Search

A 14-year-old boy with a history of shunted congenital hydrocephalus began having headaches with nausea and vomiting after transcontinental flights. He gradually developed horizontal diplopia indicative of mild bilateral sixth nerve palsy, without papilledema or ventriculomegaly. Intracranial pressure monitoring showed no signs of elevation. After he subsequently developed papilledema, surgical exploration showed shunt malfunction, and shunt replacement produced rapid resolution of symptoms. This case demonstrates the importance of relying on clinical history and neuro-ophthalmologic examination in patients with hydrocephalus and suspected shunt failure, even when objective confirmatory evidence of intracranial pressure elevation is lacking.

Cigarette smoke (CS) exposure is a risk factor for many chronic diseases including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), however the mechanism by which smoke exposure can alter homeostasis and bring about chronic inflammation is poorly understood. Here, we showcase a novel role for smoke in regulating long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), showing that it activates lincRNA-Cox2, which we previously characterized as functional in inflammatory regulation. Exposing lincRNA-Cox2 murine models to smoke in vivo confirmed lincRNA-Cox2 as a regulator of inflammatory gene expression in response to smoke both systemically and within the lung. We also report that lincRNA-Cox2 negatively regulates genes in smoked bone marrow derived macrophages exposed to LPS stimulation. In addition to the effects on lncRNAs, we also report dysregulated transcription and splicing of inflammatory protein-coding genes in the bone marrow niche following CS exposure in vivo. Collectively, this work provides insights into how innate immune signaling from gene expression to splicing is altered following in vivo exposure to CS and highlights an important new role for lincRNA-Cox2 in regulating immune genes following smoke exposure.

Introduction Head and neck lymphedema is an omnipresent morbidity related to head and neck cancer therapies. Studies on therapy for these patients in the acute postsurgical population have not been published to date. Objective To assess changes in the measurements of lymphedema in surgical head and neck cancer patients during the hospital stay with implementation of modified decongestive therapy (MDT). Methods Patients aged > 18 years undergoing neck dissection with or without primary-site resection or laryngectomy between 2016 and 2019 were included. Facial measurements were obtained prior to beginning MDT and again prior to discharge. A total facial composite measurement was calculated and used to assess change over time. Rates ≥ 2% of change were considered significant. Results A total of 38 patients were included (subsites: larynx = 27; thyroid = 4; oral cavity = 3; and neck = 4). The mean number of days between surgery and the start of lymphedema therapy was 3.0 days. The mean number of days between measurements was 5.2 days. Reduction in the total composite score was observed in 37 (97%) patients, and 35 (92%) patients had a total composite reduction score > 2%. Tumor subsite and surgery type did not portend toward greater percent change, except for those patients treated with total laryngectomy, regional flap reconstruction, and neck dissection (p = 0.02). Conclusion Acute postsurgical inpatient MDT was associated with reduced total composite measurements in patients after head and neck surgery. As the first published study on lymphedema therapy in this acute postsurgical period, further prospective case-control studies are warranted to explore further benefits of acute therapy.

The adaptation of wildlife species to urban environments can drive changes in the ecology of ectoparasites and vector-borne disease. To better understand ectoparasite dynamics in an urban environment, we investigated the ectoparasite communities of 183 sylvatic and urban opossums and raccoons captured across four seasons at a rural research station and within the city of Gainesville, FL, and of 115 community cats from the Gainesville, FL area. Amblyomma americanum (L.) (Acari: Ixodidae), Dermacentor variabilis (Say), and Ixodes texanus Banks were collected from raccoons, A. americanum, D. variabilis, and Ixodes scapularis Say from opossums, and A. americanum from cats. Few ticks were collected from urban animals, although species richness of ectoparasites was similar between urban and sylvatic habitats. Ctenocephalides felis (Bouché) (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae) was collected from all sampled host species, but was particularly abundant on opossums. Additionally, Orchopeas howardi (Baker) (Siphonaptera: Ceratophyllidae) was collected from raccoons, and O. howardi and Xenopsylla cheopis (Rothschild) (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae) from opossums. Only raccoons were infested with raccoon lice, and only cats were infested with cat lice. Primarily opossums were infested with mites. Ectoparasite community composition varied by habitat, host species, and season; seasonal variation in ectoparasite communities differed between the sylvatic and urban habitats. While urban mesomammals did not appear to play an important role in supporting tick populations in an urban habitat, urban opossums appear to serve as an alternate host for large numbers of cat fleas, which may be an important consideration for treatment and control efforts against ectoparasites of companion animals.

