Rising frequency of ozone-favorable synoptic weather patterns contributes to 2015-2022 ozone increase in Guangzhou.

Objective weather classification methods have been extensively applied to identify dominant ozone-favorable synoptic weather patterns (SWPs), however, the consistency of different classification methods is rarely examined. In this study, we apply two widely-used objective methods, the self-organizing map (SOM) and K-means clustering analysis, to derive ozone-favorable SWPs at four Chinese megacities in 2015-2022. We find that the two algorithms are largely consistent in recognizing dominant ozone-favorable SWPs for four Chinese megacities. In the case of classifying six SWPs, the derived circulation fields are highly similar with a spatial correlation of 0.99 between the two methods, and the difference in the mean frequency of each SWP is less than 7%. The six dominant ozone-favorable SWPs in Guangzhou are all characterized by anomaly higher radiation and temperature, lower cloud cover, relative humidity, and wind speed, and stronger subsidence compared to climatology mean. We find that during 2015-2022, the occurrence of ozone-favorable SWPs days increases significantly at a rate of 3.2 day/year, faster than the increases in the ozone exceedance days (3.0 day/year). The interannual variability between the occurrence of ozone-favorable SWPs and ozone exceedance days are generally consistent with a temporal correlation coefficient of 0.6. In particular, the significant increase in ozone-favorable SWPs in 2022, especially the Subtropical High type which typically occurs in September, is consistent with a long-lasting ozone pollution episode in Guangzhou during September 2022. Our results thus reveal that enhanced frequency of ozone-favorable SWPs plays an important role in the observed 2015-2022 ozone increase in Guangzhou.

Client Perceptions of the Individual Packer Managing Fatigue Program: A Mixed-Method Evaluation.

Fatigue is common, but under-recognized in Parkinson's disease (PD), with limited treatment options. The aim of this study is to explore the experience of people with PD (PwPD) regarding content and delivery of the individual Packer Managing Fatigue program. This mixed-method study (n = 12) was conducted concurrently with a pilot randomized controlled trial. Data were collected using questionnaires, interviews, and focus groups. Five themes emerged: the program is helpful; the program has strengths; areas for improvement; individual online delivery is feasible; and more support from occupational therapist would be helpful. Quantitative findings confirmed feasibility with high ratings on questionnaires and confidence to use learned strategies. The findings inform future implementation of the Packer Managing Fatigue program and contribute to understanding the needs of PwPD. Future studies might explore program's effectiveness as stand-alone treatment or in combination with other approaches. Tailoring fatigue programs to PwPD's unique needs and characteristics of PD fatigue is suggested.

Managing Fatigue in People With Parkinson's DiseasePeople with Parkinson's disease list fatigue as one of their three most disabling symptoms. They describe fatigue as a feeling of extreme tiredness that can make it difficult to perform everyday activities. We explored the perspective of people with Parkinson's disease regarding the individual version of the Packer Managing Fatigue program. The study used video calls and included 12 people with Parkinson's disease. The program proved helpful and feasible for participants. They learned skills to manage their fatigue, such as prioritizing tasks and balancing rest and activity, and were confident in using them. These findings provide preliminary evidence that could be used by occupational therapists to help people with Parkinson's disease manage the negative impact of fatigue on their lives. However, reseaech studies, with more people, are needed to be sure the program is effective.

Beyond the Gut: The intratumoral microbiome's influence on tumorigenesis and treatment response.

