Open versus robotic partial nephrectomy in obese patients: a multi-institutional propensity score-matched analysis (UroCCR 43-Robese study).

INTRODUCTION: There is limited evidence on the outcomes of robotic partial nephrectomy (RPN) and open partial nephrectomy (OPN) in obese patients (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2). In this study, we aimed to compare perioperative and oncological outcomes of RPN and OPN. METHODS: We relied on data from patients who underwent PN from 2009 to 2017 at 16 departments of urology participating in the UroCCR network, which were collected prospectively. In an effort to adjust for potential confounders, a propensity-score matching was performed. Perioperative outcomes were compared between OPN and RPN patients. Disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared using the log-rank test. RESULTS: Overall, 1277 obese patients (932 robotic and 345 open were included. After propensity score matching, 166 OPN and 166 RPN individuals were considered for the study purposes; no statistically significant difference among baseline demographic or tumor-specific characteristics was present. A higher overall complication rate and major complications rate were recorded in the OPN group (37 vs. 25%, p = 0.01 and 21 vs. 10%, p = 0.007; respectively). The length of stay was also significantly longer in the OPN group, before and after propensity-score matching (p < 0.001). There were no significant differences in Warm ischemia time (p = 0.66), absolute change in eGFR (p = 0.45) and positive surgical margins (p = 0.12). At a median postoperative follow-up period of 24 (8-40) months, DFS and OS were similar in the two groups (all p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In this study, RPN was associated with better perioperative outcomes (improvement of major complications rate and LOS) than OPN. The oncological outcomes were found to be similar between the two approaches.

Energy-Efficient Neuromorphic Architectures for Nuclear Radiation Detection Applications.

A comprehensive analysis and simulation of two memristor-based neuromorphic architectures for nuclear radiation detection is presented. Both scalable architectures retrofit a locally competitive algorithm to solve overcomplete sparse approximation problems by harnessing memristor crossbar execution of vector-matrix multiplications. The proposed systems demonstrate excellent accuracy and throughput while consuming minimal energy for radionuclide detection. To ensure that the simulation results of our proposed hardware are realistic, the memristor parameters are chosen from our own fabricated memristor devices. Based on these results, we conclude that memristor-based computing is the preeminent technology for a radiation detection platform.

Machine-learning approach for prediction of pT3a upstaging and outcomes of localized renal cell carcinoma (UroCCR-15).

OBJECTIVES: To assess the impact of pathological upstaging from clinically localized to locally advanced pT3a on survival in patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC), as well as the oncological safety of various surgical approaches in this setting, and to develop a machine-learning-based, contemporary, clinically relevant model for individual preoperative prediction of pT3a upstaging. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Clinical data from patients treated with either partial nephrectomy (PN) or radical nephrectomy (RN) for cT1/cT2a RCC from 2000 to 2019, included in the French multi-institutional kidney cancer database UroCCR, were retrospectively analysed. Seven machine-learning algorithms were applied to the cohort after a training/testing split to develop a predictive model for upstaging to pT3a. Survival curves for disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) rates were compared between PN and RN after G-computation for pT3a tumours. RESULTS: A total of 4395 patients were included, among whom 667 patients (15%, 337 PN and 330 RN) had a pT3a-upstaged RCC. The UroCCR-15 predictive model presented an area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve of 0.77. Survival analysis after adjustment for confounders showed no difference in DFS or OS for PN vs RN in pT3a tumours (DFS: hazard ratio [HR] 1.08, P = 0.7; OS: HR 1.03, P > 0.9). CONCLUSIONS: Our study shows that machine-learning technology can play a useful role in the evaluation and prognosis of upstaged RCC. In the context of incidental upstaging, PN does not compromise oncological outcomes, even for large tumour sizes.

Oncocytoma on renal mass biopsy: is it still the same histology when surgery is performed? Results from UroCCR-104 study.

