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Frontiers in Cell and Developmental... 2021Pre-metastatic niches provide favorable conditions for tumor cells to disseminate, home to and grow in otherwise unfamiliar and distal microenvironments. Tumor-derived... (Review)
Review
Pre-metastatic niches provide favorable conditions for tumor cells to disseminate, home to and grow in otherwise unfamiliar and distal microenvironments. Tumor-derived extracellular vesicles are now recognized as carriers of key messengers secreted by primary tumors, signals that induce the formation of pre-metastatic niches. Recent evidence suggests that tumor cells can disseminate from the very earliest stages of primary tumor development. However, once they reach distal sites, tumor cells can persist in a dormant state for long periods of time until their growth is reactivated and they produce metastatic lesions. In this new scenario, the question arises as to whether extracellular vesicles could influence the formation of these metastatic niches with dormant tumor cells? (here defined as "sleepy niches"). If so, what are the molecular mechanisms involved? In this perspective-review article, we discuss the possible influence of extracellular vesicles in early metastatic dissemination and whether they might play a role in tumor cell dormancy. In addition, we comment whether extracellular vesicle-mediated signals may be involved in tumor cell awakening, considering the possibility that extracellular vesicles might serve as biomarkers to detect early metastasis and/or minimal residual disease (MRD) monitoring.
PubMed: 33738282
DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.625221 -
Journal of Evaluation in Clinical... Oct 2018Designing trials and studies to minimize confounding and bias is central to evidence-based medicine (EBM). The widespread use of recent technologies such as machine...
Designing trials and studies to minimize confounding and bias is central to evidence-based medicine (EBM). The widespread use of recent technologies such as machine learning, smartphones, and the World Wide Web to collect, analyse, and disseminate information can improve the efficiency, reliability, and availability of medical research. However, it also has the potential to introduce new sources of significant, technology-induced evidential bias. This paper assesses the extent of the impact by reviewing some of the methods by and principles according to which evidence is collected, analysed, and disseminated in EBM, supported by specific examples. It considers the effect of personal health tracking via smartphones, the current proliferation of research data and the influence of search engine "filter bubbles", the possibility of machine learning-driven study design, and the implications of using machine learning to seek patterns in large quantities of data, for example from observational studies and medical record databases. It concludes that new technology may introduce profound new sources of bias that current EBM frameworks do not accommodate. It also proposes new approaches that could be incorporated in to EBM theory to mitigate the most obvious risks, and suggests where further assessment of the practical implications is needed.
Topics: Bias; Biomedical Research; Biomedical Technology; Evidence-Based Medicine; Humans; Information Dissemination; Medical Informatics; Philosophy, Medical; Reproducibility of Results; Research Design
PubMed: 29998588
DOI: 10.1111/jep.12972 -
BMC Public Health Dec 2021Ghana is facing the public health "double burden" of both communicable and chronic diseases. To combat increased chronic disease prevalence, physical activity promotion...
BACKGROUND
Ghana is facing the public health "double burden" of both communicable and chronic diseases. To combat increased chronic disease prevalence, physical activity promotion efforts are necessary. The Ministry of Health (MOH) developed physical activity guidelines in 2009, but community members are unaware of the guidelines and sample activities (e.g., ballroom dancing) are not culturally appropriate. The purposes of this study were to investigate 1) dissemination of the physical activity guidelines through MOH and Ghana Health Service (GHS) and 2) culturally appropriate physical activities.
METHODS
Data were collected in urban and rural areas of Ghana through focus groups (N = 2) with community representatives and in-depth interviews (N = 15) with GHS health workers. Focus group and interview questions included recommended types of physical activity; interview questions included dissemination factors based on Diffusion of Innovations. The research team analyzed the data through an inductive, grounded theory approach.