A smart city’s vehicular communication strategy is important. A significant problem with vehicular communication is scalability. Clustering can help with vehicular ad hoc network (VANET) problems; however, clustering in VANET faces stability problems because of the rapid mobility of the vehicles. To achieve high stability for the VANET, this paper presents a new efficient Eigen-trick-based hypergraph stable clustering algorithm (EtHgSC). This algorithm has a twofold scheme for stable CH selection. In the first part of the proposed scheme, the cluster generation is handled using an improved hypergraph-based spectral clustering algorithm using the Eigen-trick method. The “Eigen-trick” method is used to partition both vertices and hyperedges, which provides an approach for reducing the computational complexity of the clustering. The cluster head (CH) is chosen in the second part, taking into account the requirements for keeping a stable connection with most neighbors. In addition to relative speed, neighboring degree, and eccentricity that are used to select the CH, the vehicle time to leave metric is introduced to increase the CH stability. The grey relational analysis model is used to find each vehicle’s score, and the CH is selected based on the maximum vehicle’s score. The results show the supremacy of our proposed scheme in terms of CH lifetime, cluster member (CM) lifetime, and the change rate of CH. Also, the proposed scheme achieves a considerable reduction in terms of packet delay.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Although the international community collectively seeks to reduce global temperature rise to less than 1.5°C before 2100, irreversible environmental changes have already occurred, and as the planet warms, these changes will continue to occur. As we witness the effects of a warming planet on human health, it is imperative that neurologists anticipate how the epidemiology and incidence of neurologic disease may change. In this review, we organized our analysis around 3 key themes related to climate change and neurologic health: extreme weather events and temperature fluctuations, emerging neuroinfectious diseases, and pollutant impacts. Across each of these themes, we appraised and reviewed recent literature relevant to neurologic disease and practice. METHODS: Studies were identified using search terms relating to climate change, pollutants, and neurologic disease in PubMed, OVID MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycInfo, and gray literature. Studies published between 1990 and 2022 were included if they pertained to human incidence or prevalence of disease, were in English, and were relevant to neurologic disease. RESULTS: We identified a total of 364 articles, grouped into the 3 key themes of our study: extreme weather events and temperature fluctuations (38 studies), emerging neuroinfectious diseases (37 studies), and pollutant impacts (289 studies). The included studies highlighted the relationships between neurologic symptom exacerbation and temperature variability, tick-borne infections and warming climates, and airborne pollutants and cerebrovascular disease incidence and severity. DISCUSSION: Temperature extremes and variability both associated with stroke incidence and severity, migraine headaches, hospitalization in patients with dementia, and multiple sclerosis exacerbations. Exposure to airborne pollutants, especially PM2.5 and nitrates, associated with stroke incidence and severity, headaches, dementia risk, Parkinson disease, and MS exacerbation. Climate change has demonstrably expanded favorable conditions for zoonotic diseases beyond traditional borders and poses the risk of disease in new, susceptible populations. Articles were biased toward resource-rich regions, suggesting a discordance between where research occurs and where changes are most acute. As such, 3 key priorities emerged for further study: neuroinfectious disease risk mitigation, understanding the pathophysiology of airborne pollutants on the nervous system, and methods to improve delivery of neurologic care in the face of climate-related disruptions.

A conventional vapor compression refrigeration cycle is among the most effective technology in refrigeration systems. In the present experimental study, thermal performance and the effect of the condenser temperature have been analyzed. With the decrease in the condenser temperature, the overall performance of the refrigeration cycle is increased. However, the cooling power and efficiency of conventional vapor pressure air conditioning units can experience a significant reduction when operating in extreme weather (hot and dry). This drop is mainly affected by the increase in the temperature (and pressure) of the condenser with an increase in the ambient air temperature. Unfortunately, Iraq experiences the most extreme summer seasons especially in the months of June and July when the temperature reaches or exceeds 50° C. So, ground cooling has been used in areas with a hot environment for split system air conditioners. Evaporative cooling was also performed to lower the coolant temperature of the AC unit used inside the condenser area. Experimental results showed that when using a geothermal heat exchanger, the temperature of the condenser is reduced from 116 to 110 ° C and the coefficient of performance (COP) is improved by 41%. In addition to this when the system uses evaporative cooling the temperature of the condenser is reduced from 110 ° C to 88° C. Moreover, a 65% improvement was made in the COP of the conventional vapor compression refrigeration cycle. Furthermore, with a decrease in the evaporator temperature from 6 to 3.5 °C there was an increase in refrigeration capacity by an average of 52%.