PURPOSE: To describe clinical features of patients with oncocytoma on renal biopsy (RMB), correlation with final histology on surgically treated patients, and predictive factors of discrepancy between RMB and final histology. METHODS: This was a retrospective study conducted in the framework of the UroCCR project (NCT03293563). All tumors with oncocytoma on RMB were selected and all pathological reports were reviewed. Patients with the RMB simultaneously performed with a focal treatment, synchronous bilateral tumors and ambiguous RMB report were excluded. Discrepancy between RMB and definitive histology was evaluated using a uni- and multivariable logistic regression analyses model. RESULTS: Overall, 119 tumors with oncocytoma on RMB, from 15 centers, were included. Of those, 54 (45.4%) had upfront surgery and 65 (54.6%) had active surveillance (AS). In renal masses with initial active surveillance, with a median follow-up of 28 months, 23 (19.3%) underwent surgery, 4 (3.4%) received focal treatment and 38 (31.9%) remained on AS. On final pathology, only 51 of the 75 surgically treated tumors (68.0%) had oncocytoma, while 24 presented malignant tumors (mainly chromophobe carcinoma (19.2%), and hybrid oncocytic/chromophobe tumor (HOCT) (6.8%)) leading to a discrepancy of 32.0% between RMB and final pathology. The only predictive factor of a discrepancy between RMB and definitive histology was a biopsy done outside of the center (Odds ratio: 3.22 [95%-confidence interval: 1.08-9.61], p = 0.03). CONCLUSION: Despite the increase of RMB in more and more centers, histologic discrepancy between RMB and definitive histology remains significant. This information should be discussed with patients and taken into consideration before treatment decision.

Minimally invasive nephron-sparing treatments for T1 renal cell cancer in patients over 75 years: a comparison of outcomes after robot-assisted partial nephrectomy and percutaneous ablation.

PURPOSE: To compare the oncological and perioperative outcomes of robot-assisted partial nephrectomy (RPN) and percutaneous thermal ablation (PTA) for treatment of T1 renal cell cancer (RCC) in patients older than 75 years. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective national multicenter study included all patients older than 75 years treated for a T1 RCC by RPN or PTA between January 2010 and January 2021. Patients' characteristics, tumor data, and perioperative and oncological outcomes were compared. RESULTS: A total of 205 patients for 209 procedures (143 RPN and 66 PTA) were included. In the PTA group, patients were older (80.4 ± 3.7 vs. 79 ± 3.7 years (p = 0.01)); frailer (ASA score (2.43 ± 0.6 vs. 2.17 ± 0.6 (p < 0.01)); and more frequently had a history of kidney surgery (16.7% [11/66] vs. 5.6% [8/143] (p = 0.01)) than in the RPN group. Tumors were larger in the RPN group (2.7 ± 0.7 vs. 3.2 ± 0.9 cm (p < 0.01)). Operation time, length of hospital stay, and increase of creatinine serum level were higher in RPN (respectively 92.1 ± 42.7 vs. 150.7 ± 61.3 min (p < 0.01); 1.7 ± 1.4 vs. 4.2 ± 3.4 days (p < 0.01); 1.9 ± 19.3% vs. 10.1 ± 23.7 (p = 0.03)). Disease-free survival and time to progression were similar (respectively, HR 2.2; 95% CI 0.88-5.5; p = 0.09; HR 2.1; 95% CI 0.86-5.2; p = 0.1). Overall survival was shorter for PTA that disappeared after Cox adjusting model (HR 3.3; 95% CI 0.87-12.72; p = 0.08). CONCLUSION: Similar oncological outcomes are observed after PTA and RPN for T1 RCC in elderly patients. CLINICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT: Robot-assisted partial nephrectomy and percutaneous thermal ablation have similar oncological outcomes for T1a kidney cancer in patients over 75 years; however, operative time, decrease in renal function, and length of hospital stay were lower with ablation. KEY POINTS: • After adjusting model for age and ASA score, similar oncological outcomes are observed after percutaneous thermal ablation and robot-assisted partial nephrectomy for T1 renal cell cancer in elderly patients. • Operation time, length of hospital stay, and increase of creatinine serum level were higher in the robot-assisted partial nephrectomy group.