The intratumoral microbiome (TM) refers to the microorganisms in the tumor tissues, including bacteria, fungi, viruses, and so on, and is distinct from the gut microbiome and circulating microbiota. TM is strongly associated with tumorigenesis, progression, metastasis, and response to therapy. This paper highlights the current status of TM. Tract sources, adjacent normal tissue, circulatory system, and concomitant tumor co-metastasis are the main origin of TM. The advanced techniques in TM analysis are comprehensively summarized. Besides, TM is involved in tumor progression through several mechanisms, including DNA damage, activation of oncogenic signaling pathways (phosphoinositide 3-kinase [PI3K], signal transducer and activator of transcription [STAT], WNT/ß-catenin, and extracellular regulated protein kinases [ERK]), influence of cytokines and induce inflammatory responses, and interaction with the tumor microenvironment (anti-tumor immunity, pro-tumor immunity, and microbial-derived metabolites). Moreover, promising directions of TM in tumor therapy include immunotherapy, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, the application of probiotics/prebiotics/synbiotics, fecal microbiome transplantation, engineered microbiota, phage therapy, and oncolytic virus therapy. The inherent challenges of clinical application are also summarized. This review provides a comprehensive landscape for analyzing TM, especially the TM-related mechanisms and TM-based treatment in cancer.

Advances on multiclass pesticide residue determination in citrus fruits and citrus-derived products - A critical review.

The application of agrochemicals in citrus fruits is widely used to improve the quality of crops, increase production yields, and prolong post-harvest life. However, these substances are potentially toxic for humans and the ecosystem due to their widespread use, high stability, and bioaccumulation. Conventional techniques for determining pesticide residues in citrus fruits are chromatographic methods coupled with different detectors. However, in recent years, the need for analytical strategies that are less polluting for the environment has encouraged the appearance of new alternatives, such as sensors and biosensors, which allow selective and sensitive detection of pesticide residues in real time. A comprehensive overview of the analytical platforms used to determine pesticide residues in citrus fruits and citrus-derived products is presented herein. The review focuses on the evolution of these methods since 2015, their limitations, and possible future perspectives for improving pesticide residue determination and reducing environmental contamination.

An Overview on Prevalence and Detection Approaches of BRAF V600E Mutation in Anaplastic Thyroid Carcinoma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: BRAF V600E mutation is proved critical in the progression and invasion of thyroid cancer, and as a prognostic biomarker. As anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) is a rare and aggressive form of thyroid cancer, this study was conducted to provide a view on prevalence of BRAF V600E as well as the best molecular diagnostic method in ATC patients. Methods: A comprehensive literature search was performed from their inception to Oct 2022 in PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Web of Science (WoS). The data of the prevalence of ATC were extracted. Moreover, the diagnostic feature of the available diagnostic tools was extracted to measure the sensitivity and specificity. To pool the prevalence data, we used meta-proportion analysis and diagnostic meta-analysis was conducted to determine the specificity and sensitivity of the immunohistochemistry method in detecting BRAF V600E mutation among patients with ATC. Results: Overall, 34 studies were included in this meta-analysis. The incidence of BRAF V600E was shown 33% in the 978 patients. The sensitivity and specificity of IHC in detecting BRAF V600E were detected 78.9% (95%CI: 60.1-97.2), and 69.7% (95%CI: 41.2-98.1), respectively. Conclusion: IHC had an acceptable prognostic profile for detecting BRAF V600E in ATC patients. The diagnosis of BRAF mutation is critical in clinical trials and may be helpful for choosing proper-targeted therapy strategies in ATC patients.

Current frameworks for environmental and health assessment of hydrocarbon streams and products are flexible and ready for alternative non crude oil-based feeds.

Hazard and risk assessment of complex petroleum-derived substances has been in a state of continuous improvement since the 1970s, with the development of approaches that continue to be applied and refined. Alternative feeds are defined here as those coming into a refinery or chemical plant that are not hydrocarbons from oil and gas extraction such as biologically derived oils, pyrolysis oil from biomass or other, and recycled materials. These feeds are increasingly being used for production of liquid hydrocarbon streams, and hence, there is a need to assess these alternatives, subsequent manufacturing and refining processes and end products for potential risk to humans and the environment. Here we propose a tiered, problem formulation-driven framework for assessing the safety of hydrocarbon streams and products derived from alternative feedstocks in use. The scope of this work is only focused on petrochemical safety assessment, though the principles may be applicable to other chemistries. The framework integrates combinations of analytical chemistry, in silico and in vitro tools, and targeted testing together with conservative assumptions/approaches to leverage existing health, environmental, and exposure data, where applicable. The framework enables the identification of scenarios where de novo hazard and/or exposure assessments may be needed and incorporates tiered approaches to do so. It can be applied to enable decisions efficiently and transparently and can encompass a wide range of compositional space in both feedstocks and finished products, with the objective of ensuring safety in manufacturing and use.