Introduction: Breast cancer has pioneered precision medicine with prognostic and predictive subtypes, defined by immunohistochemistry (IHC). Novel therapeutic strategies have led to the emergence of HER2-Low (H2L) as a new entity, defined as tumors with HER2 IHC score of 1+ (>10% cell stained), as well as those with 2+ (>10% cell stained) with paired negative in-situ hybridization (ISH) assay. H2L has been reported to represent up to half of all breast cancer. Further investigation into the mutational landscape of H2L compared to historical subtypes is needed to understand the clinical and biologic factors driving mechanisms of resistance and to consider post-progression treatment options within H2L populations. Methods: The Caris Life Sciences database was used to identify H2L breast tumors by IHC and CISH and evaluated for mutations detected by DNA next-generation sequencing (NextSeq 592-gene panel or NovaSeq whole exome panel). PD-L1 expression was tested by IHC (SP142 IC ≥ 1%). Tumor mutational burden (TMB) was measured by totaling somatic mutations per tumor (high ≥ 10 mutations per Mb). Statistical significance was determined using Fisher’s-Exact/Mann Whitney/X2 test with Benjamini-Hochberg-correction-adjusted p value (q value) of Citation Format: Rani Bansal, Julie McGrath, Phil Walker, Matias A. Bustos, Estelamari Rodriguez, Sarah L. Sammons, Melissa K. Accordino, Jane Meisel, Margaret Gatti-Mays, Emily Hsu, Kate I. Lathrop, Virginia Kaklamani, Matthew Oberley, W. Michael Korn, Stephanie L. Graff. HER2-12 Genomic and Transcriptomic Landscape of HER2-Low Breast Cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2022 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2022 Dec 6-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(5 Suppl):Abstract nr HER2-12.

