The effect of pre-calving injection of trace mineral supplements on periparturient disease incidence in pasture based dairy cows

Trace minerals, have a role in immune function and a trace mineral supplement (TMS) can improve animal health in dairy herds. This prospective randomised clinical study assessed whether subcutaneous injection of 5.5 mL of TMS (40 mg zinc, 10 mg manganese, 5 mg selenium, 15 mg copper per mL), 14-28 days before planned start of calving (PSC) reduced clinical mastitis (CM), subclinical mastitis (SCM) and purulent vaginal discharge (PVD). From four farms, half of 1700 cows stratified on somatic cell count, age and breed were randomly allocated to treatment or no treatment. Occurrence of CM from - 7 to PSC + 100 days, SCM at PSC + 60 days and PVD at PSC + 24 days was analysed using survival analysis and Bayesian generalised mixed multivariable models. From -7 to PSC +30 days, TMS reduced the adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for CM at quarter and cow level (P < 0.001), with no evidence for an effect beyond 30 days. The adjusted OR (and 95% highest density interval, HDI) for the effect of TMS on CM from -7 to PSC +30 days was 0.40 (95% HDI, 0.26-0.63) at quarter level, 0.51 (95% HDI, 0.38-0.69) at cow level and for SCM, 0.72 (95% HDI, 0.54-0.95). The difference in CM incidence from TMS at the cow level was -2.0% (95% HDI, -3.4 to -1.1%) and -1.2% (95% HDI, -3.2 to - 0.6%) at quarter level. No clear effect was identified of TMS on cumulative incidence of PVD.

Protocol paper: Multi-site, cluster-randomized clinical trial for optimizing functional outcomes of older cancer survivors after chemotherapy

BACKGROUND

Cancer survivors over the age of 65 have unique needs due to the higher prevalence of functional and cognitive impairment, comorbidities, geriatric syndromes, and greater need for social support after chemotherapy. In this study, we will evaluate whether a Geriatric Evaluation and Management-Survivorship (GEMS) intervention improves functional outcomes important to older cancer survivors following chemotherapy.

METHODS

A cluster-randomized trial will be conducted in approximately 30 community oncology practices affiliated with the University of Rochester Cancer Center (URCC) National Cancer Institute Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP) Research Base. Participating sites will be randomized to the GEMS intervention, which includes Advanced Practice Practitioner (APP)-directed geriatric evaluation and management (GEM), and Survivorship Health Education (SHE) that is combined with Exercise for Cancer Patients (EXCAP©®), or usual care. Cancer survivors will be recruited from community oncology practices (of participating oncology physicians and APPs) after the enrolled clinicians have consented and completed a baseline survey. We will enroll 780 cancer survivors aged 65 years and older who have completed curative-intent chemotherapy for a solid tumor malignancy within four weeks of study enrollment. Cancer survivors will be asked to choose one caregiver to also participate for a total up to 780 caregivers. The primary aim is to compare the effectiveness of GEMS for improving patient-reported physical function at six months. The secondary aim is to compare effectiveness of GEMS for improving patient-reported cognitive function at six months. Tertiary aims include comparing the effectiveness of GEMS for improving: 1) Patient-reported physical function at twelve months; 2) objectively assessed physical function at six and twelve months; and 3) patient-reported cognitive function at twelve months and objectively assessed cognitive function at six and twelve months. Exploratory health care aims include: 1) Survivor satisfaction with care, 2) APP communication with primary care physicians (PCPs), 3) completion of referral appointments, and 4) hospitalizations at six and twelve months. Exploratory caregiver aims include: 1) Caregiver distress; 2) caregiver quality of life; 3) caregiver burden; and 4) satisfaction with patient care at six and twelve months.

DISCUSSION

If successful, GEMS would be an option for a standardized APP-led survivorship care intervention.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.govNCT05006482, registered on August 9, 2021.

Performance of biodegradable temporizing matrix vs collagen-chondroitin silicone bilayer dermal regeneration substitutes in soft tissue wound healing: a retrospective analysis

INTRODUCTION

This study compared outcomes of soft tissue reconstruction using biodegradable temporizing matrix (BTM) and collagen-chondroitin silicone (CCS) skin substitutes.

