Using Augmented Reality as a Discovery Tool

Layar is an augmented reality (AR) platform that enables creators to tie online resources to physical objects or locations via mobile technologies. The authors detail their exploration of Layar’s geolocation and interactive print abilities to aid the discovery of various resources in and around the College of Charleston campus pertaining to revered local artists William Halsey and Corrie McCallum. They explore opportunities for the added value of contextually situated information linking to vetted library and museum holdings. They detail some of the technical and technological requirements involved with coding and multimedia creation for AR, including the successes and pitfalls revealed in their testing. Issues noted include the problem of resolution in geolocation within the library’s physical setting, the highly iterative nature of the design and development process, the highly ephemeral and fluid nature of the end products, and their ensuing need for maintenance and review

Efficacy of cognitive behaviour therapy versus anxiety management for body dysmorphic disorder: a randomised controlled trial

Background: The evidence base for the effectiveness of cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) for treating Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) is weak. Aims: To determine if CBT is more effective than anxiety management (AM) in an out-patient setting. Method: A single blind, stratified parallel-group randomized controlled trial. The primary endpoint was at 12 weeks, and the Yale Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale for BDD (BDD-YBOCS) was the primary outcome measure. Secondary measures for BDD included the Brown Assessment of Beliefs (BABS), the Appearance Anxiety Inventory (AAI) and the Body Image Quality of Life Inventory (BIQLI). The outcome measures were collected at baseline and week 12. The CBT group, unlike the AM group, had 4 further weekly sessions that were analysed for their added value. Both groups then completed measures at their 1-month follow-up. Forty-six participants, with DSM-IV diagnosis of BDD including those with a delusional BDD were randomly allocated to either CBT or AM. Results: At 12 weeks, CBT was found to be significantly superior to AM on the BDD-YBOCS ( = -7.19, S.E. () = 2.61, p < .01, C.I. = -12.31, -2.07, d 0.99) as well as the secondary outcome measures of the BABS, AAI and BIQL. Further benefits occurred by Week 16 within the CBT group. There were no differences in outcome for those with delusional BDD or depression. Conclusions: CBT is an effective intervention for people with BDD even with delusional beliefs or depression and is more effective than anxiety management over 12 weeks

The value of computed tomography in detecting distal radioulnar joint instability after a distal radius fracture

This study evaluated the value of computed tomography scans for the diagnosis of distal radioulnar joint instability. A total of 46 patients, conservatively treated for a unilateral distal radius fracture, were evaluated. Clinical instability was tested using the stress test and clunk test. A computed tomography scan of both wrists was performed in pronation and supination. Two independent observers reviewed the computed tomography scans using: the radioulnar line, subluxation ratio, epicentre and radioulnar ratio methods. Radiological distal radioulnar joint instability was assessed by comparing the measurements of the injured wrist with those of the contralateral uninjured wrists. A

Anti-PSMA CAR-engineered NK-92 Cells: An Off-the-shelf Cell Therapy for Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer (PCa) has become the most common cancer among males in Europe and the USA. Adoptive immunotherapy appears a promising strategy to control the advanced stages of the disease by specifically targeting the tumor, in particular through chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cell therapy. Despite the advancements of CAR-T technology in the treatment of hematological malignancies, solid tumors still represent a challenge. To overcome current limits, other cellular effectors than T lymphocytes are under study as possible candidates for CAR-engineered cancer immunotherapy. A novel approach involves the NK-92 cell line, which mediates strong cytotoxic responses against a variety of tumor cells but has no effect on non-malignant healthy counterparts. Here, we report a novel therapeutic approach against PCa based on engineering of NK-92 cells with a CAR recognizing the human prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA), which is overexpressed in prostatic neoplastic cells. More importantly, the potential utility of NK-92/CAR cells to treat PCa has not yet been explored. Upon CAR transduction, NK-92/CAR cells acquired high and specific lytic activity against PSMA-expressing prostate cancer cells in vitro, and also underwent degranulation and produced high levels of IFN-\u3b3 in response to antigen recognition. Lethal irradiation of the effectors, a safety measure requested for the clinical application of retargeted NK-92 cells, fully abrogated replication but did not impact on phenotype and short-term functionality. PSMA-specific recognition and antitumor activity were retained in vivo, as adoptive transfer of irradiated NK-92/CAR cells in prostate cancer-bearing mice restrained tumor growth and improved survival. Anti-PSMA CAR-modified NK-92 cells represent a universal, off-the-shelf, renewable, and cost-effective product endowed with relevant potentialities as a therapeutic approach for PCa immunotherapy

