described in the context of COVID-19 incidence and symptom severity in a whole-nation cohort of Icelanders. The cohort is younger and had less severe symptoms than in many previosly published studies of COVID-19. Interestingly, the prevalences of smoking and e-cigarette use were lower than in the Icelandic general population and they were not associated with symptom severity at diagnosis. To conclude, the results presented here indicate that underlying lung diseases are prevalent among people with severe COVID-19 symptoms but fail to demonstrate an association between cigarette smoking or e-cigarette smoking with COVID-19 severity.

Self-expandable metal stents (SEMS) are a known treatment option for obstruction due to colorectal cancer. The objective of this project was to estimate the usage of such stents in Iceland between 2000-2018. We evaluated the number of patients who received the stent as a bridge to surgery (BtoS) or as a palliative therapy (PT) and evaluated complication rate and the technical and clinical success rate.

Retrospective review of patients in Landspitali University Hospital who received SEMS for malignant colorectal obstruction. Search was conducted using diagnostic and theraputic codes in the Icelandic electronic medical record system.

A total of 43 patients with colorectal cancer received in total 53 SEMS for obstruction, the first patient in 2005. More patient received SEMS as PT (n=27) than as BtoS (n=16). Colon perforation occurred in 5 patients (12%). A resection with primary anastomosis was performed in 69% of the BtoS patients. The majority of the PT patients did not receive an operation (63%). Permanent stoma ratio was 27% for BtoS patients and 22% for PT patients.

SEMS served as BtoS with resection and primary anastomosis for the majority of patients in the BtoS group. For a majority of patients in the PT group, SEMS could be used to avoid surgery. The perforation rate was relatively high. Information on techincal and clinical success was poorly recorded. Because of the retrospective nature of the study and the small population size all results should be interpreted with caution.

SEMS served as BtoS with resection and primary anastomosis for the majority of patients in the BtoS group. For a majority of patients in the PT group, SEMS could be used to avoid surgery. The perforation rate was relatively high. Information on techincal and clinical success was poorly recorded. Because of the retrospective nature of the study and the small population size all results should be interpreted with caution.The resurgence of the Covid-19 epidemic in the fall of 2020 in France and in many countries around the world raises many questions. The situation of SARS-CoV-2 infection in France after the first epidemic wave in spring 2020 approximatively indicates more than 30,000 deaths, 3 to 4 millions people infected, 50% asymptomatic infections. These data encourage us to modify the initial perception of this infection, which was imagined to be benign, with massive, homogeneous and rapid distribution (“tsunamic”), and comprising a large majority of asymptomatic forms. This invites us to reassess the hypothesis of a major role of superspreaders in the spread of the infection, which would be more limited and discontinuous (“saltatory”) than expected, as for SARS-CoV-1 and MERS-CoV. The role of viral load in the transmission and clinical expression of infection also needs to be assessed. To fight against the spread of the epidemic, generalized confinement a posteriori appears to have a disproportionate cost compared to its effectiveness, whereas the application of barrier gestures (breathing mask, hand hygiene, social distancing) should be promoted without any restriction, along with the diagnosis and temporary isolation of infected persons. While the Covid-19 epidemic is a medical challenge for human societies, it is also a moral challenge that they may not ignore.

Positron emission tomography (PET) is a functional imaging modality which is able to deliver tracer specific biological information, e.g. about glucose uptake, inflammation or hypoxia of tumors. We performed a proof-of-principle study that used different tracers and expanded the analytical scope to non-tumor structures to evaluate tumor-host interactions.

Based on a previously reported prospective imaging study on 50 patients treated with curative intent chemoradiation (CRT) for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, PET-based hypoxia and normal tissue inflammation measured by repeat 18F-fluoromisonidazole (FMISO) PET and 18F-fluorodesoxyglucose (FDG) PET, respectively, were correlated using the Spearman correlation coefficient R. PET parameters determined before and during CRT (week 1, 2 and 5), were associated with local tumor control and overall survival.

Tumor hypoxia at all measured times showed an inverse correlation with mid-treatment FDG-uptake of non-tumor affected oral (sub-)mucosa with R valul biological insights in vivo vero.

We report first clinical evidence that tumor hypoxia is inversely correlated with increased FDG-uptake during radiation, potentially expressing inflammation. This observation merits further research and may have important implication for future research on tumor hypoxia and radio-immunology. Our study demonstrates that functional imaging can be utilized to assess complex tumor-host interactions and generate novel biological insights in vivo vero.To understand the brain is to understand behaviour. However, understanding behaviour itself requires consideration of sensory information, body movements and the animal’s ecology. selleck chemicals llc Therefore, understanding the link between neurons and behaviour is a multi-level problem, which can be achieved when considering Marr’s three levels of understanding behaviour, computation, and neural implementation. Rather than establishing direct links between neurons and behaviour, the matter boils down to understanding two transitions the link between neurons and brain computation on one hand, and the link between brain computations and behaviour on the other hand. The field of insect navigation illustrates well the power of such two-sided endeavour. We provide here examples revealing that each transition requires its own approach with its own intrinsic difficulties, and show how modelling can help us reach the desired multi-level understanding.