GIScience and cancer: State of the art and trends for cancer surveillance and epidemiology

Maps are well recognized as an effective means of presenting and communicating health data, such as cancer incidence and mortality rates. These data can be linked to geographic features like counties or census tracts and their associated attributes for mapping and analysis. Such visualization and analysis provide insights regarding the geographic distribution of cancer and can be important for advancing effective cancer prevention and control programs. Applying a spatial approach allows users to identify location-based patterns and trends related to risk factors, health outcomes, and population health. Geographic information science (GIScience) is the discipline that applies Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and other spatial concepts and methods in research. This review explores the current state and evolution of GIScience in cancer research by addressing fundamental topics and issues regarding spatial data and analysis that need to be considered. GIScience, along with its health-specific application in the spatial epidemiology of cancer, incorporates multiple geographic perspectives pertaining to the individual, the health care infrastructure, and the environment. Challenges addressing these perspectives and the synergies among them can be explored through GIScience methods and associated technologies as integral parts of epidemiologic research, analysis efforts, and solutions. The authors suggest GIScience is a powerful tool for cancer research, bringing additional context to cancer data analysis and potentially informing decision-making and policy, ultimately aimed at reducing the burden of cancer.     

Treatment of neuroblastoma using the fused imaging guided radiotherapy (FIGURA) system

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to describe our department's experience with the fused imaging-guided radiotherapy (FIGURA) system for planning radiation treatment of high-risk neuroblastoma. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between 1999 and 2002, 11 patients received radiation therapy as consolidation after chemotherapy in 9 and for palliation in 2. Diagnostic metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) imaging was used, which is specific for neuroblastoma, to identify the residual tumor, followed by computed tomography scanning in the radiation treatment position. The FIGURA software fused the images obtained by the 2 modalities and transferred the result to a 3-dimensional radiation treatment planning system. Radiation was delivered at a total dose of 25.2 Gy according to the FIGURA. RESULTS: Five patients achieved complete remission and 2 partial remission; 3 were stabilized. One child with a highly rapid progressive course died of the disease. CONCLUSION: FIGURA is a new, feasible technique for defining target volumes. By using standard hospital equipment, it is possible to treat residual disease identified by sensitive metaiodobenzylguanidine imaging and localized with the anatomic computed tomography scan. Treating a more accurate target volume spares normal tissue and organs and minimizes side effects.     

Yunis-Varon syndrome: further delineation of the phenotype

Yunis-Varon syndrome (YVS) is a rare autosomal recessive condition characterized by limb defects, ossification defects, generalized hypotrichosis and, frequently, a severe neonatal course. The molecular basis is unknown. We report on a newborn infant with previously undescribed findings, including hydrops fetalis, primary pulmonary hypertension and unusually severe abnormalities of toes. We review clinical data on 22 published cases in order to delineate the phenotype of this condition. Clinical recommendations for prenatal and postnatal evaluation of patients and fetuses at risk are discussed.     

Transformational leadership vs. proactive personality: Contributing factors to physiotherapists proactive behaviors and burnout during the SARS-COV-2 pandemic

Background

In May 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) added burn out to the list of occupational phenomena in the 11th Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11). Soon thereafter, in March 2020, a global pandemic of SARS-COV-2 was declared.

Objective

To investigate the interplay between transformational leadership, a proactive personality, employee proactive behaviors, and burn out in the field of physiotherapy during the SARS-COV-2 pandemic.

Methods

Physiotherapists working at the Meuhedet Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) were asked to fill an online cross-sectional survey, in which they were asked to evaluate the transformational behavior of their manager and to assess their own burn out rate, degree of self-efficacy, proactive personality, and proactive behaviors. Eighty-one physical therapists (average age of 37.3 years (SD = 9.0)) responded to the survey, most of whom were female (67.9%, n = 55).

Results

Transformational leadership and proactive personality were negatively associated with occupational burn out (β = −0.231, p < 0.05, β = −0.243, p < 0.05, respectively) among physiotherapists. The effect of the interaction between transformational leadership and proactive personality on proactive behaviors at work was not significant. However, a strong, significant positive relationship was found between proactive personality and proactive behaviors (β = 0.425, p < 0.001), and between self-efficacy and proactive behaviors (β = 0.479, p < 0.001).

Conclusions

This up-to-date survey of transformational leadership and proactive personality among physiotherapists highlights these traits' important impact on burn out and proactive behaviors during the SARS-COV-2 pandemic. Furthermore, the transformational manager plays an important role in reducing burnout levels among physiotherapists, especially during a crisis such as the SARS-COV-2 pandemic.     

Prenatal imaging of fetal hepatoblastoma.

A detailed sonographic at 37 weeks of gestation performed due to non-reassuring fetal monitor of a breech presentation fetus detected a solid right lobe hepatic tumor. Prenatal gray scale and Doppler sonography suggested a diagnosis of hepatoblastoma which was confirmed postnatally. Differential ultrasonographic diagnosis of fetal hepatic tumors is discussed.     

Modulation of homomeric and heteromeric kcnq1 channels by external acidification

The I _KS K⁺ channel plays a major role in repolarizing the cardiac action potential. It consists of an assembly of two structurally distinct α and β subunits called KCNQ1 and KCNE1, respectively. Using two different expression systems, Xenopus oocytes and Chinese hamster ovary cells, we investigated the effects of external protons on homomeric and heteromeric KCNQ1 channels. External acidification (from pH 7.4 to pH 5.5) markedly decreased the homomeric KCNQ1 current amplitude and caused a positive shift (+25 mV) in the voltage dependence of activation. Low external pH (pH_o) also slowed down the activation and deactivation kinetics and strongly reduced the KCNQ1 inactivation process. In contrast, external acidification reduced the maximum conductance and the macroscopic inactivation of the KCNQ1 mutant L273F by only a small amount. The heteromeric I _KS channel complex was weakly affected by low pH_o, with minor effects on I _KS current amplitude. However, substantial current inhibition was produced by protons with the N-terminal KCNE1 deletion mutant Δ11-38. Low pH_o increased the current amplitude of the pore mutant V319C when co-expressed with KCNE1. The slowing of I _KS deactivation produced by low pH_o was absent in the KCNE1 mutant Δ39-43, suggesting that the residues lying at the N-terminal boundary of the transmembrane segment are involved in this process. In all, our results suggest that external acidification acts on homomeric and heteromeric KCNQ1 channels via multiple mechanisms to affect gating and maximum conductance. The external pH effects on I _Kr versus I _KS may be important determinants of arrhythmogenicity under conditions of cardiac ischaemia and reperfusion.