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Amazonian Transmedia: Seeking Epistemic and Ecological Justice in the Anthropocene
No full textThis dissertation, "Amazonian Transmedia: Seeking Epistemic and Ecological Justice in the Anthropocene," examines the struggles for multispecies justice within the Amazon. The Amazon, the world’s largest rainforest, remains divided among nine nation-states, subjected to extractivist pressures, and is now home to 30 million people. This rainforest faces increasing threats from extrctive industries like mining, oil, and agribusiness, whose expanding extractive frontiers exacerbate ecological destruction and infringe upon Indigenous rights. Amid these pressures, Indigenous communities, environmental activists, and transnational networks resist neoextractive forces through transmedia storytelling, employing literature, film, social media, and legal activism to advocate for ecological and epistemic justice. This sutdy focuses on three case studies that illustrate the diversity of threats and responses within Amazonia: the Yanomami people's resistance to gold mining in Brazil, the global and Indigenous media response to the Amazon forest fires in 2019, and the Sarayaku community's fight to protect their territory in Ecuador from oil extraction. These cases highlight how Indigenous communities assert sovereignty, amplify traditional ecological knowledge, and build global alliances to challenge dominant narratives and mitigate climate change. This project positions Amazonia as a critical site of ecological importance and epistemic resistance, where Indigenous knowledges and experiences intersect with digital media to influence environmental governance and explore sustainable futures. By analyzing the use of digital platforms and transmedia strategies, the research contributes to cultural studies, environmental humanities, and decolonial theory, demonstrating the transformative potential of Indigenous-led media in advocating for justice and the wellbeing of the rainforest and its multispecies communities.</p
Inflammatory responses to exercise and related health interventions
No full textA disability determines exercise modality, movement patterns, and the amount of active skeletal muscle mass; these all affect athletic performance and generally reduce the physiological responses to exercise. As a result, people with disabilities are more prone to physical inactivity and are often at increased risk for cardiovascular and inflammation-related diseases. However, due to the wide range of physical disabilities, the physiological response to exercise is not uniform across individuals with a disability. Several factors, such as autonomic dysfunction, the extent to which active skeletal muscle mass is reduced, and the ability to increase body temperature through activity, influence the inflammatory response to exercise. Disabilities such as spinal cord injury, which are characterised by autonomic dysfunction, as well as a limited skeletal muscle mass and physical capacity to raise body temperature through exercise, may hence result in an impaired inflammatory response. Additionally, ageing may further deteriorate the inflammatory state. Whilst chronic studies in populations with disabilities are scarce, the available evidence indicates that the inflammatory resting profile is a modifiable risk factor, and exercise as well as interventions that mimic part of the exercise stimulus have been shown to result in favourable inflammatory responses across the disability spectrum
Data associated with the publication: MPI-guided photothermal therapy of prostate cancer using stem cell delivery of magnetotheranostic nanoflowers
No full textThis dataset supports the study “MPI-Guided Photothermal Therapy of Prostate Cancer using Stem Cell Delivery of Magnetotheranostic Nanoflowers.” It centers on using human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) to deliver gold–iron oxide nanoflowers (GIONFs) to prostate tumors and evaluating their intratumoral distribution, retention, and photothermal therapy efficacy. The dataset contains four components:
Histology – H&E staining of major organs (liver, kidney, spleen, lung) and tumor sections assessing biosafety, tissue morphology, and treatment response.
In vitro data – Characterization of GIONFs, cellular uptake studies, photothermal response measurements, and stem cell labeling assessments.
MPI data – Magnetic particle imaging tracking of GIONF-hMSC biodistribution, tumor retention, and whole-body localization over time.
PTT data – In vivo photothermal therapy studies evaluating temperature profiles, treatment efficacy, and long-term tumor recurrence following laser irradiation.