Background: Intrinsic resistance to immunotherapy observed in breast cancer is attributed to low neoantigen levels, defective antigen presentation, low mutational burden, reduced programmed death ligand (PD-L1) expression and the presence of immunosuppressive signals like transforming growth factor-beta (TGFβ) in the tumor microenvironment (TME). These collectively attenuate the effector functions of T cells and natural killer cells (NK cells). NK cells are an important component of innate immunity. While generally TGFβ dampens the NK cell response in the breast cancer TME, chronic stimulation in vivo with TGFβ during the expansion process of donor NK cells produces TGFβ imprinted NK cells which exhibit high cytotoxicity and resistance to suppression by TGFβ due to down regulation of SMAD3 and hypersecretion of interferon gamma and tumor necrosis factor alpha. NK cell activation also promotes antibody dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) and augments monoclonal antibody directed killing. GD2 is a disialoganglioside and a tumor-associated antigen with limited expression in healthy tissues and overexpression in a variety of cancers, including breast cancer. Up to 60% of high grade breast cancers have GD2 expression with higher expression linked to worse overall survival. Given GD2 expression in aggressive BC subtypes and the role of NK cells in ADCC and antigen presentation, there is a strong rationale for evaluating an anti-GD2 antibody along with NK cells in the immunosuppressive breast TME. Based upon established preclinical data, we hypothesized that combining (1) an IgG1 anti-GD2 monoclonal antibody (anti-GD2), (2) TGFβ imprinted, IL-21 expanded allogenic universal donor NK cells (TGFβiNK) and (3) the standard chemotherapy agent gemcitabine (gem) which has immunomodulatory effects including improved NK cell function, will improve tumor control and survival in a TNBC mouse model. Methods: First, we evaluated if anti-GD2 treatment would increase ADCC against MD-MBA-231 tumor cells. To do this, tumor cells with or without anti-GD2 were cocultured with TGFβiNK + anti-GD2 and evaluated by real time cell analysis (RTCA). Next we evaluated the effect of gem on both tumor and immune cells. Finally to evaluate the effect of our novel combination therapy, female NSG mice were injected with 1 × 10e6 MDA-MB-231 cells into the mammary fat on day 0 and tumor burden was followed for 83 days. On day 21, mice were divided into 4 groups: control, gem only (standard of care), TGFβiNK+anti-GD2 (NK-GD2), and gem+TGFβiNK+anti-GD2 (G-NK-GD2) and tumor growth was measured weekly. Mice were observed for toxicity and bioluminescence evaluation for NK cells were performed prior to each cycle. Results: RTCA data confirmed anti-GD2 treatment increased ADCC mediated cell lysis by TGFβiNK. Furthermore, at clinically relevant doses, gem did not alter GD2 expression by flow cytometry on MDA-MB-231 tumor cells but induced MICA expression which suggests potential improved NK cell activity. In the mouse model, monitoring of mouse weights showed greater weight stability in the G-NK-GD2 group, suggesting a tolerable regimen. Serial measurement of tumors showed a significant reduction in tumor growth in NK-GD2 and G-NK-GD2 arms when compared to Gem or control. Additionally, mice who received G-NK-GD2 or NK-GD2 had significantly improved survival. Histological evaluation and immune assessment of the mice are ongoing. Conclusion: Our data showed no significant toxicities in the murine model and improved efficacy of G-NK-GD2 over the standard of care gemcitabine. Our preclinical data supports moving forward with a phase 1b/2 Bench-To-Bedside clinical trial, that will evaluate this combination in patients with aggressive subtypes of metastatic breast cancer where there is a great clinical need for effective treatments. Citation Format: Marcelo Pereira, Prashant Trikha, Sumithira Vasu, Zihai Li, Daniel Stover, Dean Lee, Margaret Gatti-Mays. Combination Therapy with an Anti-GD2 Antibody, Transforming Growth Factor Beta Imprinted Natural Killer Cells and Gemcitabine Improve Tumor Control and Survival in a Triple Negative Breast Cancer Model [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2022 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2022 Dec 6-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(5 Suppl):Abstract nr P2-20-03.

In this study, titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles incorporated with cement were synthesized by a simple casting method as a function of the concentration of TiO2 (0.2, 0.4, 0.8, 1, and 2 wt%). The prepared samples were characterized using the techniques of Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM) and UV-Visible spectrophotometer, which were used to measure the adsorption spectra. The observed photocatalytic efficiency of TiO2 nanoparticles (NP) incorporated with cement was investigated by decomposing the dye methyl blue (MB) solution under sunlight irradiation. According to the slope, the value of the k constant at the best sample is 0.8 wt%, k = 0.8265 min-1. FESEM images of the TiO2/cement with 0.8 wt% content show the TiO2 NPs were well-attached to cement particles, and they covered the cement surface. The increase in photocatalytic (PC) activity was due to an increase in TiO2 concentration in the cement, which best occurs at 0.8 wt% of TiO2 in cement. The degradation at the MB (5 ppm) was 98.864 % after 120 min of sunlight irradiation. The method involves easily and simply preparing TiO2/cement that is used in self-cleaning and studying the effect of different festive factors, including the concentration of the dye. The preparation of TiO2/cement was successful as a photocatalyst for a self-cleaning surface.