OBJECTIVE

In this study, the authors compared wound healing rates and complication rates between BTM and CCS.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This retrospective study reviewed outcomes for adult patients who underwent soft tissue reconstruction with either BTM or CCS skin substitutes between 2015 and 2020. Demographics, wound characteristics, surgical details, and complications were recorded.

RESULTS

Ninety-seven patients were included, of whom 51 (52.6%) were treated with BTM graft and 46 (47.4%) with CCS bilayer graft. The mean patient age was 48.2 years (range, 18-93 years). Wound etiologies included burn, trauma, iatrogenic, compartment syndrome, skin cancer, and osteomyelitis. The median template size was 147 cm2 and 100 cm2 for BTM and CCS, respectively (P =.337). Skin grafts were applied to 39 patients (84.8%) treated with CCS compared with 28 (54.9%) treated with BTM (P =.006); the remaining wounds healing secondarily. The template-related and skin graft-related complications of infection, dehiscence, and hematoma or seroma were comparable between groups. The rate of skin graft failure was significantly higher in the CCS cohort (n = 9 [23.1%]) compared with the BTM group (n = 1 [3.6%]) (P =.006). More secondary procedures were required after CCS placement (mean ± standard deviation, 1.9 ± 1.8; range, 0-9) than after BTM (mean, 1.0 ± 0.9; range 0-4) (P =.002). There was no statistical significance in the frequency of definitive closure between BTM and CCS (n = 31 [60.8%] vs n = 28 [60.9%], respectively; P =.655).

CONCLUSIONS

Compared with CCS, BTM had comparable closure and complication rates and required fewer secondary procedures and/or subsequent skin grafting.

Clinicians' Views of Patient-initiated Follow-up in Head and Neck Cancer: a Qualitative Study to Inform the PETNECK2 Trial

AIMS

Current follow-up for head and neck cancer (HNC) is ineffective, expensive and fails to address patients' needs. The PETNECK2 trial will compare a new model of patient-initiated follow-up (PIFU) with routine scheduled follow-up. This article reports UK clinicians' views about HNC follow-up and PIFU, to inform the trial design.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Online focus groups with surgeons (ear, nose and throat/maxillofacial), oncologists, clinical nurse specialists and allied health professionals. Clinicians were recruited from professional bodies, mailing lists and personal contacts. Focus groups explored views on current follow-up and acceptability of the proposed PIFU intervention and randomised controlled trial design (presented by the study co-chief investigator), preferences, margins of equipoise, potential organisational barriers and thoughts about the content and format of PIFU. Data were interpreted using inductive thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Eight focus groups with 34 clinicians were conducted. Clinicians highlighted already known limitations with HNC follow-up - lack of flexibility to address the wide-ranging needs of HNC patients, expense and lack of evidence - and agreed that follow-up needs to change. They were enthusiastic about the PETNECK2 trial to develop and evaluate PIFU but had concerns that PIFU may not suit disengaged patients and may aggravate patient anxiety/fear of recurrence and delay detection of recurrence. Anticipated issues with implementation included ensuring a reliable route back to clinic and workload burden on nurses and allied health professionals.

CONCLUSIONS

Clinicians supported the evaluation of PIFU but voiced concerns about barriers to help-seeking. An emphasis on patient engagement, psychosocial issues, symptom reporting and reliable, quick routes back to clinic will be important. Certain patient groups may be less suited to PIFU, which will be evaluated in the trial. Early, meaningful, ongoing engagement with clinical teams and managers around the trial rationale and recruitment process will be important to discourage selective recruitment and address risk-averse behaviour and potential workload burden.

Effective Oral RNA Interference (RNAi) Administration to Adult Anopheles gambiae Mosquitoes

RNA interference has been a heavily utilized tool for reverse genetic analysis for two decades. In adult mosquitoes, double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) administration has been accomplished primarily via injection, which requires significant time and is not suitable for field applications. To overcome these limitations, here we present a more efficient method for robust activation of RNAi by oral delivery of dsRNA to adult Anopheles gambiae. Long dsRNAs were produced in Escherichia coli strain HT115 (DE3), and a concentrated suspension of heat-killed dsRNA-containing bacteria in 10% sucrose was offered on cotton balls ad-libitum to adult mosquitoes. Cotton balls were replaced every 2 days for the duration of the treatment. Use of this method to target doublesex (a gene involved in sex differentiation) or fork head (which encodes a salivary gland transcription factor) resulted in reduced target gene expression and/or protein immunofluorescence signal, as measured by quantitative Real-Time PCR (qRT-PCR) or fluorescence confocal microscopy, respectively. Defects in salivary gland morphology were also observed. This highly flexible, user-friendly, low-cost, time-efficient method of dsRNA delivery could be broadly applicable to target genes important for insect vector physiology and beyond.