Can Press Freedom Enhance the Effect of News Exposure on COVID-19 Health Beliefs? A Health Belief Model Perspective.

News media can influence citizens' health beliefs about COVID-19 and eventually their vaccination intention. However, existing literature has rarely investigated how such effect is contingent upon a country-level factor: press freedom. Situated in the Health Belief Model, this study draws upon a multi-national survey (N = 3,599), involving 10 major cities in Asia to address the research gap. Results showed that news exposure has a positive effect on personal health beliefs on COVID-19, affecting their vaccination intention. More interestingly, the relationship between news exposure and personal health beliefs about COVID-19 was negatively moderated by level of press freedom - that is, the relationship between news exposure and personal health beliefs is stronger in cities that belong to countries with low levels of press freedom.

[Multidisciplinary meetings in pelvic floor disease in women: A national survey by the CUROPF among French urologists]. / Réunion de concertation pluridisciplinaire en pelvipérinéologie en France : résultats d'une enquête nationale du CUROPF auprès des urologues français.

INTRODUCTION: Multidisciplinary team meetings (MTMs) in the field of pelvic floor diseases in women tend to generalize, as they are required as mandatory before mid-urethral sling implantation or sacrocolpopexy by recent decrees published by the French health authorities. However, access to these meetings is variable in the French territory. The goal of the present study was to describe the existence and the settings of these kinds of meetings in France. MATERIEL AND METHODS: An on-line survey was conducted between June and July 2020 (stage 1) then between November 2021 and January 2022 (stage 2). A 15-item questionnaire was sent to all members of the Association française d'urologie (AFU). A descriptive analysis was conducted. RESULTS: Three hundred and twenty-two completed questionnaires were sent back during stage 1 and 158 during stage 2. Early 2022, 61.3% of respondents had access to a pelviperineology MTM, with important difference according to geographical areas. Main activity of MTMs was case discussion of complex situations (68% of meetings). At the end of 2021, 22% of the respondents declared willing to stop partially or totally their pelviperineology activity, given the new regulations set in place by the authorities. CONCLUSION: Despite being absolutely mandatory in current clinical practice, MTMs in pelvic floor disease have spread slowly. MTMs implementation was still insufficient in 2022, and variable on the French territory. Some urologists declare having no access to such resources and about 1 out of 5 were considering to voluntary stop of decrease significantly their activity in this difficult context.

Impact of Renal Cell Carcinoma Histological Variants on Recurrence After Partial Nephrectomy: A Multi-Institutional, Prospective Study (UROCCR Study 82).

BACKGROUND: The prognostic impact of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) morphotype remains unclear in patients who undergo partial nephrectomy (PN). Our objective was to determine the risk factors for recurrence after PN, including RCC morphotype. METHODS: Patients with RCC who had undergone PN were extracted from the prospective, national French database, UroCCR. Patients with genetic predisposition, bilateral or multiple tumours, and those who had undergone secondary totalization were excluded. Primary endpoint was 5-year, recurrence-free survival (RFS), and secondary endpoint was overall survival (OS). Risk factors for recurrence were assessed by multivariable Cox regression analysis. RESULTS: Overall, 2,767 patients were included (70% male; median age: 61 years [interquartile range (IQR) 51-69]). Most (71.5%) of the PN procedures were robot-assisted. Overall, 2,573 (93.0%) patients were recurrence free, and 74 died (2.7%). Five-year RFS was 84.9% (IQR 82.4-87.4). A significant difference in RFS was observed between RCC morphotypes (p < 0.001). Surgical margins (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.0 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.3-3.2], p < 0.01), pT stage >1 (HR = 2.6 [95% CI: 1.8-3.7], p < 0.01]) and Fuhrmann grade >2 (HR = 1.9 [95% CI: 1.4-2.6], p < 0.001) were risk factors for recurrence, whereas chromophobe subtype was a protective factor (HR = 0.08 [95% CI: 0.01-0.6], p = 0.02). Five-year OS was 94.0% [92.4-95.7], and there were no significant differences between RCC subgroups (p = 0.06). The main study limitation was its design (multicentre national database), which may be responsible for declarative bias. CONCLUSIONS: Chromophobe morphotype was significantly associated with better RFS in RCC patients who underwent PN. Conversely, pT stage, Fuhrman group and positive surgical margins were risk factors for recurrence.

