Therapeutic and Supportive Effects of Cannabinoids in Patients with Brain Tumors (CBD Oil and Cannabis).

OPINION STATEMENT: The potential medicinal properties of Cannabis continue to garner attention, especially in the brain tumor domain. This attention is centered on quality of life and symptom management; however, it is amplified by a significant lack of therapeutic choices for this specific patient population. While the literature on this matter is young, published and anecdotal evidence imply that cannabis could be useful in treating chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, stimulating appetite, reducing pain, and managing seizures. It may also decrease inflammation and cancer cell proliferation and survival, resulting in a benefit in overall patient survival. Current literature poses the challenge that it does not provide standardized guidance on dosing for the above potential indications and cannabis use is dominated by recreational purposes. Furthermore, integrated and longitudinal studies are needed but these are a challenge due to arcane laws surrounding the legality of such substances. The increasing need for evidence-based arguments about potential harms and benefits of cannabis, not only in cancer patients but for other medical use and recreational purposes, is desperately needed.

Measurement of azimuthal correlations of D mesons with charged particles in pp collisions at [Formula: see text] TeV and p-Pb collisions at [Formula: see text] TeV.

The azimuthal correlations of D mesons with charged particles were measured with the ALICE apparatus in pp collisions at [Formula: see text] and p-Pb collisions at [Formula: see text] at the Large Hadron Collider. [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], and [Formula: see text] mesons and their charge conjugates with transverse momentum [Formula: see text] and rapidity in the nucleon-nucleon centre-of-mass system [Formula: see text] (pp collisions) and [Formula: see text] (p-Pb collisions) were correlated to charged particles with [Formula: see text]. The yield of charged particles in the correlation peak induced by the jet containing the D meson and the peak width are compatible within uncertainties in the two collision systems. The data are described within uncertainties by Monte-Carlo simulations based on PYTHIA, POWHEG, and EPOS 3 event generators.

Correlated Event-by-Event Fluctuations of Flow Harmonics in Pb-Pb Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=2.76 TeV.

We report the measurements of correlations between event-by-event fluctuations of amplitudes of anisotropic flow harmonics in nucleus-nucleus collisions, obtained for the first time using a new analysis method based on multiparticle cumulants in mixed harmonics. This novel method is robust against systematic biases originating from nonflow effects and by construction any dependence on symmetry planes is eliminated. We demonstrate that correlations of flow harmonics exhibit a better sensitivity to medium properties than the individual flow harmonics. The new measurements are performed in Pb-Pb collisions at the center-of-mass energy per nucleon pair of sqrt[s_{NN}]=2.76 TeV by the ALICE experiment at the Large Hadron Collider. The centrality dependence of correlation between event-by-event fluctuations of the elliptic v_{2} and quadrangular v_{4} flow harmonics, as well as of anticorrelation between v_{2} and triangular v_{3} flow harmonics are presented. The results cover two different regimes of the initial state configurations: geometry dominated (in midcentral collisions) and fluctuation dominated (in the most central collisions). Comparisons are made to predictions from Monte Carlo Glauber, viscous hydrodynamics, ampt, and hijing models. Together with the existing measurements of the individual flow harmonics the presented results provide further constraints on the initial conditions and the transport properties of the system produced in heavy-ion collisions.

Measurement of an Excess in the Yield of J/ψ at Very Low p_{T} in Pb-Pb Collisions at sqrt[s]_{NN}=2.76 TeV.

We report on the first measurement of an excess in the yield of J/ψ at very low transverse momentum (p_{T}<0.3 GeV/c) in peripheral hadronic Pb-Pb collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=2.76 TeV, performed by ALICE at the CERN LHC. Remarkably, the measured nuclear modification factor of J/ψ in the rapidity range 2.5

Centrality Dependence of the Charged-Particle Multiplicity Density at Midrapidity in Pb-Pb Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02 TeV.

The pseudorapidity density of charged particles, dN_{ch}/dη, at midrapidity in Pb-Pb collisions has been measured at a center-of-mass energy per nucleon pair of sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02 TeV. For the 5% most central collisions, we measure a value of 1943±54. The rise in dN_{ch}/dη as a function of sqrt[s_{NN}] is steeper than that observed in proton-proton collisions and follows the trend established by measurements at lower energy. The increase of dN_{ch}/dη as a function of the average number of participant nucleons, ⟨N_{part}⟩, calculated in a Glauber model, is compared with the previous measurement at sqrt[s_{NN}]=2.76 TeV. A constant factor of about 1.2 describes the increase in dN_{ch}/dη from sqrt[s_{NN}]=2.76 to 5.02 TeV for all centrality classes, within the measured range of 0%-80% centrality. The results are also compared to models based on different mechanisms for particle production in nuclear collisions.

Production of K[Formula: see text](892)[Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text](1020) in p-Pb collisions at [Formula: see text] = 5.02 TeV.

