Combining CAPRA-S With Tumor IDC/C Features Improves the Prognostication of Biochemical Recurrence in Prostate Cancer Patients

Background: Intraductal carcinoma and cribriform (IDC/C) tumor features are well-established prognosticators of biochemical recurrence (BCR), metastasis, and prostate cancer (PCa)-specific mortality. However, approximately 70% of PCa patients undergoing a radical prostatectomy are IDC/C negative, yet up-to 20% of these patients progress and experience BCR. Thus, tumor histopathologic characteristics such as IDC/C alone are limited in their ability to predict disease progression. Conversely, several nomograms such as Cancer of the Prostate Risk Assessment-Surgery (CAPRA-S) have been developed to aid in the prognostication of BCR, but not yet widely applied in clinical settings. Materials and methods: In this study, we assessed the combined prognostic utility of IDC/C, and CAPRA-S for BCR in 3 PCa patient cohorts. Results: CAPRA-S+IDC/C improved the predictive accuracy of BCR in all 3 cohorts (P < .001). Specifically, among IDC/C negative cases, CAPRA-S improved the prognostication of BCR in low-risk (Cohort 1; P < .001, Cohort 2; P < .001, Cohort 3; P = .003), intermediate (Cohort 1; P < .001, Cohort 2; P = .006, Cohort 3; P = .03) and high-risk (Cohort 1-3; P < .001) patients. Conversely, IDC/C improved the prognostication of BCR among CAPRA-S low-risk (Cohorts 1; P < .001 and Cohort 3; P = .003) patients. Conclusion: Our results suggest the investigation of histopathological IDC/C features in CAPRA-S low-risk patients and conversely, nomogram CAPRA-S among IDC/C negative patients improves the identification of patients likely to experience BCR, which would otherwise be missed through current assessment regimens. These patients can be offered more intensive monitoring and adjuvant therapies upfront to circumvent the development of recurrent cancer or overtreatment at the time of surgery.     

Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion,A Misnomer?: Where Do We Go From Here?

The importance of the left atrial appendage (LAA) as the source of thromboembolism including stroke in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation is well documented, with more than 90% of ischemic strokes related to a LAA thrombus. Although oral anticoagulation has been the standard of care, approximately 50% to 60% of patients either have contraindications to oral anticoagulation or do not continue the medication beyond the first year. This led to the development of local site-specific therapy to occlude the LAA by either surgical or transcatheter means. Despite marked advancements, incomplete LAA closure with surgical and transcatheter approaches remains frequent. The etiology of incomplete LAA closure and its clinical implications remain unclear. Multiple strategies are in development including changes in deployment techniques, a new device design, and alternative approaches to leak closure.     

A guide to oral vaccination: Highlighting electrospraying as a promising manufacturing technique toward a successful oral vaccine development

Most vaccines approved by regulatory bodies are administered via intramuscular or subcutaneous injections and have shortcomings, such as the risk of needle-associated blood infections, pain and swelling at the injection site. Orally administered vaccines are of interest, as they elicit both systemic and mucosal immunities, in which mucosal immunity would neutralize the mucosa invading pathogen before the onset of an infection. Hence, oral vaccination can eliminate the injection associated adverse effects and enhance the person's compliance. Conventional approaches to manufacturing oral vaccines, such as coacervation, spray drying, and membrane emulsification, tend to alter the structural proteins in vaccines that result from high temperature, organic and toxic solvents during production. Electrohydrodynamic processes, specifically electrospraying, could solve these challenges, as it also modulates antigen release and has a high loading efficiency. This review will highlight the mucosal immunity and biological basis of the gastrointestinal immune system, different oral vaccine delivery approaches, and the application of electrospraying in vaccines development.     

Cortical activation by a salient sound modulates visual temporal order judgments: An electrophysiological study of multisensory attentional processes

Previous event-related potential (ERP) studies show that a salient lateral sound activates the visual cortex more strongly contralateral to the sound, observed as an auditory-evoked contralateral occipital positivity (ACOP). Studies showed that this activation enhances the early cortical processing of co-localized visual stimuli presented after, reflected by better detection rates, better discrimination, and sharper perceived contrast. We replicated the ACOP, using earphones, and tested whether auditory cuing can influence temporal order judgments (TOJ) for two visual stimuli (horizontal arrangement) as well as if the ACOP would predict the amplitude of this influence. A lateral salient sound was followed, after 150 or 630 ms, by the visual presentation of a pair of disks, one in left and one in right hemifield, with variable SOA. The TOJ task was to indicate which disk appeared first or which disk appeared second (controlling for response bias). We observed an ACOP at posterior electrode sites and confirmed our hypothesis that the lateral sound influenced TOJ by accelerating the perception of the disk presented on the cued side, even though the sound was irrelevant to the task. Furthermore, the ACOP amplitude was correlated to this visual perceptual change, indicating that a larger change in brain activity was associated with a faster processing of co-localized visual stimuli.     

Capillary leak syndrome: A rare cause of acute respiratory distress syndrome

Capillary leak syndrome (CLS) is a rare clinical syndrome associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Intensive care and supportive therapy constitute the mainstay of the treatment, along with judicious use of crystalloids and colloids such as dextran and starch during the leak phase. The advantages of proning, steroids, and intravenous immunoglobins are worth contemplating in patients with such a presentation. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation appears to be an excellent strategy to surmount the impediments of the leak and post leak phase of CLS, especially in patients with severe or refractory hypoxemia.     

Time-varying characteristics of the induced membrane and its effects on bone defect repair

PurposeThis study intended to determine the properties of induced membranes after various periods of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) retention and the effect of different retention intervals on subsequent defect repair.MethodsModel of a critical bone defect in rabbits was prepared to obtain the induced membrane. For varying intervals of spacer insertion (2, 4, 6, 8, 12, 16, and 20 weeks postoperatively), angiogenesis, osteogenesis, and MSC-related properties were analyzed by immunohistochemistry and western-blot. Furthermore, 2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks after PMMA insertion, bone grafting was performed. Characteristics of defect repair were analyzed by X-ray and micro-CT analysis.ResultsThe induced membrane displayed angiogenesis, osteogenesis, and MSC-related properties from the 2- to 20-week intervals. Quantitation of protein expression (RUNX2, ALP, VEGF, TGF-beta, OCT4, and STRO1) revealed that selected proteins gradually rose to a high level at 4–8 weeks postoperatively and then decreased to a low level over a long time period. Following bone grafting, the most new bone formation was in the group when grafting was performed at 4 weeks, followed by the groups at 2 and 6 weeks, with the least in the group at 8 weeks.ConclusionThe induced membrane displays angiogenesis, osteogenesis, and MSC-related properties from the 2- to 20-week intervals. These were increased to a peak level at 4–8 weeks postoperatively and then gradually decreased. The optimal timing for bone grafting at the second stage in the presented model was 4 weeks after PMMA insertion.     

Exploiting the tumor-suppressive activity of the androgen receptor by CDK4/6 inhibition in castration-resistant prostate cancer

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