Enhancing genomic prediction with Stacking Ensemble Learning in Arabica Coffee.

Coffee Breeding programs have traditionally relied on observing plant characteristics over years, a slow and costly process. Genomic selection (GS) offers a DNA-based alternative for faster selection of superior cultivars. Stacking Ensemble Learning (SEL) combines multiple models for potentially even more accurate selection. This study explores SEL potential in coffee breeding, aiming to improve prediction accuracy for important traits [yield (YL), total number of the fruits (NF), leaf miner infestation (LM), and cercosporiosis incidence (Cer)] in Coffea Arabica. We analyzed data from 195 individuals genotyped for 21,211 single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers. To comprehensively assess model performance, we employed a cross-validation (CV) scheme. Genomic Best Linear Unbiased Prediction (GBLUP), multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS), Quantile Random Forest (QRF), and Random Forest (RF) served as base learners. For the meta-learner within the SEL framework, various options were explored, including Ridge Regression, RF, GBLUP, and Single Average. The SEL method was able to predict the predictive ability (PA) of important traits in Coffea Arabica. SEL presented higher PA compared with those obtained for all base learner methods. The gains in PA in relation to GBLUP were 87.44% (the ratio between the PA obtained from best Stacking model and the GBLUP), 37.83%, 199.82%, and 14.59% for YL, NF, LM and Cer, respectively. Overall, SEL presents a promising approach for GS. By combining predictions from multiple models, SEL can potentially enhance the PA of GS for complex traits.

The Impact of Mental Imagery Instructions on Patients' and Therapists' Positive Affect and Strength-Based Behaviours Within Psychotherapy Sessions: A Randomized Controlled Process Study.

OBJECTIVE: Increased attention has recently been paid to the well-being and flourishing of patients in psychotherapy. This study investigated the occurrence of positive affect (PA) and strength-based behaviours within psychotherapy sessions contrasting positive versus neutral imagery instructions. METHODS: This is a secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial. Seventy-eight sessions of cognitive behavioural therapy involving 26 patients (69.23% female; Mage = 40.31) treated by 13 therapists were selected. PA and strength-based behaviours of patients and therapists were coded on a minute-by-minute basis with the Resource-Oriented Microprocess Analysis. Each session started with a brief mental imagery instruction. Data were analysed using multilevel modelling. RESULTS: Mild levels of PA were very common, whereas stronger expressions were occasional, especially at the beginning and end of sessions. Strength-based behaviours were employed in one-fifth of the videos analysed. Therapists in the positive imagery instruction showed more strength-based behaviours in the beginning phase of sessions, p < 0.05. The two imagery instructions significantly differed in the session trajectories of PA, p < 0.05. A quadratic trend with higher initial values and a sharper decline in PA were found in the positive instruction, whereas the neutral instruction showed a flatter trend. CONCLUSION: Patients and therapists experience PA and discuss strengths in psychotherapy sessions despite patients' distress. The positive imagery instructions potentially induced a positive focus at baseline for therapists but had a negligible effect on the subsequent session progression. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03767101 (registered December 6, 2018).

"Honesty, Communication and Trust Are What Bring Peace of Mind": Narratives of HIV Risk Among Hispanic/Latino Men Who Have Sex with Men in the Southern United States.