The production of K[Formula: see text](892)[Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text](1020) mesons has been measured in p-Pb collisions at [Formula: see text][Formula: see text] 5.02 TeV. K[Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] are reconstructed via their decay into charged hadrons with the ALICE detector in the rapidity range [Formula: see text]. The transverse momentum spectra, measured as a function of the multiplicity, have a p[Formula: see text] range from 0 to 15 GeV/c for K[Formula: see text] and from 0.3 to 21 GeV/c for [Formula: see text]. Integrated yields, mean transverse momenta and particle ratios are reported and compared with results in pp collisions at [Formula: see text][Formula: see text] 7 TeV and Pb-Pb collisions at [Formula: see text][Formula: see text] 2.76 TeV. In Pb-Pb and p-Pb collisions, K[Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] probe the hadronic phase of the system and contribute to the study of particle formation mechanisms by comparison with other identified hadrons. For this purpose, the mean transverse momenta and the differential proton-to-[Formula: see text] ratio are discussed as a function of the multiplicity of the event. The short-lived K[Formula: see text] is measured to investigate re-scattering effects, believed to be related to the size of the system and to the lifetime of the hadronic phase.

Multiplicity and transverse momentum evolution of charge-dependent correlations in pp, p-Pb, and Pb-Pb collisions at the LHC.

We report on two-particle charge-dependent correlations in pp, p-Pb, and Pb-Pb collisions as a function of the pseudorapidity and azimuthal angle difference, [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] respectively. These correlations are studied using the balance function that probes the charge creation time and the development of collectivity in the produced system. The dependence of the balance function on the event multiplicity as well as on the trigger and associated particle transverse momentum ([Formula: see text]) in pp, p-Pb, and Pb-Pb collisions at [Formula: see text] 7, 5.02, and 2.76 TeV, respectively, are presented. In the low transverse momentum region, for [Formula: see text] GeV/c, the balance function becomes narrower in both [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] directions in all three systems for events with higher multiplicity. The experimental findings favor models that either incorporate some collective behavior (e.g. AMPT) or different mechanisms that lead to effects that resemble collective behavior (e.g. PYTHIA8 with color reconnection). For higher values of transverse momenta the balance function becomes even narrower but exhibits no multiplicity dependence, indicating that the observed narrowing with increasing multiplicity at low [Formula: see text] is a feature of bulk particle production.

Anisotropic Flow of Charged Particles in Pb-Pb Collisions at √[s{NN}]=5.02 TeV.

We report the first results of elliptic (v_{2}), triangular (v_{3}), and quadrangular (v_{4}) flow of charged particles in Pb-Pb collisions at a center-of-mass energy per nucleon pair of sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02 TeV with the ALICE detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. The measurements are performed in the central pseudorapidity region |η|<0.8 and for the transverse momentum range 0.2

Inclusive quarkonium production at forward rapidity in pp collisions at [Formula: see text]TeV.

We report on the inclusive production cross sections of [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text](1S), [Formula: see text](2S) and [Formula: see text](3S), measured at forward rapidity with the ALICE detector in [Formula: see text] collisions at a center-of-mass energy [Formula: see text] TeV. The analysis is based on data collected at the LHC and corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 1.23 pb[Formula: see text]. Quarkonia are reconstructed in the dimuon-decay channel. The differential production cross sections are measured as a function of the transverse momentum [Formula: see text] and rapidity y, over the [Formula: see text] ranges [Formula: see text] GeV/c for [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] GeV/c for all other resonances, and for [Formula: see text]. The cross sections, integrated over [Formula: see text] and y, and assuming unpolarized quarkonia, are [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text]b, [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text]b, [Formula: see text] nb, [Formula: see text] nb and [Formula: see text] nb, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second one is systematic. These values agree, within at most [Formula: see text], with measurements performed by the LHCb collaboration in the same rapidity range.

Centrality dependence of charged jet production in p-Pb collisions at [Formula: see text] = 5.02 TeV.

Measurements of charged jet production as a function of centrality are presented for  p-Pb  collisions recorded at [Formula: see text] TeV with the ALICE detector. Centrality classes are determined via the energy deposit in neutron calorimeters at zero degree, close to the beam direction, to minimise dynamical biases of the selection. The corresponding number of participants or binary nucleon-nucleon collisions is determined based on the particle production in the Pb-going rapidity region. Jets have been reconstructed in the central rapidity region from charged particles with the anti-[Formula: see text] algorithm for resolution parameters [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] in the transverse momentum range 20 to 120 GeV/c. The reconstructed jet momentum and yields have been corrected for detector effects and underlying-event background. In the five centrality bins considered, the charged jet production in  p-Pb   collisions is consistent with the production expected from binary scaling from pp collisions. The ratio of jet yields reconstructed with the two different resolution parameters is also independent of the centrality selection, demonstrating the absence of major modifications of the radial jet structure in the reported centrality classes.