Detection of Tumor-specific DNA Methylation Markers in the Blood of Patients with Pituitary Neuroendocrine Tumors

Background

DNA methylation abnormalities are pervasive in pituitary neuroendocrine tumors (PitNETs). The feasibility to detect methylome alterations in circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) has been reported for several central nervous system (CNS) tumors but not across PitNETs. The aim of the study was to use the liquid biopsy (LB) approach to detect PitNET-specific methylation signatures to differentiate these tumors from other sellar diseases.

Methods

We profiled the cfDNA methylome (EPIC array) of 59 serum and 41 plasma LB specimens from patients with PitNETs and other CNS diseases (sellar tumors and other pituitary non-neoplastic diseases, lower-grade gliomas, and skull-base meningiomas) or nontumor conditions, grouped as non-PitNET.

Results

Our results indicated that despite quantitative and qualitative differences between serum and plasma cfDNA composition, both sources of LB showed that patients with PitNETs presented a distinct methylome landscape compared to non-PitNETs. In addition, LB methylomes captured epigenetic features reported in PitNET tissue and provided information about cell-type composition. Using LB-derived PitNETs-specific signatures as input to develop machine-learning predictive models, we generated scores that distinguished PitNETs from non-PitNETs conditions, including sellar tumor and non-neoplastic pituitary diseases, with accuracies above ~93% in independent cohort sets.

Conclusions

Our results underpin the potential application of methylation-based LB profiling as a noninvasive approach to identify clinically relevant epigenetic markers to diagnose and potentially impact the prognostication and management of patients with PitNETs.

EPCO-30. MACHINE-LEARNING PREDICTIVE MODELS BASED ON DNA METHYLATION SIGNATURES DETECTED IN LIQUID BIOPSY SPECIMENS ACCURATELY PREDICT THE DIAGNOSIS AND PROGNOSIS OF MENINGIOMAS

BACKGROUND

Detection of distinct epigenetic features in circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) of liquid biopsy specimens (e.g. blood) provides an opportunity to diagnose and prognosticate central nervous system (CNS) tumors. Utilization of distinctive cell-type genome-wide DNA methylation patterns allows for development of machine-learning (ML) models with the ability to predict tumor diagnosis and prognosis, and remains widely unexplored in meningiomas using LB.

METHODS

We profiled the cfDNA methylome (EPIC array) in serum specimens from patients with meningiomas, other CNS tumors and nontumor conditions (n= 63, 190 and 18, respectively) and harnessed internal and external meningioma tissue methylome data. For diagnostic model development, we identified “meningioma specific” signatures through comparison of meningioma and non-meningioma serum specimens (Wilcoxon rank-sum test) which exhibited tissue methylation similarities named Meningioma- epigenetic Liquid Biopsy (MeLB), and were then employed to develop and cross-validate a Random-Forest derived “MeLB” score to discriminate meningiomas from the other conditions. To predict recurrence risk (RR), we classified a meningioma tissue cohort as ‘favorable’ or ‘unfavorable’ (low and high RR, respectively), using a validated ML outcome model and identified outcome-specific methylation markers with serum subgroup specificities used as input to train a Random-Forest to predict RR in serum-based specimens.

RESULTS

Prediction models based on meningioma-specific methylation markers detected in the serum presented a high accuracy in classification of samples as meningioma or not (Accuracy: 89.6%, Sensitivity: 80%, Specificity: 93.8%). The prognostic model using tissue-serum matching methylation markers was validated across an independent tissue-based cohort (Accuracy: 88%, Sensitivity: 86%, Specificity: 88%) and allowed for classification of serum samples according to RR.

CONCLUSIONS

Machine-learning models using DNA methylation markers identified in the serum can accurately diagnose and predict prognosis in patients with meningioma. After validation in an external cohort, these approaches may improve presurgical diagnosis and therapeutic management of patients with this type of tumor.