For Hispanic/Latino MSM (HLMSM) in the South, HIV burden remains high, and HIV elimination is a national priority. Between July and September 2016, using a strengths-based approach informed by resilience theory, we conducted qualitative interviews with HIV-negative HLMSM in five southern cities in the United States with elevated HIV prevalence. We analyzed data using a qualitative content analysis approach, assessing for interrater reliability. A brief behavioral survey was also conducted. We enrolled 51 HLMSM (mean age = 33 years, range = 15-63). HLMSM discussed the climate of fear about HIV and homosexuality impeding HIV prevention, including the impact of stigma and taboo. Three main strengths-based strategies emerged for preventing HIV: assessing partner risk, establishing boundaries for sexual interactions, and self-education. Future HIV prevention efforts may benefit from balancing risk-based approaches with those that emphasize resilience, address partner trustworthiness and safety, and focus on providing novel outlets for HIV prevention education.

Highly Sensitized Kidney Transplant Outcomes After the 2014 Kidney Allocation System Change.

Introduction: Kidney Allocation System (KAS) was implemented by United Network for Organ Sharing in 2014 to reduce allocation disparities. Research Questions: Outcomes of highly sensitized patients (calculated panel reactive antibody (cPRA) ≥ 97%) before and after KAS were compared to low-risk recipients (cPRA <10%) in the post-KAS era were examined. The impact on racial disparities was determined. Design: This was a retrospective study of national registry data. Two cohorts of adult candidates waitlisted for deceased donor transplantation during 3-year periods before and after KAS were identified. Results: Highly sensitized patients (N = 1238 and 4687) received a deceased donor kidney transplant between January 1, 2011 and December 31, 2013 and between January 1, 2015 and December, 31, 2017. Racial disparity for highly sensitized patients improved, yet remained significant (P < 0.001), with Black patients comprising 40% and 41% of the highly sensitized candidates and 28% and 34% of the recipients pre- and post-KAS. While posttransplant death-censored graft failure for highly sensitized recipients was similar overall, post-KAS was associated with improved graft survival in the first year after transplant (HR 0.56, 95% CI 0.40-0.78). When compared to contemporaneous lowrisk recipients, both death-censored and all-cause graft failure were similar for highly sensitized recipients and was associated with increased risk for death-censored graft failure beyond the first year (HR 1.39, 95% CI 1.11-1.73). Conclusion: The allocation system led to an increase in transplantation in highly sensitized candidates without compromising outcomes. Although KAS has led to more balanced transplant rates between highly sensitized Black and White patients, racial inequalities persist.

Advancements and applications of loop-mediated isothermal amplification technology: a comprehensive overview.

Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) is a novel method for nucleic acid detection known for its isothermal properties, high efficiency, sensitivity, and specificity. LAMP employs 4 to 6 primers targeting 6 to 8 regions of the desired sequence, allowing for amplification at temperatures between 60 and 65°C and the production of up to 109 copies within a single hour. The product can be monitored by various methods such as turbidimetry, fluorometry, and colorimetry. However, it faces limitations such as the risk of non-specific amplification, challenges in primer design, unsuitability for short gene sequences, and difficulty in multiplexing. Recent advancements in polymerase and primer design have enhanced the speed and convenience of the LAMP reaction. Additionally, integrating LAMP with technologies like rolling circle amplification (RCA), recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA), and CRISPR-Cas systems has enhanced its efficiency. The combination of LAMP with various biosensors has enabled real-time analysis, broadening its application in point-of-care testing (POCT). Microfluidic technology has further facilitated the automation and miniaturization of LAMP assays, allowing for the simultaneous detection of multiple targets and preventing contamination. This review highlights advancements in LAMP, focusing on primer design, polymerase engineering, and its integration with other technologies. Continuous improvements and integration of LAMP with complementary technologies have significantly enhanced its diagnostic capabilities, making it a robust tool for rapid, sensitive, and specific nucleic acid detection with promising implications for healthcare, agriculture, and environmental monitoring.

Recent advances in identifying protein targets of bioactive natural products.

