distancing measures preventing any face to face teaching. This has led to an almost immediate switch to distance learning by higher education institutions. Anatomy faces some unique challenges. Intrinsically, anatomy is a three-dimensional subject that requires a sound understanding of the relationships between structures, often achieved by the study of human cadaveric material, models and virtual resources. This study sought to identify the approaches taken in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland to deliver anatomical education through online means. Data were collected from 14 different universities in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland and compared adopting a thematic analysis approach. Once themes were generated, they were collectively brought together using a strength, weakness, opportunity, threat (SWOT) analysis. Key themes included the opportunity to develop new online resources and the chance to engage in new academic collaborations. Academics frequently mentioned the challenge that time constrains could place on the quality and effectiveness of these resources; especially as in many cases the aim of these resources is to compensate for a lack of exposure to cadaveric exposure. Comparisons of the actions taken by multiple higher education institutions reveals the ways that academics have tried to balance this demand. Discussions will facilitate decisions being made by higher education institutions regarding adapting the curriculum and assessment methods in anatomy

Competing for Refugees: A Market-Based Solution to a Humanitarian Crisis

The current refugee crisis demands novel legal solutions, and new ways of summoning the political will to implement them. As a matter of national incentives, the goal must be to design mechanisms that discourage countries of origin from creating refugees, and encourage host countries to welcome them. One way to achieve this would be to recognize that persecuted refugee groups have a financial claim against their countries of origin, and that this claim can be traded to host nations in exchange for acceptance. Modifications to the international apparatus would be necessary, but the basic legal elements of this proposal already exist. In short, international law can and should give refugees a legal asset, give host nations incentives to accept them, and give oppressive countries of origin the bill

The benefits and challenges of using social media as a vehicle for delivering physical activity interventions

Objectives: The purpose of this exploratory study was to assess the effectiveness of using a social media-based intervention to improve physical activity and motivation for a group of recreational runners. Design: A cross-sectional approach was adopted. The researcher posted weekly motivational comments and prompted questions to a closed Facebook group over a 12 week period, encouraging participant responses. Measures of physical activity (e.g., runs completed) and interaction within the group (e.g., response frequency) were monitored. Method: Participants were recruited via local parkrun Facebook pages. Responses by the 17 participants (11 female and 6 male, all over age 35) to the Facebook posts were explored using inductive thematic analysis to identify factors appertaining to motivation. Results: Three main themes emerged from qualitative analysis. A “sense of community” was evidenced by accounts of membership to other physical and virtual groups, and growing interaction within the Facebook community. The “feel good factor” was discussed in relation to the running ‘high’ and improvements in physical and mental wellbeing. “In pursuit of progress” was apparent through participants’ personal goals, comparisons with others, and exercise tracking methods. Conclusions: As an exploratory study, the results obtained suggested that this was an area worthy of future research. The study provided valuable feedback for using social media as an intervention or research delivery vehicle. The key considerations for future research design include appropriate selection of the participant population; effective process of obtaining participant consent; continued participant engagement; and creation of an autonomous-supportive environment within the group

The impact of body vigilance on help-seeking for cancer 'alarm' symptoms: a community-based survey.

BACKGROUND: The act of detecting bodily changes is a pre-requisite for subsequent responses to symptoms, such as seeking medical help. This is the first study to explore associations between self-reported body vigilance and help-seeking in a community sample currently experiencing cancer 'alarm' symptoms. METHODS: Using a cross-sectional study design, a 'health survey' was mailed through primary care practices to 4913 UK adults (age ≥50 years, no cancer diagnosis), asking about symptom experiences and medical help-seeking over the previous three months. Body vigilance, cancer worry and current illness were assessed with a small number of self-report items derived from existing measures. RESULTS: The response rate was 42% (N = 2042). Almost half the respondents (936/2042; 46%) experienced at least one cancer alarm symptom. Results from logistic regression analysis revealed that paying more attention to bodily changes was significantly associated with help-seeking for cancer symptoms (OR = 1.44; 1.06-1.97), after controlling for socio-demographics, current illness and cancer worry. Being more sensitive to bodily changes was not significantly associated with help-seeking. CONCLUSIONS: Respondents who paid attention to their bodily changes were more likely to seek help for their symptoms. Although the use of a cross-sectional study design and the limited assessment of key variables preclude any firm conclusions, encouraging people to be body vigilant may contribute towards earlier cancer diagnosis. More needs to be understood about the impact this might have on cancer-related anxiety