Together, these data describe the behavior of intracellularly delivered GIONFs, demonstrate the advantages of hMSC-mediated transport for enhanced tumor localization, and support the development of MPI-guided photothermal therapy for prostate cancer
Rasping in Rhinoplasty: Bone Healing Outcomes With Manual Versus Piezoelectric-Assisted Techniques
No full textThere has been an increasing trend in using piezoelectric devices in craniofacial surgery to selectively cut bone and reduce collateral soft tissue trauma. Although the benefits of piezosurgery have been well demonstrated for osteotomies, its impact on bone healing during rasping remains understudied. This study evaluated bone regeneration following medial maxillary rasping performed with a manual rasp (MR) compared with piezotome-assisted rasping (PR) in a skeletally mature sheep model. Bilateral defects (rasps: ∼2 cm x ∼2 cm) were created along the coronal plane on the anterodorsal aspect of the nasal bone, with PR used on the anatomic right side and MR on the anatomic left side. Nondecalcified histologic processing and analysis was performed on the nasomaxillary bone at 3 and 12 weeks postoperatively (n=6 sheep/timepoint). At 3 weeks, MR-treated defects showed smoother, intact bone defect margins with minimal bone deposition. PR-treated defects displayed more irregular margins with scattered bone fragments, consistent with ultrasonic microfracturing. By 12 weeks, both techniques demonstrated comparable healing patterns with a regenerating nasal bone contour, maturation of bone architecture, visible osteocytes, and no evidence of bone fragments or inflammatory infiltrates. Semiquantitative scoring of osteogenesis revealed statistically homogenous findings between MR and PR usage ( p =0.63 at 3 weeks; p =1.00 at 12 weeks). Within the limits of this model, piezotome-assisted rasping altered early bone surface topography but did not impair long-term bone regeneration compared with manual rasping. This provides preclinical support for piezotome use as an alternative bone-modifying technique in rhinoplasty
Impacts of Distress Intolerance and Anxiety Sensitivity on the Maintenance and Treatment of Youth Misophonia
No full textThis study was registered on ClinicalTrials. gov (NCT04365543)
Frontline aspiration versus stent retriever thrombectomy for M2 occlusions: Insights from the STAR registry
No full textBackground Recent trials have furthered uncertainty regarding the endovascular benefit for medium vessel occlusions (MeVO). Stent retrievers (SR) were employed in the first attempt in most interventional arm participants. We sought to compare outcomes in acute MCA M2 occlusions between frontline aspiration and SR, and to delineate procedural and anatomical covariates associated with differential treatment effect. Methods Retrospective analysis of a multicenter stroke thrombectomy cohort identified cases of MT for M2 occlusions. Unmatched and propensity score-matched (PSM) cohorts were generated comparing frontline aspiration to standalone and combined SR. The primary outcome was functional independence (mRS 0-2) at 90 days. Recanalization, symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH), mortality, and the effect of M2 laterality, division occlusion and procedure time were assessed. Results About 1734 patients with M2 occlusions underwent either frontline aspiration (n = 711) or SR/combined (n = 958) thrombectomy between 2013 and 2024. PSM analysis favored aspiration for functional independence (49.9% vs 44.0%, OR 1.27 (1.03-1.57)), complete recanalization (61.2% vs 48.7%, OR 1.66 (1.34-2.05)), complete first pass effect (35.0% vs 27.6%, OR 1.42 (1.13-1.78)), and sICH (3.5% vs 6.2%, OR 0.55 (0.33-0.91)), with no difference in mortality. Frontline aspiration had significantly shorter procedural times (median 28 [IQR 15-49.5] vs 51 [IQR 35-78] minutes; p < 0.001). For every minute increase in procedure time, the probability of functional independence decreased significantly (p < 0.001) less with frontline aspiration (0.35%) compared to SR/combined (1.61%). Conclusion Frontline aspiration for M2 occlusions resulted in better clinical and angiographic outcomes compared to SRs. Future trials for MeVO with a focus on contact aspiration thrombectomy may succeed where recent trials have failed
Revisiting the INSPIRE trial: antibody profiling reveals high prevalence of occult autoimmunity
No full textIn the INSPIRE trial, patients diagnosed with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) failed to demonstrate improved survival after treatment with IFN-gamma-1β. This outcome became the impetus to develop more personalized approaches to the diagnosis, classification, and management of pulmonary fibrosis.
The present study was designed to assess autoantibody profiles in a randomly selected group of INSPIRE trial participants in order to better define IPF on a molecular diagnostic level and define subsets with potentially different underlying disease processes.
We performed conventional, gel-based protein and RNA immunoprecipitation (IP) on 483 plasma specimens derived from patients enrolled in both the treatment and placebo arms of INSPIRE. Tandem immunoprecipitation and mass spectrometry proteomics (IP-to-MS) of selected specimens was used to confirm conventional IP interpretation and to identify unknown autoantigens.
Based on conventional IP approaches, approximately 30% of trial participants had evidence of autoimmune disease-specific autoantibodies and another ~ 10% had evidence of autoantibodies of unknown specificity. IP-to-MS revealed additional autoantigens, including Annexin 11.
IP analyses demonstrated an unexpectedly high prevalence of autoantibodies potentially indicative of underlying connective tissue disease-associated ILD, underscoring the importance of classification schemes incorporating unbiased autoantibody profiling
Beyond numbers: the missing conceptual foundation in evaluating Mexico's health system performance
No full textCervical spine chordomas: surgical outcome assessment in a multicenter cohort from the Primary Tumor Research and Outcomes Network
No full textChordomas are rare, locally aggressive primary neoplasms. Resection with negative margins is the primary recommended therapeutic approach, while adjuvant radiotherapy and chemotherapy can also play a role in their treatment in certain situations, including lesions with positive margins or those that are poorly differentiated or dedifferentiated. Cervical spine chordomas pose significant surgical challenges given their proximity to critical anatomical structures and the mechanical constraints of the cervical spine. In the current case series, authors aimed to explore the clinical and patient-reported outcomes (PROs) of the surgical treatment of cervical chordomas in a large multicenter cohort.