Regulation of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine by TET2 contributes to Squamous Cell Carcinoma tumorigenesis

DNA methylation is a key regulatory event controlling a variety of physiological processes and can have dramatic effects on gene transcription. Methylated Cytosine (5mC) can be oxidized by the TET family of enzymes to 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5-hmC), a key intermediate in the de-methylation cycle, and 5-hmC levels are reduced in malignancies such as AML and melanoma. We constructed a tissue microarray of human cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC) tumors and found a global reduction in 5-hmC levels compared to adjacent skin. Using a murine K14-CreER system, we have found that loss of Tet2 promotes carcinogen-induced SCC and cooperates with loss of Tp53 to drive spontaneous SCC tumors in epithelial tissues. Analysis of changes in 5-hmC and gene expression following loss of Tet2 in the epidermis revealed focal alterations in 5-hmC levels and an increase in Hair Follicle Transient Amplifying Cell (HF-TAC) genes along with a reduction in epidermal differentiation genes. These results demonstrate a role for Tet2 in epidermal lineage specification, consistent with reported roles for Tet enzymes in controlling lineage commitment in hematopoietic stem cells and ES cells and establish Tet2 as a bone fide tumor suppressor in SCC.

Case series of two successful pelvic ring reconstructions using a pedicled anterolateral thigh flap

Open pelvic ring fractures can have devastating functional consequences including prolonged disability, chronic pain, infection, and even death. These injuries are uncommon but often involve soft tissue defects. Without early and appropriate coverage, patients are likely to sustain infection, which can be fatal. Here, we present the successful use of a pedicled ALT flap in two patients with soft tissue defects due to open pelvic ring injury. The pedicled ALT flap can be harvested as a composite flap comprising a portion of the skin, fascia, and muscle depending on the defect. Although the ALT flap has often been employed for abdominal wall and abdomino-perineal reconstruction, this is the first case series to report the use of the ALT flap in a subacute traumatic setting for pelvic ring reconstruction.

DNA methylation-based signatures classify sporadic pituitary tumors according to clinicopathological features

BACKGROUND

Distinct genome-wide methylation patterns cluster pituitary neuroendocrine tumors (PitNETs) into molecular groups associated with specific clinicopathological features. Here we aim to identify, characterize, and validate methylation signatures that objectively classify PitNET into clinicopathological groups.

METHODS

Combining in-house and publicly available data, we conducted an analysis of the methylome profile of a comprehensive cohort of 177 tumors (Panpit cohort) and 20 nontumor specimens from the pituitary gland. We also retrieved methylome data from an independent PitNET cohort (N = 86) to validate our findings.

RESULTS

We identified three methylation clusters associated with adenohypophyseal cell lineages and functional status using an unsupervised approach. Differentially methylated probes (DMP) significantly distinguished the Panpit clusters and accurately assigned the samples of the validation cohort to their corresponding lineage and functional subtypes memberships. The DMPs were annotated in regulatory regions enriched with enhancer elements, associated with pathways and genes involved in pituitary cell identity, function, tumorigenesis, and invasiveness. Some DMPs correlated with genes with prognostic and therapeutic values in other intra- or extracranial tumors.

CONCLUSIONS

We identified and validated methylation signatures, mainly annotated in enhancer regions that distinguished PitNETs by distinct adenohypophyseal cell lineages and functional status. These signatures provide the groundwork to develop an unbiased approach to classifying PitNETs according to the most recent classification recommended by the 2017 WHO and to explore their biological and clinical relevance in these tumors.

Problem-solving with MRI in acute abdominopelvic conditions, part 1: gastrointestinal, hepatobiliary, and pancreatic diseases

The purpose of this article is to review the benefit and added value and advantages of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) compared with other cross-sectional imaging in patients presenting with abdominopelvic emergencies. During the past decade, there has been increased utilization of MRI in the emergency department with widespread availability of MR scanners, improvement in rapid imaging techniques, and methods to overcome motion-related artifacts. This has benefited patients at higher risk of radiation, particularly children and pregnant women, and patients with contraindications to iodinated contrast including allergy and renal dysfunction. Still the challenges are: on site MR scanner in the emergency department, after-hour services, as well as availability of time slot to rapidly scan emergency patient. MRI has additional advantages over other imaging modalities due to its high contrast resolution, which allows it to better characterize tissue and fluid collections, and may avoid the need for intravenous contrast. Radiologists must be familiar with the role and added value of MRI, spectrum of imaging findings, and problem-oriented modified MR protocols in abdominal and pelvic emergencies. In part 1, we will discuss the utility of MRI in gastrointestinal, hepatobiliary, and pancreatic diseases. In part 2, the authors will focus on the key MR imaging features of female pelvic gynecological diseases, pregnancy related complications, abdominal vascular complications, and renal diseases.