First Report of Didymella rhei causing leaf spot on rhubarb in New York.

First Report of Didymella rhei causing leaf spot on rhubarb in New York E. J. Indermaur1, C. T. C. Day1, and C. D. Smart1† 1School of Integrative Plant Science, Section of Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology, Cornell University, Geneva NY 14456 †Corresponding author: C. D. Smart; Email: cds14@cornell.edu Rhubarb (Rheum spp.) is a perennial grown across the northern United States for petiole production (Foust & Marshall 1991). In August 2021, leaf spots were observed on rhubarb growing in a two-acre field in Erie Co., NY (Fig. S1). Approximately 30% of the plants in the field had leaf spot with disease severity of 5%. Initial symptoms on leaves were light brown, circular lesions with red margins that later coalesced into irregular spots. Lesion centers were dry with concentric rings, often perforating as they enlarged. Lesions on petioles were light brown, fusiform, and sunken with red margins. To identify the causal agent(s), symptomatic leaves and petioles from 50 plants (cultivar unknown) were collected with a W-shape sampling scheme. Lesion margins were surface sterilized with 70% ethanol for 60 s, 10% bleach for 60 s, rinsed in sterile water, plated on acidified potato dextrose agar (PDA), and incubated for two to four days at 20˚C. Hyphal tips from colony edges were transferred to new PDA plates. After 20 days, colonies (n=53) were olivaceous buff to grey olivaceous, producing white to grey, sparse aerial mycelium. Brown to black pycnidia were produced within five days in concentric rings around plate centers. Pycnidia were globose to subglobose, with one to two non-papillate or slightly papillate ostioles, and with mean diameter 75.8 (30.8 to 113.5) µm (n=20). Conidia were hyaline, ellipsoid or allantoid, and aseptate with mean ± SD dimensions of 6.2 ± 0.4 (4.9 to 8.1) x 2.2 ± 0.4 (1.3 to 3.3) µm (n=30) (Fig. S2). Based on these morphological characteristics, the isolates were initially identified as Didymella rhei [Ellis & Everh] (Qian Chen & L. Cai) (Boerema 2004). To confirm the identity, mycelia were scraped from PDA plates and homogenized using a TissueLyser II (Qiagen Inc.). Genomic DNA was extracted with a DNeasy Plant Mini Kit following manufacturer's instructions (Qiagen Inc.). PCR assays with primers ITS 4 and ITS 5 and fRPB2-7cR and RPB2-5F2 (Liu et al. 1999; Sung et al. 2007) were used to amplify the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and the rpb2 gene regions of one representative isolate (strain RHU21204). Products were sequenced using Sanger chemistry. The sequences were deposited in GenBank with accession numbers OM903952 (ITS) and OM925897 (rpb2). The ITS and rpb2 sequences exhibited 99% (492/494 bp) and 100% (846/846 bp) identity with D. rhei accessions KF531831.1 and KP330428.1, respectively. Based on morphological and molecular characteristics, the pathogen was identified as D. rhei. To fulfill Koch's postulates, healthy leaves and petioles of four rhubarb seedlings (cultivars unknown) were spray-inoculated with a conidial suspension (1 × 107 conidia/ml) containing 0.2% Tween-20 from strain RHU21204. A tween suspension with no conidia was used as a control. Each treatment had three replicates. After inoculation, plants were placed in a 19˚C growth chamber with a 12-h photoperiod and misted for 30 min twice daily to maintain humidity above 80%. Initial symptoms were observed five days post inoculation (dpi), while control plants were asymptomatic. The pathogen was isolated 21 dpi from inoculated leaves and petioles with symptoms as described above (Fig. S1) and identified morphologically and molecularly as D. rhei. A representative isolate was deposited in the Cornell Plant Pathology Herbarium as CUP-070923. To our knowledge, this is the first report of D. rhei causing rhubarb leaf spot in New York and reducing the health and marketability of its host. Funding Source This project was funded by the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Cornell University. Literature Cited Boerema, G. H. et al. 2004. CABI Publishing. 288. Foust, C. M. and Marshall, D. E. 1991. HortScience 26:1360. DOI: 10.21273/HORTSCI.26.11.1360 Liu, Y. J. et al. 1999. Mol. Biol. Evol. 16:1799. Sung, G. H. et al. 2007. Mol. Phylogenet. Evol. 44:1204. DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2007.03.011.