This multicenter case series analysis utilized data from the prospectively collected Primary Tumor Research and Outcomes Network (PTRON) registry, from its inception (May 16, 2016) to data extraction (February 29, 2024). The study population was restricted to patients with histologically confirmed cervical chordomas involving levels C0-7, who underwent surgical treatment at one of the participating centers, and for whom both the initially planned and postoperatively pathologically confirmed surgical margins were documented. Patient demographics, tumor characteristics, surgical and adjuvant treatments, local recurrence-free survival (LRFS), overall survival (OS), and perioperative adverse events were retrieved. PROs included the Spine Oncology Study Group Outcomes Questionnaire version 2.0 (SOSGOQ2.0), EQ-5D, and SF-36 version 2.0 (SF-36v2).
Thirty-eight patients were identified, 12 of whom underwent true en bloc resection (EBR), 18 of whom underwent deliberate intralesional resection, and 8 of whom underwent EBR after intralesional surgery or in whom EBR failed. True EBR led to better LRFS (92% vs 83% vs 63%, respectively) and OS (83% vs 39% vs 50%, respectively). Surgical adverse events within 1 year were more frequent with true EBR (100% vs 39% vs 75%, respectively). EQ-5D, SOSGOQ2.0, and SF-36v2 showed improvement with true EBR, whereas the trends for PROs from the other groups were more variable.
This multicenter case series analysis provides critical insights into the clinical outcomes and PROs in the largest cohort of surgically treated cervical spine chordomas described to date. It underscores the importance and challenges of wide resection for oncological control. It establishes the associated morbidity and provides an overview of PROs following surgery. These findings contribute valuable evidence to inform shared decision-making and optimize patient care
Effect of Acute Intracranial Stenting in Patients With Successful Reperfusion Following Large-Vessel Occlusion Secondary to Intracranial Atherosclerosis: Secondary Analyses of the RESCUE-ICAS Study
No full textBACKGROUND: The RESCUE-ICAS study (Registry of Emergent Large-Vessel Occlusion due to Intracranial Stenosis) demonstrated that patients undergoing acute stenting of intracranial atherosclerosis with large-vessel occlusion after mechanical thrombectomy had better outcomes than those undergoing mechanical thrombectomy alone. We present 2 secondary analyses of RESCUE-ICAS to evaluate intracranial stenting among patients who achieved successful reperfusion. METHODS: From a prospective observational cohort of 25 stroke centers (2022-2023), patients with acute intracranial occlusion, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score >= 6, and 50% to 99% residual stenosis or occlusion after endovascular thrombectomy were included. In the first analysis, we compared patients with stenting versus those without stenting from among those patients with a final modified Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction score of 2B-3. In the second analysis, we compared patients who underwent stenting with those who did not from among the patients with a Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction (TICI) score of 2B-3 before stenting. The odds of a favorable 90-day mRS (0-2) and 24-hour MRI infarct volume <30 mL were assessed using multivariable logistic regression. We also examined the rates of symptomatic ICH and death at 90 days in these cohorts. RESULTS: Overall, 351 (84.2%) patients had successful reperfusion, with 181 (51.7%) undergoing stenting. More patients who underwent acute stenting achieved an mRS score of 0 to 2 at 90 days (adjusted odds ratio, 1.88; P=0.024). Patients who underwent stent placement were more likely to have 24-hour MRI infarct volume <30 mL (70.1% versus 54.8%, P=0.022). Our second analysis demonstrated that 89 patients who underwent acute intracranial stenting after successful perfusion (postmechanical thrombectomy) experienced higher odds of mRS scores of 0 to 2 at 90 days (adjusted odds ratio, 2.19 [95% CI, 1.01-4.74]) and 24-hour MRI infarct volume <30 mL (adjusted odds ratio, 3.27 [95% CI, 1.05-10.19]) than the 170 without stenting after successful reperfusion. There was no significant difference in rates of symptomatic ICH (7.2% versus 5.3%; P=0.466) or death at 90 days (22.7% versus 25.9%; P=0.480). CONCLUSIONS: Among both the cohort with final successful reperfusion and the cohort with initial successful reperfusion after mechanical thrombectomy alone, intracranial stenting was associated with better long-term clinical and radiographic outcomes, without higher morbidity and mortality.</p