The Albian Carbonate-clastic succession in the present study is represented by the Mauddud and Nahr Umr formations were deposited during the Albian stage within the Wasia Group More than 200 thin sections of cores and cuttings in addition to well logs data for Nahr Umr and Mauddud formations from 4 boreholes within two oil fields (Ba-4, Ba-8, Ns-2 and Ns-4) were used to interpret the different associations facies as well as the facies architectures to describe the sedimentary framework of the basin and development the petrophysical properties. Seven major microfacies were diagnosed in the carbonate succession of the Mauddud Formation, while the Nar Umr Formation includes five lithofacies; their grain types characteristic and depositional textures enabled to recognize of paleoenvironments. These microfacies were deposited in restricted, shallow open marine, back-reef, slope and deep open marine for the Mauddud succession. While in Nahr Umr, the lithofacies were deposited in bay fill, back-shore and distributary channel. The studied succession in Balad oil field which represents two 3rd order and four 4th order cycles (A1, A2, A3 and A4). These cycles are asymmetrical and starts with cycle A1 where the Backshore facies in Lower Mauddud Formation represents the transgressive systems tract and then appear the hightstand systems tract bounded below by a transgressive surface which coinside with the unconformable surface with the underlying Shuaiba Formation. In Nasyria oil field the studied succession represents two 3rd order cycles and three 3rd order cycles (A1, A2 and A4) with absence of A3 cycle. These cycles are asymmetrical and starts with cycle A1 where the distributary channel in the lower part of Nahr Umr succession represents the transgressive systems tract bounded below by unconformable surface with the underlying Shuaiba Formation. The highstand systems tract of cycle A1 is reflected by shallowing upward for distributary channel, bay fill and back-sore facies of the Nahr Umr Formation. This relatively thick parasequence reflect time of sea level stillstand where tectonic subsidence is the major controlling factor on producing the necessary accommodation for thick aggregational to progradation clastic succession to deposit.

Infertility considered as a multifactorial condition; the small nuclear ribonucleoprotein polypeptide N (SNRPN) gene is an imprinted gene. However, abnormal imprinting of this gene due to the methylation may result in abnormal function or silencing of the gene. Main aim of this study is to investigate the methylation present at the promoter of (SNRPN) gene and its role as a risk factor for male infertility. Sixty- three infertile males with age mean (32.28 ± 6.88 years) and 13 fertile males as a control age mean (34.07 ± 6.52 years) were investigated. Whole genomic DNA was extracted, DNA integrity was checked using β-globin gene as an internal control. The targeted region was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique. In addition, the SNRPN gene's promoter methylation was qualitatively detected using Real time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) utilizing two sets of primers: methylated and un-methylated. Results reveled that all of the 63 infertile males were experiencing decrease in sperm concentration 9.42 ± 8.70 million/ml, reduced progressive motility 2.89 ± 5.45% as well as strange sperm morphology 27.06 ± 16.50%, while the values in the control group are normal. The results of the current investigation showed that the promoter of SNRPN was hypermethylated in some samples 22.7%, somewhat methylated in others 20.4%, and unmethylated in other samples 56.8% from infertile samples, while none of the 13 control samples had any methylation. These findings suggest that SNRPN gene may be associated with the negative changes in semen parameters, which could lead to male infertility.

Welcome to a further installment of "New Products" in IEEE Microwave Magazine. In this issue, we present seven new items that may be of interest to the RF/microwave and wireless communities.

Allergic Rhinitis (AR) is a chronic immune system inflammation that occurs when the body overreacts to antigens in the environment (triggers) and produces a variety of symptoms in the nasal mucosa and paranasal sinuses due to the release of many interleukins and cytokines. We investigated the influence of the allergen on serum levels of TNF-α and Total IgE in patients with AR and their function in initiating allergic rhinitis in Iraqi petrol station workers in Baghdad. One hundred individuals with allergic rhinitis and thirty healthy workers between the ages of 20 and 59 were examined. For immunological testing, sandwich ELISA was used to evaluate serum levels of TNF-α and Total IgE. A complete blood cell count (CBC) was used for hematological testing. Findings showed a positive connection between TNF-α and Total IgE, with a correlation of (r=0.32). The TNF-α binary logistic regression analysis (BLR) was conducted to be highly significant (B = 0.02, OR = 1.02, p =0.065), viewing that an increase of one unit in TNF-α increases the odds of belonging to the AR group. TNF-α had the highest area under the curve (AUC) compared to other markers, with a value of (AUC = 0.995), indicating that it is an excellent predictor and strong marker for AR, with a sensitivity and specificity of 94% and 100%, respectively. After our research, we reached the significance of the study from the clarity of the role of tumor necrosis factor-alpha in the disease and its development and the coincidence of its increase with immunoglobulin E and considering. It is also a diagnostic marker of the disease.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine children’s, camp counselors’, and activity leaders’ perceptions toward the effects of a 4-week teaching personal and social responsibility model-based summer learning and enrichment program and its ability to reduce bullying behaviors among school-age children. Method: Data collection included semistructured interviews with 30 children and eight camp staff. Child participants completed the following pre- and postsurveys: Personal and Social Responsibility Questionnaire and the Illinois Bullying Scale. In addition, daily observations over a 4-week period were recorded in a field notes log. Survey data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and bivariate correlations, and all observational and interview data were coded using inductive and deductive techniques. Results: The results indicated that the implementation of teaching personal and social responsibility model was perceived to be associated with reduction in the bullying. Conclusion: Findings from the present study suggested teaching personal and social responsibility facilitated social and emotional learning and improved children’s personal and social responsibility.

