Differences in incidence, staging, and survival of urologic cancers in patients under 65 living in the US-Mexico border region.

Objectives: To describe and compare the incidence, stage at diagnosis, and survival for genitourinary cancers in the border regions and in Hispanic-Americans. Materials and methods: A population-based search was performed using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program 18 database and the Texas Cancer Registry from 2000 to 2017. Cox regression models were performed with adjusted for age, gender, race, cancer type, cancer stage, insurance status, and cause of death were used to compare cancer-specific survival. Results: A total of 63,236 kidney and renal pelvis, 38,398 bladder, 170,640 prostate, 24,313 testicular cancer cases were identified. Cancer-specific survival was found to be improved in Hispanic-Americans in kidney and renal pelvis (hazard ratio [HR], 0.903, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.856-0.952, p = 0.0001), and bladder cancers (HR, 0.817, 95% CI, 0.743-0.898, p < 0.001), despite a more advanced stage at diagnosis in Hispanics with bladder cancer (p < 0.0074). Testicular cancer has a survival disadvantage for individuals living in the border region (HR, 1.315, 95% CI, 1.124-1.539, p = 0.0006). Conclusions: Disparities exist between Hispanic-Americans and Non-Hispanic White and also between individuals living in the border counties when compared to other regions. This is most significant in individuals with testicular cancer residing in the border region who demonstrate worse overall survival.

Non-pharmacological strategies to obtain usable magnetic resonance images in non-sedated infants: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Although the use of sedation is commonly practiced to keep infants still while receiving magnetic resonance imaging, non-pharmacological strategies are a potential alternative. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to determine the success rate of obtaining usable magnetic resonance images in infants with the sole use of non-pharmacological strategies. DESIGN: Systematic literature review and meta-analysis SETTING: A search was conducted in PubMed, CINAHL and Cochrane Library. PARTICIPANTS: Human infants from birth to 24 months of age who did not receive any sedation or anesthesia during magnetic resonance imaging METHOD: Articles that reported the success rate of obtaining usable images were included. RESULTS: Of the 521 non-duplicate articles found, 58 articles were included in the systematic review with sample sizes ranging from 2-457, an average success rate of 87.8%, and an average scan time of 30 min. The most common non-pharmacological technique included feeding and swaddling infants before imaging to encourage infants to sleep during the scan. Meta-analysis performed on 53 articles comprising 3,410 infants found a success rate of 87%, but significant heterogeneity was found (I2 = 98.30%). It was more difficult to obtain usable images solely with non-pharmacological techniques if infants were critically ill or a structural magnetic resonance imaging of the brain was required. CONCLUSION: Non-pharmacological techniques are effective for obtaining usable magnetic resonance imaging scans in most but not all infants. Tweetable abstract: Non-pharmacological techniques are effective for obtaining usable magnetic resonance imaging scans in most infants.

Inhaled Cryptococcus neoformans elicits allergic airway inflammation independent of Nuclear Factor Kappa B signalling in lung epithelial cells.

Pulmonary challenge with the ubiquitous fungus Cryptococcus neoformans results in allergic airway inflammation (AAI) characterized by robust recruitment of eosinophils and T cells producing type 2 cytokines to the lungs. Previous studies have demonstrated a critical role for Nuclear Factor Kappa B (NF-κB) activation within lung epithelial cells (LECs) in driving AAI in response to protein allergens, yet the role of LEC-intrinsic NF-κB in promoting AAI following exposure to C. neoformans is poorly understood. To investigate the role of LEC-intrinsic NF-κB in promoting AAI following C. neoformans challenge, we used IKK∆LEC mice, which lack canonical NF-κB activation specifically within LECs. IKK∆LEC and littermate control mice were intranasally challenged with 106 CFU of C. neoformans strain 52D, and lung tissues were collected at 7, 14 and 21 days post infection to assess the development of AAI. Notably, the absence of epithelial NF-κB signalling did not affect the magnitude or kinetics of lung eosinophilia when compared with the response in wild-type control mice. The total numbers of lung T cells producing the type 2 cytokines interleukin-5 and interleukin-13 were also unchanged in IKK∆LEC mice. Furthermore, IKK∆LEC mice showed no defect in the recruitment of protective interferon-γ-producing CD4 T cells to the lungs, fungal clearance, or host survival compared with control mice. Immunofluorescence imaging surprisingly revealed no evidence of nuclear localization of NF-κB in LECs in response to C. neoformans challenge, indicating that NF-κB is not activated within these cells. Taken together, these data strongly suggest that NF-κB signalling within LECs does not promote AAI observed in response to C. neoformans.

Physical Activity and White Matter Hyperintensities: A Systematic Review of Quantitative Studies.

OBJECTIVE: White matter hyperintensities (WMH) are markers of brain white matter injury seen on magnetic resonance imaging. WMH increase with age and are associated with neuropsychiatric disorders. WMH progression can be slowed by controlling vascular risk factors in individuals with advanced disease. Since physical activity can decrease vascular risk factors, physical activity may slow the progression of WMH in individuals without advanced disease, thereby preventing neuropsychiatric disorders. The purpose of this systematic review was to examine the association between physical activity and WMH in individuals without advanced disease. METHODS: Articles published in English through March 18, 2014 were searched using PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library and EBSCOhost. RESULTS: Six studies found that more physical activity was associated with less WMH, while 6 found no association. Physical activity is associated with less WMH in individuals without advanced disease when studies are longitudinal or take into consideration physical activity across the lifespan, have a younger sample of older adults, measure different types of physical activity beyond leisure or objectively measure fitness via V02max, measure WMH manually or semi-automatically, and control for risk factors associated with WMH. CONCLUSION: More physical activity was associated with less white matter hyperintensities in individuals without advanced disease.