Terahertz Detection with Perfectly-Absorbing Photoconductive Metasurface.

Terahertz (THz) photoconductive devices are used for generation, detection, and modulation of THz waves, and they rely on the ability to switch electrical conductivity on a subpicosecond time scale using optical pulses. However, fast and efficient conductivity switching with high contrast has been a challenge, because the majority of photoexcited charge carriers in the switch do not contribute to the photocurrent due to fast recombination. Here, we improve efficiency of electrical conductivity switching using a network of electrically connected nanoscale GaAs resonators, which form a perfectly absorbing photoconductive metasurface. We achieve perfect absorption without incorporating metallic elements, by breaking the symmetry of cubic Mie resonators. As a result, the metasurface can be switched between conductive and resistive states with extremely high contrast using an unprecedentedly low level of optical excitation. We integrate this metasurface with a THz antenna to produce an efficient photoconductive THz detector. The perfectly absorbing photoconductive metasurface opens paths for developing a wide range of efficient optoelectronic devices, where required optical and electronic properties are achieved through nanostructuring the resonator network.

Ductal adenocarcinoma of the prostate: Clinical and biological profiles.

BACKGROUND: Ductal adenocarcinoma (DAC) is a rare and aggressive subtype of prostate cancer (PCa). In the present study, we analyzed the clinical and biological characteristics of DAC, in comparison with high grade conventional acinar PCa. METHODS: Samples and data were retrospectively collected from seven institutions and centrally reviewed. Immunohistochemistry was performed on tissue microarrays to assess the expression of candidate proteins, based on the molecular classification of PCa, including ERG, PTEN, and SPINK1. SPOP mutations were investigated from tumor DNA by Sanger sequencing. Relationships with outcome were analyzed using log-rank analysis and multivariable Cox regression. RESULTS: Among 56 reviewed prostatectomy specimens, 45 cases of DAC were finally confirmed. The pathological stage was pT3 in more than 66% of cases. ERG was expressed in 42% of DAC, SPINK1 in 9% (all ERG-negative), and two cases (ERG-negative) harbored a SPOP mutation. Compared to high grade conventional PCa matched for the pathological stage, cell proliferation was higher (P = 0.04) in DAC, and complete PTEN loss more frequent (P = 0.023). In multivariate analysis, SPINK1 overexpression (P = 0.017) and loss of PSA immunostaining (P = 0.02) were significantly associated with biochemical recurrence. CONCLUSION: these results suggest that, despite biological differences that highlighted DAC aggressiveness, the molecular classification recently proposed in conventional PCa could also be applied in DAC.

Treatment responsiveness of phenotypes of symptomatic airways obstruction in adults.