RESULTS
Together, the focus groups and in-depth interviews generated 942 meaning units coded into themes of Physical Activity Perceptions (N = 337 meaning units), Suggested Physical Activities (N = 317), and Dissemination and Implementation Factors (N = 290). Participants had positive perceptions of physical activity but expressed concerns over individual abilities; barriers included the built environment and a lack of time. Suggested physical activities included walking, jogging, football, and dancing for adults; traditional games and football for youth, and walking and daily chores for older adults. Participants noted that guideline implementation was influenced by leadership engagement at multiple levels, relative advantage, and compatibility. Respondents suggested implementation strategies to resolve barriers, including involving partner organizations and developing an implementation plan. Participants were largely unaware of the physical activity guidelines; typical dissemination methods included written materials and the internet.
CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study suggest that physical activity guidelines should include familiar physical activities such as traditional games. Results also suggest that public health workers within GHS experience challenges in disseminating the physical activity guidelines. Adapting, disseminating, and implementing physical activity guidelines is a necessary step in increasing physical activity levels and preventing chronic diseases. These results contribute to understanding translation of physical activity policy to practice.
Topics: Adolescent; Aged; Exercise; Focus Groups; Ghana; Humans; Qualitative Research; Walking
PubMed: 34895182
DOI: 10.1186/s12889-021-12250-1 -
Journal of Interpersonal Violence Aug 2023Sext dissemination (i.e., the online sharing of sexually explicit images) has the potential to result in legal, social, and psychological harms. Recent research has...
Sext dissemination (i.e., the online sharing of sexually explicit images) has the potential to result in legal, social, and psychological harms. Recent research has shown that this behavior can be consensual or non-consensual in nature; yet little is known about how motivations or attitudes may differ between these forms, or with gender. This study is based on a cross-sectional online survey investigating consensual and non-consensual sext dissemination and associated demographic, behavioral, attitudinal, and psychological factors. Participants were 2,126 cisgendered adults aged 18 to 30 years ( = 22.97, = 3.21, 55% women, 45% men), resident in Western, English-speaking nations, particularly Australia. Around 10% of respondents reported disseminating texts, and of these, only 19.8% indicated they had permission for this, with no differences across gender. When sexts were disseminated "to gossip," this was significantly more likely to be non-consensual. There were no significant differences between consensual and non-consensual dissemination in subjective attitudes or norms toward dissemination, nor levels of psychological distress. Women were more likely to non-consensually disseminate sexts that had been received as unwanted or unwelcome. Consensual dissemination was weakly associated with being sexually active and having given consent to having one's own images disseminated. We discuss implications for future research regarding consent, and relationship and sexuality education.
Topics: Male; Adult; Humans; Female; Motivation; Cross-Sectional Studies; Sexual Behavior; Attitude; Informed Consent
PubMed: 37067003
DOI: 10.1177/08862605231163886 -
Microbiology Spectrum Aug 2023The Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi can cause a multitude of clinical manifestations because of its ability to disseminate into any organ system via...
The Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi can cause a multitude of clinical manifestations because of its ability to disseminate into any organ system via migration through soft tissue, the lymphatic system, and the circulatory system. The latter is believed to constitute the predominant pathway for dissemination to distal sites from the inoculating tick bite. In spite of its importance, the hematogenous dissemination process remains largely uncharacterized, particularly due to difficulties studying this process in a living host and the lack of an system that recapitulates animal infection. In the current work, we provide the first information regarding the stage of the vascular transmigration pathway where three important adhesins function during invasion of mouse knee joint peripheral tissue from postcapillary venules. Using intravital imaging coupled with genetic experiments employing sequential double infection, we show a complex temporal choreography of P66, decorin binding proteins (DbpA/B), and outer surface protein C (OspC) at discrete steps along the pathway of vascular escape, underscoring the importance of B. burgdorferi adhesins in hematogenous dissemination in the mouse knee joint and the complexity of vascular transmigration by a disseminating pathogen. Lyme disease is caused by the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi, which is transmitted by a bite from an infected tick. Disease development involves a complex series of host-pathogen interactions as well as dissemination of the infecting organisms to sites distal to the original tick bite. The predominant pathway for this is believed to be hematogenous dissemination. The mechanism by which the spirochetes escape circulation is unknown. Here, using intravital microscopy, where the Lyme spirochete can be observed in a living mouse, we have studied the stage in the vascular escape process where each of three surface adhesins functions to facilitate escape of the spirochete from postcapillary venules to invade mouse knee joint peripheral tissue. A complex pattern of involvement at various locations in the multistage process is described using a unique experimental approach that is applicable to other disseminating pathogens.