The facile oxidation of PS-b-P4VP and PS-b-P2VP leads to PS-b-P4VPNO and PS-b-P2VPNO copolymers with high block incompatibility (high-χ BCPs). Well-ordered, thermally-stable sub-10 nm nanostructures are obtained.

A factorial experiment with two factors was carried out at the Seed Technology Lab., College of Agriculture, University of Baghdad in 2018 in order to study the effect of seed priming with gibberellic acid (GA3) (0, 100, 300 and 500 mgL-1) on germination and seedling growth of deteriorated seed of two oat cultivars (Shifaa, and Shofan11). The complete randomized design was used with four replications. The results showed that cultivars, soaking in different concentrations of GA3 and their interactions had a significant effect on studied traits. Shofan11, GA3 (500 mg L-1) and their interaction gave the highest values of germination ratio (74.1, 85 and 85%), lengths of radical (7, 8.5 and 8.6 cm) and plumule (9.3, 10.8 and 10.9 cm), fresh (71.95, 74.74 and 74.76 mg) and dry (18.41, 23.14 and 25.07 mg) weights of seedling and seedling vigour index (1270.2, 1644 and 1655.5), respectively. It can be concluded that soaking of deteriorated seed with GA3 led to increasing germination ratio and improved seedling growth in oat.

El texto coránico plantea problemas serios de interpretación que ninguna teoría moderna de la transmisión ha podido resolver. Nunca seremos capaces de transmitir el significado completo y el objeto del Corán sagrado a través De la transmisión, y todos los esfuerzos en este campo hasta nuestros días no han sido más que un enfoque para transmitir el significado general del Corán a la gente que desconocen el árabe, lo que es la lengua original del texto coránico. El Corán, como es bien sabido, es el libro sagrado de los musulmanes y el fundamento del Islam, y es la revelación de la palabra de Allah al profeta Mahoma mediante del ángel Gabriel. También es la fuente de las creencias, el fundamento de la fe, las reglas de conducta, la moral y la ética, las reglas sociales, los cimientos de la civilización y todo lo que rige la vida de la nación musulmana e islámica. En esta investigación tratamos un tema importante que siempre ha generado un amplio debate, el cual consiste en considerar El proceso de la transmisión de los textos coránicos al español es una interpretación o una traducción? también el objetivo principal de este trabajo es el análisis pragmático y de interpretación del vocativo de los versículos del Corán sagrado a través de nuestra selección para unos modelos de los versículos del Corán sagrado, así como indicar la precisión del intérprete Julio Cortés al interpretar o transmitir el contenido de los versículos y hacemos un seguimiento de los errores en la transmisión los versículos del árabe al español, y damos sugerencias para corregir estos errores.

The purpose of this work is to present a class of harmonic univalent functions defined by the Dziok-Srivastava operator. Some geometric properties like coefficients conditions, distortion theorem, convolution (Hadamard product), convex combination and extreme points are investigated. 2000 Mathematics Subject Classification: 30C45, 30C50