Background: Natural products exhibit structural complexity, diversity, and historical therapeutic significance, boasting attractive functions and biological activities that have significantly influenced drug discovery endeavors. The identification of target proteins of active natural compounds is crucial for advancing novel drug innovation. Currently, methods for identifying targets of natural products can be categorized into labeling and label-free approaches based on whether the natural bioactive constituents are modified into active probes. In addition, there is a new avenue for rapidly exploring the targets of natural products based on their innate functions. Aim: This review aimed to summarize recent advancements in both labeling and label-free approaches to the identification of targets for natural products, as well as the novel target identification method based on the natural functions of natural products. Methods: We systematically collected relevant articles published in recent years from PubMed, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect, focusing on methods employed for identifying protein targets of bioactive natural products. Furthermore, we systematically summarized the principles, procedures, and successful cases, as well as the advantages and limitations of each method. Results: Labeling methods allow for the direct labeling of target proteins and the exclusion of indirectly targeted proteins. However, these methods are not suitable for studying post-modified compounds with abolished activity, chemically challenging synthesis, or trace amounts of natural active compounds. Label-free methods can be employed to identify targets of any natural active compounds, including trace amounts and multicomponent mixtures, but their reliability is not as high as labeling methods. The structural complementarity between natural products and their innate receptors significantly increase the opportunities for finding more promising structural analogues of the natural products, and natural products may interact with several structural analogues of receptors in humans. Conclusion: Each approach presents benefits and drawbacks. In practice, a combination of methods is employed to identify targets of natural products. And natural products' innate functions-based approach is a rapid and selective strategy for target identification. This review provides valuable references for future research in this field, offering insights into techniques and methodologies.

An ecosystem of accepting life with chronic pain: A meta-ethnography.

Background: Chronic pain is a highly prevalent long-term condition, experienced unequally, impacting both the individual living with pain, and wider society. 'Acceptance' of chronic pain is relevant to improved consultations in pain care, and navigating an approach towards evidence-based, long-term management and associated improvements in health. However, the concept proves difficult to measure, and primary qualitative studies of lived experiences show complexity related to our socio-cultural-political worlds, healthcare experiences, and difficulties with language and meaning. We framed acceptance of chronic pain as socially constructed and aimed to conceptualise the lived experiences of acceptance of chronic pain in adults. Methods: We conducted a systematic search and screening process, followed by qualitative, interpretive, literature synthesis using Meta-ethnography. We included qualitative studies using chronic pain as the primary condition, where the study included an aim to research the acceptance concept. We conducted each stage of the synthesis with co-researchers of differing disciplinary backgrounds, and with lived experiences of chronic pain. Findings: We included 10 qualitative studies from Canada, Sweden, The Netherlands, Ireland, UK, Australia and New Zealand. Our 'lines of argument' include a fluid and continuous journey with fluctuating states of acceptance; language and meaning of acceptance and chronic pain, a challenge to identity in a capitalist, ableist society and the limits to individualism; a caring, supportive and coherent system. The conceptual framework of the meta-ethnography is represented by a rosebush with interconnected branches, holding both roses and thorns, such is the nature of accepting life with chronic pain. Conclusion: Our findings broaden conceptualisation of 'acceptance of chronic pain' beyond an individual factor, to a fluid and continuous journey, interconnected with our socio-cultural-political worlds; an ecosystem.

"Nothing Was Done": Experiences of continued sexual abuse after disclosing to a mandated reporter among youth in the United States.

BACKGROUND: Disclosing ongoing child sexual abuse (CSA) to a mandated reporter should facilitate youth safety. Unfortunately, youth may continue to experience abuse after disclosure, although little research has examined this phenomenon. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to understand when and why the child protection process fails after youth disclose to a mandated reporter. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: Hotline support specialists completed an online survey about 124 anonymous hotline chats with youth whose abuse continued after a prior disclosure to a mandated reporter. METHODS: We thematically analyzed support specialists' open-ended descriptions of information disclosed by the victim in their chat. RESULTS: In most cases (71 %), the abuse was seemingly not reported or not investigated. Mandated reporters' belief of the victim and minimization of abuse affected reporting decisions. Some mandated reporters tried to address the abuse directly with the perpetrators, endangering victims. Rarely, mandated reporters did not report to respect the victim's wishes. In 24 % of cases, the victim described an investigation that did not result in protection. Victims indicated that investigators "sided to the perpetrator" or said there was not enough evidence. Some victims recanted, often in fear. In 6 % of cases, formal actions were taken but did not provide long-term protection. Victims described temporary cessation of abuse that resumed because their guardian(s) allowed the perpetrator to access them. CONCLUSIONS: Disclosing to a mandated reporter can engender traumatic experiences without resulting in long-term safety. Professionals need additional training to increase their knowledge of CSA and respond in ways that prioritize physical and emotional safety.

