Low molecular-weight heparin is better than warfarin for prevention of recurrent venous thromboembolism in cancer patients

A critical appraisal and clinical application of Lee AYY, Levin MN, Bake RI, et al. Low-molecular-weight heparin versus a coumarin for the prevention of recurrent venous thromboembolism in patients with cancer. N Engl J Med. 2003;349:146-153. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa02531

The Hottest Topic in the Field of Entomology: Pyroentomology

Introduction Summers are usually accompanied with wildfire season, with fires burning rampant across the world. These fires can be devastating to those who live in affected areas, resulting in many short and long-term consequences. However, they also are a source of most-needed resources in the afflicted area. Natural disturbances are a key component of any ecosystem and to improve biodiversity (Krawchuk et al., 2020). Disturbances also promote community stability and landscape heterogeneity (Bai et al., 2022). Forest fires can affect interactions between plant and animal communities and its members, as well as natural processes such as nutrient cycling and soil aeration; they also change the availability of resources in the area, including food, water, and shelter (Murphy et al., 2018). The study of interactions between insect communities and fires is termed as pyroentomology (Mason et al., 2021). This field of study is intricately related to natural disturbances, forest fires, and their regimes. The importance of insects in post-fire secondary succession and what behavioral or morphological adaptations they have developed will be further explored. Conclusion While forest fires are becoming more severe and frequent due to climate change and other anthropogenic factors, it is essential that recovery in these areas via secondary succession is thoroughly studied. Pyrophilic insects play a big part in this process by being the first to colonize affected areas, often while the fire is still burning. However, because of pyrophilic insects only emerging during turbulent times, they are harder to study. The initial colonization of fire-devastated zones by pyrophilic insects aid the re-establishment of plants, then the eventual return of herbivorous life and predators. Although it is an understudied field, pyroentomology is still a relevant and important topic of study, especially with the rise in wildfires

A hybrid EAV-relational model for consistent and scalable capture of clinical research data

Many clinical research databases are built for specific purposes and their design is often guided by the requirements of their particular setting. Not only does this lead to issues of interoperability and reusability between research groups in the wider community but, within the project itself, changes and additions to the system could be implemented using an ad hoc approach, which may make the system difficult to maintain and even more difficult to share. In this paper, we outline a hybrid Entity-Attribute-Value and relational model approach for modelling data, in light of frequently changing requirements, which enables the back-end database schema to remain static, improving the extensibility and scalability of an application. The model also facilitates data reuse. The methods used build on the modular architecture previously introduced in the CURe project

Implementation and Effects of LDC and MDC in Kentucky Districts

This brief summarizes early evidence on the success of two tools Kentucky districts have used to support their teachers' transition to these more demanding goals: Literacy Design Collaborative (LDC) and Math Design Collaborative (MDC). With support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, LDC and MDC tools have been designed and implemented to embody the key shifts in teaching and learning that the new standards demand. By implementing the tools, teachers then engage in new pedagogy and address relevant learning goals of the Kentucky Core Academic Standards

Addressing the challenge of integrated care through digital technology

There is a need to constantly tackle a range of diverse and, sometimes, contradictory requirements of people with multiple chronic conditions. Integrated Care provides a potential solution to this need and digital technology can be the proposition for addressing its implementation challenge. Digital technology can support clinical teams to achieve care across all levels and provide independence in patients’ lives, by supporting them in enhanced and integrated activity within our societal structures

Myosin IIA-mediated forces regulate multicellular integrity during vascular sprouting

Angiogenic sprouting is a critical process involved in vascular network formation within tissues. During sprouting, tip cells and ensuing stalk cells migrate collectively into the extracellular matrix while preserving cell-cell junctions, forming patent structures that support blood flow. Although several signaling pathways have been identified as controlling sprouting, it remains unclear to what extent this process is mechanoregulated. To address this question, we investigated the role of cellular contractility in sprout morphogenesis, using a biomimetic model of angiogenesis. Three-dimensional maps of mechanical deformations generated by sprouts revealed that mainly leader cells, not stalk cells, exert contractile forces on the surrounding matrix. Surprisingly, inhibiting cellular contractility with blebbistatin did not affect the extent of cellular invasion but resulted in cell-cell dissociation primarily between tip and stalk cells. Closer examination of cell-cell junctions revealed that blebbistatin impaired adherens-junction organization, particularly between tip and stalk cells. Using CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene editing, we further identified NMIIA as the major isoform responsible for regulating multicellularity and cell contractility during sprouting. Together, these studies reveal a critical role for NMIIA-mediated contractile forces in maintaining multicellularity during sprouting and highlight the central role of forces in regulating cell-cell adhesions during collective motility.R01 EB000262 - NIBIB NIH HHS; R01 HL115553 - NHLBI NIH HHSPublished versio