BACKGROUND: Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are heterogeneous disorders encompassing different phenotypes of airflow obstruction, which might differ in their response to treatment. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine distinct phenotypes comprising the syndromes of asthma and COPD and the treatment responsiveness of these phenotypes to inhaled ß-agonist, antimuscarinic, and corticosteroid therapy. METHODS: We undertook a cross-sectional study with 3 phases. In phase 1, 1,264 participants aged 18 to 75 years with self-reported current wheeze and breathlessness were identified from a random population sample of 16,459. In phase 2, 451 participants attended for detailed assessment, including responsiveness to inhaled salbutamol and ipratropium bromide. In phase 3, 168 steroid-naive participants were enrolled in a 12-week trial of inhaled budesonide. Cluster analysis was performed in 389 participants who completed phase 2 with full data. Treatment responsiveness was compared between phenotypes. RESULTS: Cluster analysis identified 5 phenotypes: moderate-to-severe childhood-onset atopic asthma, asthma-COPD overlap, obese-comorbid, mild childhood-onset atopic asthma, and mild intermittent. Bronchodilation after salbutamol was equal to or greater than that after ipratropium for all phenotypes. The moderate-to-severe childhood-onset atopic asthma, asthma-COPD overlap, and obese-comorbid phenotypes had greater efficacy with inhaled corticosteroid treatment than the mild intermittent group. CONCLUSION: Cluster analysis of adults with symptomatic airflow obstruction identifies 5 disease phenotypes, including asthma-COPD overlap and obese-comorbid phenotypes, and provides evidence that patients with the asthma-COPD overlap syndrome might benefit from inhaled corticosteroid therapy.

Association analysis of SSR markers with phenology, grain, and Stover-yield related traits in pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.).

Pearl millet is a staple food crop for millions of people living in the arid and semi-arid tropics. Molecular markers have been used to identify genomic regions linked to traits of interest by conventional QTL mapping and association analysis. Phenotypic recurrent selection is known to increase frequencies of favorable alleles and decrease those unfavorable for the traits under selection. This study was undertaken (i) to quantify the response to recurrent selection for phenotypic traits during breeding of the pearl millet open-pollinated cultivar "CO (Cu) 9" and its four immediate progenitor populations and (ii) to assess the ability of simple sequence repeat (SSR) marker alleles to identify genomic regions linked to grain and stover yield-related traits in these populations by association analysis. A total of 159 SSR alleles were detected across 34 selected single-copy SSR loci. SSR marker data revealed presence of subpopulations. Association analysis identified genomic regions associated with flowering time located on linkage group (LG) 6 and plant height on LG4, LG6, and LG7. Marker alleles on LG6 were associated with stover yield, and those on LG7 were associated with grain yield. Findings of this study would give an opportunity to develop marker-assisted recurrent selection (MARS) or marker-assisted population improvement (MAPI) strategies to increase the rate of gain for pearl millet populations undergoing recurrent selection.

Pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.] consensus linkage map constructed using four RIL mapping populations and newly developed EST-SSRs.

BACKGROUND: Pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.] is a widely cultivated drought- and high-temperature tolerant C4 cereal grown under dryland, rainfed and irrigated conditions in drought-prone regions of the tropics and sub-tropics of Africa, South Asia and the Americas. It is considered an orphan crop with relatively few genomic and genetic resources. This study was undertaken to increase the EST-based microsatellite marker and genetic resources for this crop to facilitate marker-assisted breeding. RESULTS: Newly developed EST-SSR markers (99), along with previously mapped EST-SSR (17), genomic SSR (53) and STS (2) markers, were used to construct linkage maps of four F7 recombinant inbred populations (RIP) based on crosses ICMB 841-P3 × 863B-P2 (RIP A), H 77/833-2 × PRLT 2/89-33 (RIP B), 81B-P6 × ICMP 451-P8 (RIP C) and PT 732B-P2 × P1449-2-P1 (RIP D). Mapped loci numbers were greatest for RIP A (104), followed by RIP B (78), RIP C (64) and RIP D (59). Total map lengths (Haldane) were 615 cM, 690 cM, 428 cM and 276 cM, respectively. A total of 176 loci detected by 171 primer pairs were mapped among the four crosses. A consensus map of 174 loci (899 cM) detected by 169 primer pairs was constructed using MergeMap to integrate the individual linkage maps. Locus order in the consensus map was well conserved for nearly all linkage groups. Eighty-nine EST-SSR marker loci from this consensus map had significant BLAST hits (top hits with e-value ≤ 1E-10) on the genome sequences of rice, foxtail millet, sorghum, maize and Brachypodium with 35, 88, 58, 48 and 38 loci, respectively. CONCLUSION: The consensus map developed in the present study contains the largest set of mapped SSRs reported to date for pearl millet, and represents a major consolidation of existing pearl millet genetic mapping information. This study increased numbers of mapped pearl millet SSR markers by >50%, filling important gaps in previously published SSR-based linkage maps for this species and will greatly facilitate SSR-based QTL mapping and applied marker-assisted selection programs.