Boxwood (Buxus L. spp. Buxaceae) are popular landscape plants in the United States, with traditionally low maintenance requirements, glossy evergreen foliage, and deer resistance. Buxus sempervirens ‘Suffruticosa' (English boxwood) and B. sempervirens (American boxwood) were the most popular Buxus taxa planted for hundreds of years. But in the 1970s and 1980s, ‘Suffruticosa' lost popularity due to boxwood decline, and many commercial nurseries began to search for new cultivars. However, many of the popular new varieties, such as ‘Justin Brouwers', ‘Green Beauty', ‘Green Mountain', and ‘Green Velvet' were very susceptible to boxwood leafminer (Monarthropalpus flavus Schrank). In 2011 boxwood blight, caused by the fungus Calonectria pseudonaviculata, was identified in the eastern United States and Oregon. Based on early reports that both leafminer and blight were variety-specific, Saunders Brothers Inc., a wholesale nursery in Virginia specializing in boxwood, began field trials to search for cultivars with natural resistance to boxwood leafminer and boxwood blight. Reported here are field evaluations of 146 cultivars in leafminer trials and 75 cultivars and selections in blight trials. In these trials, cultivars ‘Peergold', ‘Cole's Dwarf', ‘SB 108’, ‘SB 300’, and ‘Wee Willie' and selections SB17 and 9-00-174 had low susceptibility (resistance) to both blight and leafminer. Species used in this study: Buxus harlandii Hance; B. microphylla Seibold & Zucc.; B. microphylla var. japonica D. Anberg; B. sempervirens L.; B. sinica var. insularis (Nakai) M. Cheng; Calonectria pseudonaviculata (Crous, J.Z. Groenew. & C.F. Hill); L. Lombard, M.J. Wingf. & Crous, 2010; Monarthropalpus flavus (Schrank). Buxus nomenclature according to Batdorf, 2021.

ImportanceCytokine storm due to COVID-19 can cause high morbidity and mortality and may be more common in patients with cancer treated with immunotherapy (IO) due to immune system activation.ObjectiveTo determine the association of baseline immunosuppression and/or IO-based therapies with COVID-19 severity and cytokine storm in patients with cancer.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsThis registry-based retrospective cohort study included 12 046 patients reported to the COVID-19 and Cancer Consortium (CCC19) registry from March 2020 to May 2022. The CCC19 registry is a centralized international multi-institutional registry of patients with COVID-19 with a current or past diagnosis of cancer. Records analyzed included patients with active or previous cancer who had a laboratory-confirmed infection with SARS-CoV-2 by polymerase chain reaction and/or serologic findings.ExposuresImmunosuppression due to therapy; systemic anticancer therapy (IO or non-IO).Main Outcomes and MeasuresThe primary outcome was a 5-level ordinal scale of COVID-19 severity: no complications; hospitalized without requiring oxygen; hospitalized and required oxygen; intensive care unit admission and/or mechanical ventilation; death. The secondary outcome was the occurrence of cytokine storm.ResultsThe median age of the entire cohort was 65 years (interquartile range [IQR], 54-74) years and 6359 patients were female (52.8%) and 6598 (54.8%) were non-Hispanic White. A total of 599 (5.0%) patients received IO, whereas 4327 (35.9%) received non-IO systemic anticancer therapies, and 7120 (59.1%) did not receive any antineoplastic regimen within 3 months prior to COVID-19 diagnosis. Although no difference in COVID-19 severity and cytokine storm was found in the IO group compared with the untreated group in the total cohort (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.80; 95% CI, 0.56-1.13, and aOR, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.41-1.93, respectively), patients with baseline immunosuppression treated with IO (vs untreated) had worse COVID-19 severity and cytokine storm (aOR, 3.33; 95% CI, 1.38-8.01, and aOR, 4.41; 95% CI, 1.71-11.38, respectively). Patients with immunosuppression receiving non-IO therapies (vs untreated) also had worse COVID-19 severity (aOR, 1.79; 95% CI, 1.36-2.35) and cytokine storm (aOR, 2.32; 95% CI, 1.42-3.79).Conclusions and RelevanceThis cohort study found that in patients with cancer and COVID-19, administration of systemic anticancer therapies, especially IO, in the context of baseline immunosuppression was associated with severe clinical outcomes and the development of cytokine storm.Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04354701

Objectives. To test a tailored mobile health (i.e., mHealth) intervention for waterpipe tobacco cessation in young adults. Methods. From 2018 to 2020 at 2 US sites, we conducted a randomized trial with 349 waterpipe tobacco smokers aged 18 to 30 years randomized to control (no intervention), untailored, or tailored intervention arms. Intervention arms received a 6-week mHealth intervention conveying risks of waterpipe tobacco through text and images and strategies to enhance motivation and support quitting. The tailored intervention was personalized to baseline measures and intervention text message responses. Risk appraisals, motivation to quit, waterpipe smoking frequency, and cessation were assessed at 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months. Results. At 6 months, cessation was higher in the tailored (49%) than the control arm (29%; odds ratio = 2.4; 95% confidence interval = 1.3, 4.2) and smoking frequency was lower in the tailored (mean = 3.5 days) than the control arm (mean = 4.3 days; P = .006). At interim follow-ups, significant differences in other outcomes favored the tailored intervention. Conclusions. Tailored mobile messaging can help young adult waterpipe tobacco smokers quit. This scalable intervention is poised for population implementation.

