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Biological tubes must develop and maintain their proper diameter in order to transport materials efficiently. These tubes are molded and protected in part by apical extracellular matrices (aECMs) that line their lumens. Despite their importance, aECMs are difficult to imagein vivoand therefore poorly understood. TheC. elegansvulva has been a paradigm for understanding many aspects of organogenesis. Here we describe the vulva luminal matrix, which contains chondroitin proteoglycans, Zona Pellucida (ZP) domain proteins, and other glycoproteins and lipid transporters related to those in mammals. Confocal and transmission electron microscopy revealed, with unprecedented detail, a complex and dynamic aECM. Different matrix factors assemble on the apical surfaces of each vulva cell type, with clear distinctions seen between Ras-dependent (1°) and Notch-dependent (2°) cell types. Genetic perturbations suggest that chondroitin and other aECM factors together generate a structured scaffold that both expands and constricts lumen shape.

PURPOSE To provide recommendations on genetic and tumor testing for women diagnosed with epithelial ovarian cancer based on available evidence and expert consensus. METHODS A literature search and prospectively defined study selection criteria sought systematic reviews, meta-analyses, randomized controlled trials (RCTs), and comparative observational studies published from 2007 through 2019. Guideline recommendations were based on the review of the evidence. RESULTS The systematic review identified 19 eligible studies. The evidence consisted of systematic reviews of observational data, consensus guidelines, and RCTs. RECOMMENDATIONS All women diagnosed with epithelial ovarian cancer should have germline genetic testing for BRCA1/2 and other ovarian cancer susceptibility genes. In women who do not carry a germline pathogenic or likely pathogenic BRCA1/2 variant, somatic tumor testing for BRCA1/2 pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants should be performed. Women with identified germline or somatic pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants in BRCA1/2 genes should be offered treatments that are US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved in the upfront and the recurrent setting. Women diagnosed with clear cell, endometrioid, or mucinous ovarian cancer should be offered somatic tumor testing for mismatch repair deficiency (dMMR). Women with identified dMMR should be offered FDA-approved treatment based on these results. Genetic evaluations should be conducted in conjunction with health care providers familiar with the diagnosis and management of hereditary cancer. First- or second-degree blood relatives of a patient with ovarian cancer with a known germline pathogenic cancer susceptibility gene variant should be offered individualized genetic risk evaluation, counseling, and genetic testing. Clinical decision making should not be made based on a variant of uncertain significance. Women with epithelial ovarian cancer should have testing at the time of diagnosis.

Poster presentation 1408A for TAGC 2020 online. See related manuscript on bioRxiv. File is a pdf named TAGC 2020 poster.Sparacio.FINAL

ObjectivesAs gynecologic cancer care shifts to the outpatient setting, caregivers are instrumental in helping patients navigate the demands of the disease and treatment. Through social media, we aimed to understand the needs of caregivers of patients with gynecologic cancers and support services necessary to meet these needs.MethodsOn January 10, 2018, a monthly Twitter discussion session was hosted by the GYNecologic Cancer Social Media community (handle @GYNCSM) using the hashtag #GYNCSM. Five topics regarding caregiver needs and support were discussed. Basic descriptive statistics, including means and frequencies of tweets, and a content analysis of the tweets were performed.ResultsForty-six participants posted a total of 471 tweets, with 1.725 million impressions. Four main themes of caregiver needs emerged, including accepting help from others, a need to care for themselves as caregivers, increased access to information and resources, and a need for the health care team to communicate with caregivers. Themes relating to barriers to obtaining support services included practical barriers, a lack of awareness, negative emotions, and a need to do it all themselves. Participants suggested that caregiver support programs include convenient resources, caregiver peer support programs, support for the “work” of caregiving, and support to improve the emotional and physical health of the caregiver.ConclusionsExperts, patients, and caregivers effectively engaged in social media to identify a wide range of needs of caregivers of women with gynecologic cancers. Further research is needed to identify specific support services that could meet the priority needs of a broader network of caregivers.

Purpose Ovarian cancer is the most fatal of all gynecologic cancers, with a high relapse rate regardless of stage. Women treated for ovarian cancer, therefore, likely have supportive care needs that extend well beyond the time frame of first-line therapy. Unfortunately, there is minimal data describing these needs. The purpose of this qualitative study is to understand the supportive care needs of women with ovarian care at the end of treatment. Methods To better understand the issues faced by women with ovarian cancer, we conducted a public Twitter chat in collaboration with gynecologic cancer social media (#gyncsm). Both quantitative and qualitative analyses were performed. Results The chat occurred over a 1-hour time frame on Twitter and resulted in more than 300 unique and original tweets from 43 participants during the chat and an additional 60 unique participants following the chat. Survivors and physicians represented 32% and 11% of participants, respectively; caregivers, advocates, and other clinicians represented the remaining participants. Participants noted deep interest in receiving support during survivorship and dissatisfaction with currently available resources. Sentiment analysis showed that participants viewed the support from social media in a positive light and also revealed negative sentiment around the lack of support from health care providers at the end of treatment. Conclusions Themes derived from the Twitter chat revealed the unique experiences of individuals with ovarian cancer after treatment, including a heightened sense of vulnerability. Understanding these themes represents an opportunity for clinicians to better understand and address the needs of this patient community.