Effects of feedback on the perception of inspiratory resistance in children with persistent asthma: a signal detection approach.

OBJECTIVE: Accurate perception of asthma episodes increases the likelihood that they will be managed effectively. The purpose of the study was to examine the effect of feedback in a signal detection task on perception of increased airflow obstruction in children with persistent asthma. METHODS: The effect of feedback training on the perception of resistive loads was evaluated in 155 children with persistent asthma between 8 and 15 years of age. Each child participated in four experimental sessions that occurred approximately once every 2 weeks, an initial session followed by three training sessions. During the initial session, the threshold resistance to breathing was determined for each child. Subsequently, each child was randomly assigned to one of two resistive load training conditions in a signal detection paradigm: training with immediate performance feedback or training with no performance feedback. RESULTS: The threshold resistance to breathing, determined in the initial session, was equivalent between groups. Children in the feedback condition discriminated more accurately between both the presence and the absence of increases in the resistance to breathing (206 [48] versus 180 [39] correct responses, p < .001), and differences over time between groups increased reliably as a function of training (165 [40] versus 145 [32] correct responses, p < .001). Response times and confidence ratings were equivalent between groups, and no differences in breathing patterns were observed between conditions. CONCLUSIONS: Feedback training results in improved perception of respiratory sensations in children with asthma, a finding with implications for strategies of asthma self-management.

Integration of gene-based markers in a pearl millet genetic map for identification of candidate genes underlying drought tolerance quantitative trait loci.

BACKGROUND: Identification of genes underlying drought tolerance (DT) quantitative trait loci (QTLs) will facilitate understanding of molecular mechanisms of drought tolerance, and also will accelerate genetic improvement of pearl millet through marker-assisted selection. We report a map based on genes with assigned functional roles in plant adaptation to drought and other abiotic stresses and demonstrate its use in identifying candidate genes underlying a major DT-QTL. RESULTS: Seventy five single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and conserved intron spanning primer (CISP) markers were developed from available expressed sequence tags (ESTs) using four genotypes, H 77/833-2, PRLT 2/89-33, ICMR 01029 and ICMR 01004, representing parents of two mapping populations. A total of 228 SNPs were obtained from 30.5 kb sequenced region resulting in a SNP frequency of 1/134 bp. The positions of major pearl millet linkage group (LG) 2 DT-QTLs (reported from crosses H 77/833-2 × PRLT 2/89-33 and 841B × 863B) were added to the present consensus function map which identified 18 genes, coding for PSI reaction center subunit III, PHYC, actin, alanine glyoxylate aminotransferase, uridylate kinase, acyl-CoA oxidase, dipeptidyl peptidase IV, MADS-box, serine/threonine protein kinase, ubiquitin conjugating enzyme, zinc finger C- × 8-C × 5-C × 3-H type, Hd3, acetyl CoA carboxylase, chlorophyll a/b binding protein, photolyase, protein phosphatase1 regulatory subunit SDS22 and two hypothetical proteins, co-mapping in this DT-QTL interval. Many of these candidate genes were found to have significant association with QTLs of grain yield, flowering time and leaf rolling under drought stress conditions. CONCLUSIONS: We have exploited available pearl millet EST sequences to generate a mapped resource of seventy five new gene-based markers for pearl millet and demonstrated its use in identifying candidate genes underlying a major DT-QTL in this species. The reported gene-based markers represent an important resource for identification of candidate genes for other mapped abiotic stress QTLs in pearl millet. They also provide a resource for initiating association studies using candidate genes and also for comparing the structure and function of distantly related plant genomes such as other Poaceae members.