Topics: Mice; Animals; Borrelia burgdorferi; Tick Bites; Adhesins, Bacterial; Lyme Disease; Borrelia burgdorferi Group
PubMed: 37255427
DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01254-23 -
Journal of Genetic Counseling Apr 2024Benefits have been demonstrated to disseminating aggregate research results to all relevant audiences, including study participants. Despite this, many health...
Benefits have been demonstrated to disseminating aggregate research results to all relevant audiences, including study participants. Despite this, many health researchers face barriers in dissemination to broad audiences and returning aggregate results to participants is not commonly practiced. Due to their research presence and training in communication, genetic counselors can lead in implementing best practices in this area. We explored genetic counselors' current practices and opinions regarding educating study participants and wider audiences of research findings. We distributed a survey of 32 multiple-choice and open-ended questions to National Society of Genetics Counselors (NSGC) and Canadian Association of Genetic Counsellors (CAGC) members. Most respondents (90.1%, n = 128/142) identified with a responsibility to disseminate their research findings to a broad audience and identified several associated benefits. All respondents saw value in communicating aggregate results to study participants, although over half (53.2%, n = 66/124) had never done so. Genetic counselors reported resource and knowledge barriers to research dissemination. Despite expertise in education and communication, genetic counselors face similar barriers as other researchers toward broad dissemination of research. Formal training and professional guidelines specific to research dissemination practices will equip genetic counselors to reach broader audiences and maximize the impact of research findings.
Topics: Genetic Counseling; Humans; Counselors; Attitude of Health Personnel; Information Dissemination; Female; Male; Canada; Adult
PubMed: 37382025
DOI: 10.1002/jgc4.1743 -
Psychology of Addictive Behaviors :... Sep 2022The first clinical trial of the Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students (BASICS) was launched at the University of Washington in 1990. Since that...
The first clinical trial of the Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students (BASICS) was launched at the University of Washington in 1990. Since that time, multiple trials have demonstrated the efficacy of BASICS and related approaches in a variety of young adult populations and this information has been widely disseminated. However, in practice BASICS implementation varies considerably, including formats and mediums (e.g., group, telehealth, written/electronic feedback alone) not studied in the original research. Even if delivered in an individual in-person format, implementation can stray substantially from the original design. Adaptations may be necessary to address campus resource constraints or other barriers to implementation but can have unknown impacts on intervention effectiveness. Thus, despite wide-scale efforts to disseminate and implement BASICS, challenges remain, and there are several critical research gaps that need to be addressed to support campuses in implementing BASICS successfully. The current manuscript reviews several ways in which BASICS has been adapted to address these challenges, and provides recommendations for best implementation practices as well as future research needed to improve implementation and effectiveness of BASICS going forward. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).
Topics: Humans; Mass Screening; Students; Telemedicine; Young Adult
PubMed: 34914406
DOI: 10.1037/adb0000794 -
Frontiers in Veterinary Science 2023Physical and non-physical processes that occur in nature may influence biological processes, such as dissemination of infectious diseases. However, such processes may be...
INTRODUCTION
Physical and non-physical processes that occur in nature may influence biological processes, such as dissemination of infectious diseases. However, such processes may be hard to detect when they are complex systems. Because complexity is a dynamic and non-linear interaction among numerous elements and structural levels in which specific effects are not necessarily linked to any one specific element, cause-effect connections are rarely or poorly observed.
METHODS
To test this hypothesis, the complex and dynamic properties of geo-biological data were explored with high-resolution epidemiological data collected in the 2001 Uruguayan foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) epizootic that mainly affected cattle. County-level data on cases, farm density, road density, river density, and the ratio of road (or river) length/county perimeter were analyzed with an open-ended procedure that identified geographical clustering in the first 11 epidemic weeks. Two questions were asked: (i) do geo-referenced epidemiologic data display complex properties? and (ii) can such properties facilitate or prevent disease dissemination?