In this paper the populations of Pachydema Castelnau, 1832 (Coleoptera Melolonthidae) living in Lampedusa Island (Sicily Channel, Central Mediterranean Sea, Italy), so far attributed to P. hirticollis (Fabricius, 1787) of North Africa, are examined. The comparison of the main morphological characters between these two populations allowed to attribute those of Lampedusa to a new species that is described in the present work. Faunistic and biological observations on these species are provided.

Gli autori segnalano la presenza di Protaetia (Potosia) opaca (Fabricius 1787) nell’isola di Pantelleria (Canale di Sicilia, Mediterraneo centrale, Italia). Essi inoltre forniscono ulteriori osservazioni tassonomiche, biologiche e sulla distrubuzione di questa specie. Protaetia (Potosia) opaca (Fabricius 1787) (Coleoptera Scarabaeoidea Cetoniidae) is here being reported for the first time from the island of Pantelleria (Sicilian Channel, Central Mediterranean Sea, Italy). Taxonomic, distribution and biological data on this species are presented.

Nuovi dati biologici e geonemici sono riportati per Lehmannia melitensis (Lessona & Pollonera, 1882) e Ambigolimax valentianus (A. Férussac, 1823). In particolare, vengono fornite nuove località siciliane di L. melitensis mentre A. valentianus viene segnalato per la prima volta nelle isole italiane di Sardegna, Sicilia e Pantelleria e nell’isola maltese di Gozo. Le due specie, a volte simili nella morfologia esterna, si distinguono con certezza solo attraverso l’esame degli organi genitali. New records from Sicily are provided for Lehmannia melitensis (Lessona & Pollonera, 1882). Ambigolimax valentianus (A. Férussac, 1823) is recorded for the first time from the italian islands of Sardinia, Sicily, and Pantelleria and from the maltese island of Gozo. These species are sometimes externally very similar and they are distinguishable with certainty only through the examination of the genitalia. Some observations on the biology of the two species are also provided.

We detail the philosophy of our lab, which serves as a general workflow and manual describing expectations and responsibilities. Updated once per year based on what is and isn't working.

The Madagascan cetoniid fauna is very diverse and strongly endemic – with ca. 330 endemic species (mostly Stenotarsiini), due to the ancient isolation of Madagascar in respect to continental Africa. The principal taxonomic group of the Stenotarsiini does not occur outside the region. In this work, taxonomic and ecological observations and a check-list of the Cetonidae of Madagascar are provided.

Papillifera papillaris (O.F. Müller, 1774) is a door snail (Gastropoda, Pulmonata, Clausiliidae) with Graciliaria clausilial apparatus, autochthonous in southern Italy, Sicily and Maltese Islands, but that has been widespread in the western Mediterranean region. In Sicily, P. papillaris is widely distributed and relatively diverse and this led in the 1800s to the description of numerous taxa. Some of these taxa are considered valid subspecies, while other taxa have not been revised in recent times. In the present work the taxa described for the genus Papillifera W. Hartmann, 1842 in Sicily are re-examined and the distribution of the subspecies is redefined.

The genus Albinaria Vest, 1864 (Gastropoda, Pulmonata, Clausiliidae) live on limestone rocks and show a remarkable diversity in the eastern Mediterranean region. This is mainly caused by the tendency of these populations to split up into local forms with highly restricted areas of distribution. This phenomenon is also furthered by geological and environmental factors and, often, by geographic isolation. In this work, we present further results on our studies on the genus Albinaria. An updated check-list of the populations coming from Albania, Greece, Turkey and Lebanon (except the islands) is provided and most of these populations are illustrated.

Osmoderma cristinae Sparacio, 1994 is an endemic beetle of Sicily (Coleoptera: Cetoniidae). It is a saproxylic species and has a very important role in the forest ecosystems. It is included in multiple national and international “Red Lists" as Endangered species (Audisio et al. 2014, Cálix et al. 2018). At the larval stages O. cristinae participes in the degradation of “dead wood” in old trees, in their cavities, and in downed logs. In this work, the larval morphology of O. cristinae is described.

Twitter use has increased among patients with cancer, advocates, and oncology professionals. Hashtags, a form of metadata, can be used to share content, organize health information, and create virtual communities of interest. Cancer-specific hashtags modeled on a breast cancer community, #bcsm, led to the development of a structured set of hashtags called the cancer tag ontology. In this article, we review how these hashtags have worked with the aim of describing our experience from 2011 to 2017. We discuss useful guidelines for the development and maintenance of health-oriented communities on Twitter, including possible challenges to community sustainability and opportunities for future improvement and research.