Array of Graphene Variable Capacitors on 100 mm Silicon Wafers for Vibration-Based Applications.

Highly flexible, electrically conductive freestanding graphene membranes hold great promise for vibration-based applications. This study focuses on their integration into mainstream semiconductor manufacturing methods. We designed a two-mask lithography process that creates an array of freestanding graphene-based variable capacitors on 100 mm silicon wafers. The first mask forms long trenches terminated by square wells featuring cone-shaped tips at their centers. The second mask fabricates metal traces from each tip to its contact pad along the trench and a second contact pad opposite the square well. A graphene membrane is then suspended over the square well to form a variable capacitor. The same capacitor structures were also built on 5 mm by 5 mm bare dies containing an integrated circuit underneath. We used atomic force microscopy, optical microscopy, and capacitance measurements in time to characterize the samples.

Positive surgical margin's impact on short-term oncological prognosis after robot-assisted partial nephrectomy (MARGINS study: UroCCR no 96).

The oncological impact of positive surgical margins (PSM) after robot-assisted partial nephrectomy (RAPN) is still under debate. We compared PSM and Negative Surgical Margins (NSM) in terms of recurrence-free survival (RFS), metastasis-free survival (MFS) and overall survival (OS) after RAPN, and we identified predictive factors of PSM. Multi-institutional study using the UroCCR database, which prospectively included 2166 RAPN between April 2010 and February 2021 (CNIL DR 2013-206; NCT03293563). Two groups were retrospectively compared: PSM versus NSM. Prognostic factors were assessed using Kaplan-Meyer curves with log-Rank test, cox hazard proportional risk model and logistic regression after univariate comparison. 136 patients had PSM (6.3%) and 2030 (93.7%) had NSM. During a median follow-up of 19 (9-36) months after RAPN, 160 (7.4%) recurrences were reported. Kaplan-Meier curves and analysis suggested that RFS, MFS and OS were not affected by a PSM (p = 0.68; 0.71; 0.88, respectively). In multivariate analysis predictors of PSM were a lower RENAL score (p = 0.001), longer warm ischemia time (WIT) (p = 0.003) and Chromophobe Renal Cell Carcinoma (chrRCC) (p = 0.043). This study found no impact of PSM on RFS, MFS or OS, and predictors of PSM were the RENAL score, WIT and chrRCC.

Specificities of small cell neuroendocrine prostate cancer: Adverse prognostic value of TTF1 expression.

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether small cell neuroendocrine prostate cancers (NEPCa) emerging after anti-androgen treatments are different from the rarest cases diagnosed de novo, and to identify effective predictive markers. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The expression of neuroendocrine markers, androgen receptor (AR) and androgen-regulated genes, as well as markers of aggressiveness, were analyzed by immunohistochemistry on a tissue microarray containing samples of 30 sNEPCa, either pure or admixed with conventional PCa, and including 14 cases diagnosed de novo and 16 cases subsequent to prior androgen deprivation. RESULTS: Chromogranin A is a better marker of NE differentiation than synaptophysin in post-treatment NEPCa, with 94% and 44% of positive tumors, respectively, while both markers are equally expressed in de novo cases. Despite the acquisition of a NE phenotype, more than half of NEPCa expressed AR and the androgen-regulated gene NKX3.1, more frequently in cases admixed with conventional PCa. TTF1 staining, present in half of NEPCa, was associated with loss of androgen-regulated genes and with markers of aggressiveness, including increased proliferation, Zeb1 expression and PTEN loss. In multivariate analysis, only TTF1 expression was significantly associated with shorter overall survival. CONCLUSION: These results suggest the persistence of androgen signaling in a number of NEPCa cases, and the interest of TTF1 staining as a predictive biomarker.