Tracking maize colonization and growth promotion by Azospirillum reveals strain-specific behavior and the influence of inoculation method.

Inoculation of Azospirillum in maize has become a standard practice in Latin America. However, information on the behavior and population survival of the Azospirillum post-inoculation is scarce, making standardization difficult and generating variations in inoculation efficiency across assays. In this study, we tracked the colonization of three agriculturally relevant Azospirillum strains (Ab-V5, Az39, and the ammonium excreting HM053) after different inoculation methods in maize crops by qPCR. Besides, we assessed their ability to promote maize growth by measuring biometric parameters after conducting a greenhouse essay over 42 days. Inoculated plants exhibited Azospirillum population ranging from 103 to 107 cells plant-1 throughout the experiment. While all strains efficiently colonized roots, only A. argentinense Az39 demonstrated bidirectional translocation between roots and shoots, which characterizes a systemic behavior. Optimal inoculation methods for plant growth promotion varied among strains: soil inoculation promoted the best maize growth for the Ab-V5 and Az39 strains, while seed inoculation proved most effective for HM053. The findings of this study demonstrate that the inoculation method affects the behavior of Azospirillum strains and their effectiveness in promoting maize growth, thereby guiding practices to enhance crop yield.

Fish ectoparasite detection, collection and curation.

Fish parasitology is a dynamic and internationally important discipline with numerous biological, ecological and practical applications. We reviewed optimal fish and parasite sampling methods for key ectoparasite phyla (i.e. Ciliophora, Platyhelminthes, Annelida and Arthropoda) as well as recent advances in molecular detection of ectoparasites in aquatic environments. Ideally, fish capture and anaesthesia as well as parasite recovery methods should be validated to eliminate potential sampling bias and inaccuracy in determining ectoparasite population parameters. There are considerable advantages to working with fresh samples and live parasites, when combined with appropriate fixation methods, as sampling using dead or decaying materials can lead to rapid decomposition of soft-bodied parasites and subsequent challenges for identification. Sampling methods differ between target phyla, and sometimes genera, with optimum techniques largely associated with identification of parasite microhabitat and the method of attachment. International advances in fish parasitology can be achieved through the accession of whole specimens and/or molecular voucher specimens (i.e. hologenophores) in curated collections for further study. This approach is now critical for data quality because of the increased application of environmental DNA (eDNA) for the detection and surveillance of parasites in aquatic environments where the whole organism may be unavailable. Optimal fish parasite sampling methods are emphasised to aid repeatability and reliability of parasitological studies that require accurate biodiversity and impact assessments, as well as precise surveillance and diagnostics.

Experiences with care coordination and backup plans in home and community based services during the COVID-19 pandemic in Kansas.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic was an emergency event during which backup plans became widely relevant. Although backup plans are required for Medicaid-funded Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) as a key risk management strategy, we know little about their effectiveness. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to explore whether backup plans and care coordination met the needs of HCBS consumers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Kansas. METHODS: An interactive, convergent mixed-methods design within a community-based participatory research framework was used. Data came from 70 in-depth interviews with HCBS consumers, caregivers, workers, and providers, as well as 100 surveys from consumers, asking about experiences receiving or providing care during the COVID-19 pandemic in Kansas. Inductive coding was used to identify major themes for the qualitative data. Descriptive and bivariate analysis were used for quantitative data. RESULTS: One-third of survey respondents reported not having a backup plan and 39% went without formal homecare services for at least 2 consecutive weeks. The pandemic exacerbated and exposed deficiencies in care coordination and backup plans in a managed care environment. Interview participants expressed great need for backup workers during the pandemic but struggled to find these supports. Although family, friends, and providers stepped in to help fill gaps, there remained many unmet care needs. CONCLUSIONS: Findings indicate that improvements are needed in care coordination to support the development and maintenance of backup plans that can be successfully drawn on to avoid interruptions to care.