Imaging of Impact Damage in Composite Materials

Conventional ultrasonic C-scan images are generated from information acquired within “gates” placed at specific temporal locations on low-pass filtered and rectified versions of A-scans. Placing the gates at temporal locations which correspond with interfaces allows the integrity of the interfaces to be examined. However, if the interfaces are closely spaced, as is the case for quasi-isotropic graphite/epoxy composites, the information from upper layers is blurred into the layers below because of the finite time duration of the ultrasonic pulse. This creates a low signal-to-background-level ratio, which causes blurring at and below the first interface

Blur Reduction in Ultrasonic Images Using Pseudo Three-Dimensional Wiener Filtering

The ability to quantitatively image material anomalies with ultrasonic methods is severely restricted by the axial and lateral resolution of the interrogating transducer. Axial resolution is controlled by the pulse duration of the transducer with shorter pulse durations yielding better axial resolution. Lateral resolution is controlled by the width of the interrogating beam with narrower beams providing better lateral resolutio

Gradient flux measurements of sea–air DMS transfer during the Surface Ocean Aerosol Production (SOAP) experiment

Direct measurements of marine dimethylsulfide (DMS) fluxes are sparse, particularly in the Southern Ocean. The Surface Ocean Aerosol Production (SOAP) voyage in February–March 2012 examined the distribution and flux of DMS in a biologically active frontal system in the southwest Pacific Ocean. Three distinct phytoplankton blooms were studied with oceanic DMS concentrations as high as 25 nmol L−1. Measurements of DMS fluxes were made using two independent methods: the eddy covariance (EC) technique using atmospheric pressure chemical ionization–mass spectrometry (API-CIMS) and the gradient flux (GF) technique from an autonomous catamaran platform. Catamaran flux measurements are relatively unaffected by airflow distortion and are made close to the water surface, where gas gradients are largest. Flux measurements were complemented by near-surface hydrographic measurements to elucidate physical factors influencing DMS emission. Individual DMS fluxes derived by EC showed significant scatter and, at times, consistent departures from the Coupled Ocean–Atmosphere Response Experiment gas transfer algorithm (COAREG). A direct comparison between the two flux methods was carried out to separate instrumental effects from environmental effects and showed good agreement with a regression slope of 0.96 (r2 = 0.89). A period of abnormal downward atmospheric heat flux enhanced near-surface ocean stratification and reduced turbulent exchange, during which GF and EC transfer velocities showed good agreement but modelled COAREG values were significantly higher. The transfer velocity derived from near-surface ocean turbulence measurements on a spar buoy compared well with the COAREG model in general but showed less variation. This first direct comparison between EC and GF fluxes of DMS provides confidence in compilation of flux estimates from both techniques, as well as in the stable periods when the observations are not well predicted by the COAREG model

Game theory of mind

This paper introduces a model of ‘theory of mind’, namely, how we represent the intentions and goals of others to optimise our mutual interactions. We draw on ideas from optimum control and game theory to provide a ‘game theory of mind’. First, we consider the representations of goals in terms of value functions that are prescribed by utility or rewards. Critically, the joint value functions and ensuing behaviour are optimised recursively, under the assumption that I represent your value function, your representation of mine, your representation of my representation of yours, and so on ad infinitum. However, if we assume that the degree of recursion is bounded, then players need to estimate the opponent's degree of recursion (i.e., sophistication) to respond optimally. This induces a problem of inferring the opponent's sophistication, given behavioural exchanges. We show it is possible to deduce whether players make inferences about each other and quantify their sophistication on the basis of choices in sequential games. This rests on comparing generative models of choices with, and without, inference. Model comparison is demonstrated using simulated and real data from a ‘stag-hunt’. Finally, we note that exactly the same sophisticated behaviour can be achieved by optimising the utility function itself (through prosocial utility), producing unsophisticated but apparently altruistic agents. This may be relevant ethologically in hierarchal game theory and coevolution

Negative time delay for wave reflection from a one-dimensional semi-harmonic well

It is reported that the phase time of particles which are reflected by a one-dimensional semi-harmonic well includes a time delay term which is negative for definite intervals of the incoming energy. In this interval, the absolute value of the negative time delay becomes larger as the incident energy becomes smaller. The model is a rectangular well with zero potential energy at its right and a harmonic-like interaction at its left.Comment: 6 pages, 5 eps figures. Talk presented at the XXX Workshop on Geometric Methods in Physics, Bialowieza, Poland, 201