OTME-5. Meningioma liquid biopsy specimens exhibit contrasting immune-cell landscapes across methylation-subtypes and estimated recurrence risk subgroups

Background

Tumor-infiltrating immune cell compositions have been previously correlated to encouragement or inhibition of tumor growth. This association highlights immune-landscape profiling through non-invasive methods as a crucial step in approaches to treatment of patients with meningioma (MNG), a prevalent primary intracranial tumor. Genome-wide DNA methylation patterns can aid in definition and assessment of cell compositions in liquid biopsy serum specimens, and allow for development of machine-learning models with predictive capabilities.

Methods

We profiled the cfDNA methylome (EPIC array) in liquid biopsy specimens from patients with MNG (n = 63) and nontumor controls (n = 6). We conducted both unsupervised epigenome-wide and supervised analyses of the meningioma methylome. Estimation of immune cell composition was conducted using Python-based methodology, where a reference methylome atlas of chosen cell types (B-cells, CD4- and CD8T-cells, neutrophils, natural killer cells, monocytes, cortical neuron, vascular endothelial cells, and healthy meninge) was used to deconvolute the MNG samples. Recurrence risk was estimated using an existing methylation-based Random-Forest classifier previously reported and validated, adapted to our serum-based cohort through employment of translatable meningioma subgroup-specific methylation markers (differentially methylated probes).

Results

We identified four distinct genome-wide methylation subgroups (k-clusters) of MNG which presented differential tumor micro-environments across all cell types investigated. Application of the DNA methylation-based Random-Forest classifier allowed for categorization of primary MNG serum samples into estimated recurrence-risk subgroups. Significantly contrasting micro-environments for the subgroups were observed across several cell-types, with those MNG more likely to recur displaying depletion in cell types reported to improve anti-tumoral response in many tumors (e.g. T-Cells).

Conclusions

DNA methylation based deconvolution allowed for detection of contrasting tumor microenvironment compositions across MNG methylation subtypes and recurrence-risk estimation subgroups. These results suggest that microenvironment profiling can be informative of probable tumor behavior and prognostic outcomes, helping guide therapeutic approaches towards treatment of patients with MNG.

Abstract 2609: Hypoxia-mediated downregulation of GCNT2/I-antigen in metastatic melanoma accelerates disease progression and mortality

Metastatic melanoma is a lethal disease with a dismal 5-year survival rate. Thus, intense efforts to boost novel therapeutic strategies are underway to identify early detection of melanomas with a high propensity to metastasize. We recently discovered that the loss of cell surface glycan, I-antigen, corresponds with the transition of primary melanoma to metastatic melanoma. I-antigen or I-branched glycans are synthesized by β16, N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase 2 (GCNT2) and inversely correlate with the growth and signaling potential of metastatic melanoma cells. Moreover, compared with high GCNT2 expression in normal melanocytes, nevi, and early-stage primary melanomas, GCNT2 is conspicuously lost in metastatic melanomas. We anticipate the potential utilization of GCNT2 expression as a biomarker to predict melanoma metastasis. Further, metastasis and aggressive disease progression are key phenotypes of tumor-initiating cells (TIC), which are preferentially generated in areas of hypoxia. In the vertical growth phase of primary melanomas and melanoma metastases, the tumor microenvironment is typically hypoxic (1.5% oxygen). We hypothesize that the hypoxic microenvironment aids in metastatic melanoma progression through TIC generation and immune evasion, by downregulating GCNT2 and switching I-branched glycans to linear glycans. In this study, metastatic melanoma cells grown under hypoxic conditions had reduced GCNT2 and MITF with upregulated stem cell marker KLF4 expression. Importantly, in the in vivo TIC assay, we found significantly decreased tumor formation with increased GCNT2 expression while low GCNT2 levels enabled tumor formation even when 103 cells were injected in immunocompromised mice. Since TICs are thought to evade immune clearance, we investigated whether loss of GCNT2 increased TIC characteristics and also enabled immunosuppressive features. In human PBMC - metastatic melanoma co-cultures, there was an increase in T regulatory cell generation associated with low GCNT2 compared to high GCNT2 expression in melanoma cells, suggesting that loss of GCNT2 associates with increased TIC generation, tumor formation, and immunoevasion potential. Using melanoma patient specimens, immunohistochemical analysis of GCNT2 corresponded with a significant increase in mortality with the loss of GCNT2 staining. Altogether, these findings highlight GCNT2/I-branching not only as a biomarker of melanoma virulence but reveal malignancy-associated pathways functioning in parallel with loss of GCNT2/I-branching that could offer additional targets for the treatment of metastatic melanoma.