RESULTS
Emergent patterns were detected when complex data structures were analyzed, which were not observed when variables were assessed individually. Complex properties-including data circularity-were demonstrated. The emergent patterns helped identify 11 counties as 'disseminators' or 'facilitators' (F) and 264 counties as 'barriers' (B) of epidemic spread. In the early epidemic phase, F and B counties differed in terms of road density and FMD case density. Focusing on non-biological, geographical data, a second analysis indicated that complex relationships may identify B-like counties even before epidemics occur.
DISCUSSION
Geographical barriers and/or promoters of disease dispersal may precede the introduction of emerging pathogens. If corroborated, the analysis of geo-referenced complexity may support anticipatory epidemiological policies.
PubMed: 37252396
DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1149460 -
Cancers Apr 2023Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) disseminates with high prevalence to the central nervous system (CNS) in a process resembling aspects of the CNS surveillance of... (Review)
Review
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) disseminates with high prevalence to the central nervous system (CNS) in a process resembling aspects of the CNS surveillance of normal immune cells as well as aspects of brain metastasis from solid cancers. Importantly, inside the CNS, the ALL blasts are typically confined within the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)-filled cavities of the subarachnoid space, which they use as a sanctuary protected from both chemotherapy and immune cells. At present, high cumulative doses of intrathecal chemotherapy are administered to patients, but this is associated with neurotoxicity and CNS relapse still occurs. Thus, it is imperative to identify markers and novel therapy targets specific to CNS ALL. Integrins represent a family of adhesion molecules involved in cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions, implicated in the adhesion and migration of metastatic cancer cells, normal immune cells, and leukemic blasts. The ability of integrins to also facilitate cell-adhesion mediated drug resistance, combined with recent discoveries of integrin-dependent routes of leukemic cells into the CNS, have sparked a renewed interest in integrins as markers and therapeutic targets in CNS leukemia. Here, we review the roles of integrins in CNS surveillance by normal lymphocytes, dissemination to the CNS by ALL cells, and brain metastasis from solid cancers. Furthermore, we discuss whether ALL dissemination to the CNS abides by known hallmarks of metastasis, and the potential roles of integrins in this context.
PubMed: 37173970
DOI: 10.3390/cancers15092504 -
Psychological Trauma : Theory,... Sep 2022Advances in implementation science have encouraged novel methods for disseminating and implementing evidence-based treatments. Mental health services offered to...
OBJECTIVE
Advances in implementation science have encouraged novel methods for disseminating and implementing evidence-based treatments. Mental health services offered to trauma-exposed students on college campuses are characterized by unique contextual, developmental, and cultural factors that must be considered to effectively disseminate and implement trauma-focused, evidence-based treatments (TF-EBTs). Informed by novel implementation designs, this project utilized a strategic stakeholder engagement method of creating a learning community to identify and adapt a TF-EBT for use in university counseling centers (UCCs).
METHOD
Project leads convened campus and community stakeholders included UCC clinicians, administrators, student life professionals, and students, to join researchers in a reciprocal collaboration to work toward dissemination and implementation. These stakeholders participated in a learning community that reviewed, selected, and adapted a TF-EBT and other tools for dissemination and implementation to UCCs and other campus professionals.
RESULTS
There were a number of benefits and challenges of using the learning community as a method of dissemination and implementation. Benefits included context-specific knowledge sharing, clarification of the scope of trauma among college students, creation of helpful tools, emphasis on cultural competence in TF-EBTs, and facilitating connections between professionals. Challenges included balancing flexibility with progress toward project goals and recruitment and retention of stakeholders.
CONCLUSIONS
Stakeholder engagement is an integral component of dissemination and implementation efforts. The learning community method allowed for stakeholders to take an active part in adapting a TF-EBT for UCCs and can be utilized in other settings to aid in adoption and utilization of evidence-based treatments. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).
Topics: Educational Status; Humans; Mental Health Services; Students; Universities
PubMed: 34383518
DOI: 10.1037/tra0001079