Expression levels of seven candidate genes in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells and their association with preeclampsia.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) expression levels of hemeoxygenase 1 (HMOX-1), superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD-1), vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A), transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-ß1), interleukin (IL)-6, IL-15 and AdipoQ genes to study their association with preeclampsia (PE). METHODS: A total of 177 pregnant women were recruited: 108 cases and 69 controls. Quantification of gene expression was measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using TaqMan probes. RESULTS: Underexpression of VEGF-A and TGF-ß1 was a constant in most of the cases (80.91% and 76.36%, respectively) and their expression was associated with onset and/or severity of disease (p values < 0.05). IL-6, IL-15 and AdipoQ, showed low or no expression in PBMC samples evaluated. CONCLUSION: PBMC underexpression of VEGF-A and TGF-ß1 is a hallmark of PE in the study population.

Does the type of judgement required modulate cue competition?

According to the comparator process hypothesis (Matute, Arcediano, & Miller, 1996), cue competition in the learning of between-events relationships arises if the judgement required involves a comparison between the probability of the outcome given the target cue and the probability of the outcome given the competing cue. Alternatively, other associative accounts (the Rescorla-Wagner model: Rescorla & Wagner, 1972) conceive cue competition as a learning deficit affecting the target cue-outcome association. Consequently, the comparator process hypothesis predicts that cue competition occurs in inference judgements but not in contiguity ones, for only the first type of judgement implicitly involves such a comparison. On the other hand, the Rescorla-Wagner model predicts cue competition in both inference and contiguity judgements, because it establishes no relevant role for the type of judgement in producing cue competition. In Experiments 1 and 2 we manipulated the relative validity of cues and the type of question (inference vs. contiguity) in a predictive learning task. In both experiments we found a cue competition effect, but no interaction between the relative validity of cues and the type of question, suggesting that the Rescorla-Wagner theory suffices to explain cue competition.

Perceptual learning by preschool children using stimuli with varying proportions of common elements.

The effect of preexposure to visual stimuli on subsequent discrimination was studied in 17 girls and 23 boys, ages 53 to 61 mo., using a test in which a sample stimulus had to be identified from a set of comparison stimuli. Preexposure significantly facilitated discrimination. This facilitation was more noticeable between stimuli which shared a large proportion of common elements. The results were consistent with an associative theory of the representation of stimuli suggested by McLaren, Kaye, and Mackintosh in 1989, and implications are considered for teaching.

[Invasive disease caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae: a 7-year study]. / Enfermedad invasiva por Streptococcus pneumoniae: análisis de 7 años.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to study the epidemiology of invasive childhood pneumococcal infection in our hospital. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The records of all children attending our hospital from whom Streptococcus pneumoniae was isolated from the blood or CSF were reviewed. Serotyping and MIC were performed at C.N.M.V.S. (Majadahonda). RESULTS: Seventy-one pneumococci were isolated in 70 patients. The annual incidence increased from 0.14% to 0.40%. The clinical entities were: bacteremia without focus (45%), pneumonia (29.6%), meningitis (12.7%), cellulitis (5.6%), mastoiditis (5.6%) and endocarditis (1.4%). The age of 72% of the patients was less than 3 years. In 26.8% of the cases, the patient had an underlying disease and/or was previously hospitalized. The antibiotic susceptibility pattern was: penicillin (MIC < or = 0.06 microgram/ml) 45.7%, cefotaxime (MIC < or = 0.5 microgram/ml) 82.8% and erythromycin (MIC < or = 0.5 microgram/ml) 70%. Penicillin resistance of the isolated pneumococci was more often present in the group with risk factors than in those without such risk factors (p < 0.05). There were 13 different serotypes, the most prevalent were 6 (23%), 19 (17%), 14 (14%) and 23 (12%) and the most frequently penicillin-resistant (Resistant N(o)/Total N(o) were: 6 (15/15), 9 (4/4), 14 (8/9) and 23 (6/8). CONCLUSIONS: Streptococcus pneumoniae is a common cause of invasive infections in children in our hospital. There was a high prevalence of serotype 6 (penicillin-resistant) as compared to in adults where serotype 3 (penicillin-susceptible) is the most prevalent. A higher rate of antibiotic resistant strains associated with risk factors (underlying disease or nosocomial acquisition), probably related to prior antibiotic use, was observed.

Departmental role and scope in infection control: use of a template that meets Joint Commission requirements.

Since its inception in 1990, departmental role and scope in the infection control program have developed into the five important aspects currently defined by the Joint Commission. Each health care worker needs to understand his or her role in infection prevention and control, integrate it into daily activities, and articulate this role to others. This strategy for complying with Joint Commission standards meets customer needs and can easily be adapted for use in other medical centers. The process of defining departmental roles in the infection control program will continue to evolve with increased awareness of customer needs and emphasis on continuous quality improvement.

[Recurrent abdominal pregnancy. A case report]. / Embarazo abdominal recurrente. Presentación de un caso.

It's a report fo a case of recurrent abdominal pregnancy attended at the Instituto Nacional de Perinatologia of México City, the clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and management are described. A review of the literature is presented.