Citation Format: Asmi Chakraborty, Mariana Perez, Norhan B. B Mohammed, Michael Wells, James S. Wilmott, John F. Thompson, Stuart M. Haslam, Wei Wang, Richard A. Scolyer, George F. Murphy, Charles J. Dimitroff. Hypoxia-mediated downregulation of GCNT2/I-antigen in metastatic melanoma accelerates disease progression and mortality [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2021; 2021 Apr 10-15 and May 17-21. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(13_Suppl):Abstract nr 2609.

The immunological response among COVID-19 patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) often results in pneumonia and can lead to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). ARDS is one of the most significant causes of death in patients with COVID-19. The development of a “cytokine storm” in patients with COVID-19 causes progression to ARDS. In this scoping review, we investigated the effect of pro-inflammatory cytokines in inducing moderate and severe ARDS outcomes. A comprehensive search was performed using PubMed and Google Scholar to implement a broad query that captured all the relevant studies published between December 2019 and September 2020.We identified seven studies that evaluated the immune response in COVID-19 patients with ARDS. The white blood cell counts (WBCs), CRP, and IL-6 were higher in the moderately presenting ARDS patients, critically ill patients, and those with more severe ARDS. This study may contribute to better patient management and outcomes if tailored immune marker interventions are implemented in the near future.

The physiology and evolution of microbial selenium metabolism

Selenium is an essential trace element whose compounds are widely metabolized by organisms from all three domains of life. Moreover, phylogenetic evidence indicates that selenium species, along with iron, molybdenum, tungsten, and nickel, were metabolized by the last universal common ancestor of all cellular lineages, primarily for the synthesis of the 21st amino acid selenocysteine. Thus, selenium metabolism is both environmentally ubiquitous and a physiological adaptation of primordial life. Selenium metabolic reactions comprise reductive transformations both for assimilation into macromolecules and dissimilatory reduction of selenium oxyanions and elemental selenium during anaerobic respiration. This review offers a comprehensive overview of the physiology and evolution of both assimilatory and dissimilatory selenium metabolism in bacteria and archaea, highlighting mechanisms of selenium respiration. This includes a thorough discussion of our current knowledge of the physiology of selenocysteine synthesis and incorporation into proteins in bacteria obtained from structural biology. Additionally, this is the first comprehensive discussion in a review of the incorporation of selenium into the tRNA nucleoside 5-methylaminomethyl-2-selenouridine and as an inorganic cofactor in certain molybdenum hydroxylase enzymes. Throughout, conserved mechanisms and derived features of selenium metabolism in both domains are emphasized and discussed within the context of the global selenium biogeochemical cycle.

Diverse cellular morphologies during lumen maturation in Anopheles gambiae larval salivary glands

Mosquitoes are the greatest animal threat to human health, causing hundreds of millions of infections and around 1 million deaths each year. All mosquito-borne pathogens must traverse the salivary glands (SGs) to be transmitted to the next host, making this organ an ideal target for interventions. The adult SG develops from precursor cells located in the larval SG duct bud. Characterization of the larval SG has been limited. We sought to better understand larval SG architecture, secretion and gene expression. We developed an optimized method for larval SG staining and surveyed hundreds of larval stage 4 (L4) SGs using fluorescence confocal microscopy. Remarkable variation in SG cell and chromatin organization differed among individuals and across the L4 stage. Lumen formation occurred during L4 stage through secretion likely involving a coincident cellular apical lipid enrichment and extracellular vesicle-like structures. Meta-analysis of microarray data showed that larval SG gene expression is divergent from adult SGs, more similar to larval gastric cecae, but different from other larval gut compartments. This work highlights the variable cell architecture of larval Anopheles gambiae SGs and provides candidate targets for genetic strategies aiming to disrupt SGs and transmission of mosquito-borne pathogens.