LINC01605 Is a Novel Target of Mutant p53 in Breast and Ovarian Cancer Cell Lines

TP53 is the most frequently mutated gene in human cancers. Most TP53 genomic alterations are missense mutations, which cause a loss of its tumour suppressor functions while providing mutant p53 (mut_p53) with oncogenic features (gain-of-function). Loss of p53 tumour suppressor functions alters the transcription of both protein-coding and non-protein-coding genes. Gain-of-function of mut_p53 triggers modification in gene expression as well; however, the impact of mut_p53 on the transcription of the non-protein-coding genes and whether these non-protein-coding genes affect oncogenic properties of cancer cell lines are not fully explored. In this study, we suggested that LINC01605 (also known as lincDUSP) is a long non-coding RNA regulated by mut_p53 and proved that mut_p53 directly regulates LINC01605 by binding to an enhancer region downstream of the LINC01605 locus. We also showed that the loss or downregulation of LINC01605 impairs cell migration in a breast cancer cell line. Eventually, by performing a combined analysis of RNA-seq data generated in mut_TP53-silenced and LINC01605 knockout cells, we showed that LINC01605 and mut_p53 share common gene pathways. Overall, our findings underline the importance of ncRNAs in the mut_p53 network in breast and ovarian cancer cell lines and in particular the importance of LINC01605 in mut_p53 pro-migratory pathways

Archaeological and geophysical survey in deserted early islamic village Al-Qusur (Failaka, Kuwait)

Failaka Island, the second largest and the only inhabited off-shore island of Kuwait, is situated 17 km east of Kuwait mainland, in the entrance to Kuwait Bay. They can be found along the shores and approximately in the middle of the island and correspond with occurrence of known archaeological sites. Failaka’s history goes back to the Bronze Age Dilmun civilization. After the decline of the occupation during the Middle Bronze Age, Failaka was again inhabited during Seleucid and post-Seleucid..

Imaging the pulmonary extracellular matrix

The pulmonary extracellular matrix (ECM) plays an important role in the structure and function of the lung. In many respiratory diseases the profile of the ECM reflects pathological changes. The capacity to visualize the ECM and its alterations is of considerable importance to facilitate a better understanding of pulmonary diseases and eventually augment therapeutic solutions. This short review summarizes the current and novel possibilities for imaging the pulmonary ECM by the use of computed tomography (CT), optical coherence tomography (OCT), confocal laser endomicroscopy (CLE) and molecular imaging. While not all these techniques are as yet implemented in standard clinical practice, we address their main features along with the key possibilities for the future

Representação mental das relações de apego de meninas vítimas de violência doméstica : um estudo preliminar

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Long-term quality of life and cost-effectiveness of treatment of partial thickness burns: A randomized controlled trial comparing enzyme alginogel vs silver sulfadiazine (FLAM study)

The clinical effectiveness and scar quality of the randomized controlled trial comparing enzyme alginogel with silver sulfadiazine (SSD) for treatment of partial thickness burns were previously reported. Enzyme alginogel did not lead to faster wound healing (primary outcome) or less scar formation. In the current study, the health-related quality of life (HRQoL), costs, and cost-effectiveness of enzyme alginogel compared with SSD in the treatment of partial thickness burns were studied. HRQoL was evaluated using the Burn Specific Health Scale-Brief (BSHS-B) and the EQ-5D-5L questionnaire 1 week before discharge and at 3, 6, and 12 months postburn. Costs were studied from a societal perspective (health care and nonhealth-care costs) for a follow-up period of 1 year. A cost-effectiveness analysis was performed using cost-effectiveness acceptability curves and comparing differences in societal costs and Quality Adjusted Life Years (QALYs) at 1 year postburn. Forty-one patients were analyzed in the enzyme alginogel group and 48 patients in the SSD group. None o