The present study aimed to determine the level of application of psychological care methods in Palestine from the perspective of the inmates, "The Arab Orphanage and the House of Faith(EL-Eman) are a model", in the cities of Tulkarm and Qalqilya, for the first semester of the scholastic year (2019-2020) The two researchers chose the study community purposively; it reached the size of (92), and the sample was(86) orphans from two associations, and the two researchers developed a questionnaire, which was distributed in its final form, in four main fields, and was used in the descriptive method. The results of the study showed that the level of implementing methods of psychological care in Palestine from the perspective of inmates was 64.81% and the fields came in a descending order, and their mean (arithmetic mean) The first place: guiding The second place: social The third place: educational The fourth place: psychological Hence, the research results shown that there are no statistically significant differences at the level of (α≤0.05) and the mean of the Level of Psychological Care Methods in Orphanages in Palestine from the perspective of inmates based on the type variables, the cause of residence in the orphanages, the academic achievement level, age and the name of the institution, thus, the two researchers recommended the necessity

To examine the structural changes occurring in the optic nerve head (ONH) and macula in infants with childhood glaucoma and clinically observed ONH cupping reversal following intraocular pressure (IOP)-reducing glaucoma surgery, as captured by intra-operative spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT).Retrospective observational case series from an ongoing prospective cohort study.Included were 18 eyes of 14 patients with childhood glaucoma. All eyes had SD-OCT imaging pre- and post-glaucoma intervention and clinically identified ONH cupping reversal. Patients with poor quality images or persistent optic nerve swelling following IOP reduction were excluded. Outcome measurements included IOP, cup-to-disc ratio, axial length and SD-OCT measurements of the peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL), transverse horizontal diameter of Bruch membrane opening (BMO-D), cup depth, and macula.Mean age at surgery was 1.14±0.93 years and mean interval between pre- and post-operative imaging was 127 days (range 35-595). Following intervention, mean IOP reduction was 45%, accompanied by significant reductions in the cup-to-disc ratio (0.30±0.12, p0.001), axial length (0.43±0.28mm, p0.001) and cup depth (46%, p0.001). Mean global pRNFL thickness pre- vs. post-treatment was 93.1±14.7µm vs. 93.1±17.1µm, respectively, p=1.0. There was no significant difference in pre- and post-treatment global or sectoral pRNFL, 3mm macular total and segmented retinal layer volumes, or the BMO-D.Clinical ONH cupping reversal after IOP-lowering surgery was associated with axial length reduction and decrease in cup depth, but no significant change in the pRNFL or macular volume measures. ONH cupping reversal likely marks stabilization but any pre-intervention ONH damage persists.

Interinstitutional differences in clinical pediatric exercise laboratory (CPEL) practices may affect patient care and efficacy of multicenter research. Purpose: To describe current practices/procedures in CPELs and explore differences in CPELs employing exercise physiologists to those that do not. Methods: A 40-item survey was distributed to CPELs in North America focusing on (1) staffing; (2) exercise stress testing (EST) volumes, reporting, and interpretation; and (3) EST procedures/protocols. Results: Of the 55 responses, 89% were in the United States, 85% were children’s hospitals with university affiliation, and 58% were cardiology specific. Exercise physiologists were employed in 56% of CPELs, and 78% had master’s degrees or higher. Certifications were required in most CPELs (92% emergency life-support, 27% professional, and 21% clinical). Median volume was 201 to 400 ESTs per year, 80% used treadmill, and 10% used cycle ergometer as primary modalities. Ninety-three percent of CPELs offered metabolic ESTs, 87% offered pulmonary function testing, 20% used institution-specific EST protocols, and 72% offered additional services such as cardiac/pulmonary rehabilitation. CPELS staffing exercise physiologists performed higher volumes of ESTs (P = .004), were more likely to perform metabolic ESTs (P = .028), participated in more research (P P = .001). Conclusions: Heterogeneity in CPELs staffing and operation indicates need for standardization.