What place does nurse-led research have in the COVID-19 pandemic?

AIM

Reflect upon the visibility of nursing-led research during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND

The emerging SARS-CoV-2 infection has galvanized collaborative and multidisciplinary efforts in clinical and research practice worldwide. The scarce evidence-base to manage patients with COVID-19 has included limited nurse-led research.

INTRODUCTION

Clinical research nurses have greatly contributed to the delivery of COVID-19 research, yet the number of COVID-19 nursing-led research papers appears to be limited, with even fewer nurse-led research projects funded.

METHODS

Authors' views and PubMed search on 'COVID-19 and nursing'.

FINDINGS

There is a dearth of nursing-led research. Most papers describe the nursing contribution to COVID-19 care, changes in nursing working arrangements and emotional burden. There are opportunities to explore the consequences to vulnerable population groups of public health measures implemented to stop the progress of the COVID-19 pandemic.

DISCUSSION

Workforce gaps, limited integration in research structures and clinical redeployment may have hampered nurse-led research. COVID-19 may exacerbate staffing deficits by disrupting the education pipeline, obstructing the transition from clinical to academic practice, particularly in areas where clinical academic roles are yet to emerge.

CONCLUSION

The absence of nurse-led research in COVID-19 can be explained by chronic, underlying factors and the features of the pandemic response. Emerging models of care, effective staffing and inequalities related to COVID-19 appear obvious research areas. Nursing leadership needs to strengthen its political voice and lobbying skills to secure nurse-led research funding.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING POLICY

Embracing international nursing research, strengthening collaborations and lobbying policymakers for investment in nurse-sensitive research would enhance the response to COVID-19.

A serum-based DNA methylation assay provides accurate detection of glioma

BACKGROUND

The detection of somatic mutations in cell-free DNA (cfDNA) from liquid biopsy has emerged as a non-invasive tool to monitor the follow-up of cancer patients. However, the significance of cfDNA clinical utility remains uncertain in patients with brain tumors, primarily because of the limited sensitivity cfDNA has to detect real tumor-specific somatic mutations. This unresolved challenge has prevented accurate follow-up of glioma patients with non-invasive approaches.

METHODS

Genome-wide DNA methylation profiling of tumor tissue and serum cell-free DNA of glioma patients.

RESULTS

Here, we developed a non-invasive approach to profile the DNA methylation status in the serum of patients with gliomas and identified a cfDNA-derived methylation signature that is associated with the presence of gliomas and related immune features. By testing the signature in an independent discovery and validation cohorts, we developed and verified a score metric (the "glioma epigenetic liquid biopsy score" or GeLB) that optimally distinguished patients with or without glioma (sensitivity: 100%, specificity: 97.78%). Furthermore, we found that changes in GeLB score reflected clinicopathological changes during surveillance (e.g., progression, pseudoprogression or response to standard or experimental treatment).

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest that the GeLB score can be used as a complementary approach to diagnose and follow up patients with glioma.

A qualitative study of midwives' challenges to support transmen during childbirth: A short report

INTRODUCTION

Individuals who are transgender often want a family and want to be validated as fathers, but may lack support in the reproductive health field. The aim of this qualitative study was to explore midwives’ perceptions regarding caring for transmen during labour and birth.

METHODS

Five midwives were recruited from Stockholm-area hospitals, with interviews lasting 17 minutes on average. Qualitative content analysis using an inductive approach was used.

RESULTS

Our findings describe the challenges midwives face when caring for transmen in childbirth, including a lack of knowledge, confusion on working with transgender, how to provide individualized support, and the complexity of childbirth.

CONCLUSIONS

The midwives faced challenges when caring for transmen in childbirth. Since midwives lacked knowledge regarding best practices to support transmen, they wanted to receive more education on how to care for transmen during birth.