Chondrocyte Response to Fresh Autologous Conditioned Serum Versus Freeze-Dried Allogenic Conditioned Serum.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the cytokine release profile and histological response of human cartilage after exposure to autologous conditioned serum (ACS) and freeze-dried allogenic conditioned serum (FD-CS). DESIGN: Cartilage explants were collected from 6 patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty. ACS and FD-CS were created from patient serum samples. Cartilage samples were divided into 6 groups: (1) untreated control, (2) ACS, (3) FD-CS, (4) untreated interleukin (IL)-1ß (5 ng/ml), (5) IL-1ß + ACS, and (6) IL-1ß + FD-CS. After 12 days, cartilage samples were analyzed with glycosaminoglycan (GAG) concentration normalized to wet weight while comparing cytokine concentrations, and histological scoring. RESULTS: There was a significant decrease in pathology scoring for ACS (P = 0.0368) and FD-CS (P = 0.0368) in the IL-1ß injury groups compared with the untreated IL-1ß insult group. ACS and FD-CS significantly mitigate the IL-1ß induced increase in basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) (P = 0.0009 and P = 0.0002, respectively). FD-CS showed a significant decrease in IL-1ß concentration in the presence of IL-1ß insult compared with the untreated IL-1ß group (P < 0.0001). ACS-treated samples had significantly higher concentration of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α independent of IL-1ß when compared with samples not treated with biologics (P = 0.0053). CONCLUSIONS: Explanted osteoarthritic cartilage responds favorably and equivalently to treatment with ACS and FD-CS from a histological perspective. Both ACS and FD-CS were able to mitigate the IL-1ß-induced increases in bFGF and FD-CS lowered IL-1ß concentration while increasing interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) concentration. Although the cytokine profile of cartilage tissue explants treated with FD-CS appears to be different than that of ACS, this difference does not seem to affect biologic activity of FD-CS.

Developing research priorities for palliative care in Colombia: a priority setting partnership approach.

BACKGROUND: A recent Lancet commission called for more research on palliative care in low- and middle-income (LMIC) countries such as Colombia. A research priority setting approach has been recommended by The Global Forum for Health Research to address the huge gap in research output between LMIC and high-income countries, with influential health service bodies recommending the active involvement of non-research expert stakeholders in establishing research priorities to address service user needs. METHOD: Priority setting partnership (PSP) following the four stages of the James Lind Alliance methodology; establishing the partnership, identifying evidence uncertainties, refining questions and uncertainties, and prioritization. Data from MS forms were analysed using descriptive statistics. RESULTS: A total of 33 stakeholders attended an online PSP workshop and completed the Mentimeter exercise in Microsoft Teams. A total of 48 attended the subsequent in person prioritisation exercise in urban Bogota (n = 22) and rural Popayan (n = 25). The stakeholders were a diverse group of health professionals (physicians, medical students, nurses, dentists, physiotherapists, nutritionist, occupational and speech therapists), financial and administrative staff and patients with life-limiting illness and caregivers. Top research priorities included patient and caregiver needs, service provider education and training, and better integration of palliative care with cancer and non-cancer services. The key challenges included a lack of interest in palliative care research, along with funding, time and resource constraints. Key solutions included collaboration across disciplines and settings, highlighting benefits of palliative research to help secure adequate resources, and multicentre, mixed method research, with patient involvement from the research development stage. CONCLUSION: The findings of this PSP should be disseminated among palliative care associations worldwide to inform international multicentre studies, and among governmental and nongovernmental organisations that promote research in Colombia. A focus on patient and family caregiver palliative care needs in Colombia should be prioritised.