Histopathological Analysis of Cerebrovascular Lesions Associated With Aging

Cerebrovascular disease (CVD) has been associated with cognitive impairment. Yet, our understanding of vascular contribution to cognitive decline has been limited by heterogeneity of definitions and assessment, as well as its occurrence in cognitively healthy aging. Therefore, we aimed to establish the natural progression of CVD associated with aging. We conducted a retrospective observational study of 63 cognitively healthy participants aged 19–84 years selected through the histological archives of the CHU de Québec. Assessment of CVD lesions was performed independently by 3 observers blinded to clinical data using the Vascular Cognitive Impairment Neuropathology Guidelines (VCING). We found moderate to almost perfect interobserver agreement for most regional CVD scores. Atherosclerosis (ρ = 0.758) and arteriolosclerosis (ρ = 0.708) showed the greatest significant association with age, followed by perivascular hemosiderin deposits (ρ = 0.432) and cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA; ρ = 0.392). Amyloid and tau pathologies were both associated with higher CVD load, but only CAA remained significantly associated with amyloid plaques after controlling for age. Altogether, these findings support the presence of multiple CVD lesions in the brains of cognitively healthy adults, the burden of which increases with age and can be quantified in a reproducible manner using standardized histological scales such as the VCING.

Managing career transitions into post-secondary Learning Designer Jobs: An Australasian perspective

This semi-structured qualitative study maps out the diversity of career paths of Australian and New Zealand (ANZ) learning designers (LDs) and summarises their career advice for those aspiring to be LDs. It identifies that, among the 92 participants, there were many different pathways into the profession both from an academic and from professional backgrounds. It identified that the most common entry points into the postsecondary LD profession come through previously working: as a primary and secondary teacher; in higher education student services, as an English as a Second Language (ESL) professional, a sessional academic seeking job stability; in private industry, such as in film and television and in the area of training and development. Most career transitions into LD were serendipitous, or a natural progression rather than a deliberate and planned process. The study further identified a paucity of LD and associated professions career information in ANZ public domain, which held some back from entering a Learning Design career earlier. This paper concludes with some recommended strategies to address this, to the extent that it is hoped that this paper will aid aspiring LDs in planning their career transitions more effectively.

Hemorrhagic Transformation After Ischemic Stroke: Mechanisms and Management

Symptomatic hemorrhagic transformation (HT) is one of the complications most likely to lead to death in patients with acute ischemic stroke. HT after acute ischemic stroke is diagnosed when certain areas of cerebral infarction appear as cerebral hemorrhage on radiological images. Its mechanisms are usually explained by disruption of the blood-brain barrier and reperfusion injury that causes leakage of peripheral blood cells. In ischemic infarction, HT may be a natural progression of acute ischemic stroke and can be facilitated or enhanced by reperfusion therapy. Therefore, to balance risks and benefits, HT occurrence in acute stroke settings is an important factor to be considered by physicians to determine whether recanalization therapy should be performed. This review aims to illustrate the pathophysiological mechanisms of HT, outline most HT-related factors after reperfusion therapy, and describe prevention strategies for the occurrence and enlargement of HT, such as blood pressure control. Finally, we propose a promising therapeutic approach based on biological research studies that would help clinicians treat such catastrophic complications.

Case Report: Carcinoma en Cuirasse in a Middle-Aged Woman Mimicking Postirradiation Morphea

Breast carcinoma en cuirasse (CeC) is an extremely rare form of cutaneous metastases of breast cancer, characterized by diffuse sclerodermoid induration of the skin. It may be difficult to distinguish CeC from some skin diseases, including postirradiation morphea, inflammatory breast cancer, radiation dermatitis, and other cutaneous metastases, but it can be easily discerned by histology. Because of the small number of documented cases, the treatment consensus has not been clearly defined. Here, we show a 45-year-old woman with grade III infiltrating ductal carcinoma manifesting as CeC to the chest wall. Early diagnosis and treatment are essential to prevent the catastrophic natural progression of this rare malignancy.

Are There Any Cognitive and Behavioral Changes Potentially Related to Quarantine due to the COVID-19 Pandemic in People with Mild Cognitive Impairment and AD Dementia? A Longitudinal Study

The aim of the study was to examine potential cognitive, mood (depression and anxiety) and behavioral changes that may be related to the quarantine and the lockdown applied during the COVID-19 pandemic in Greek older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and AD dementia in mild and moderate stages. Method: 407 older adults, diagnosed either with MCI or AD dementia (ADD), were recruited from the Day Centers of the Greek Association of Alzheimer Disease and Related Disorders (GAADRD). Neuropsychological assessment was performed at baseline (at the time of diagnosis) between May and July of 2018, as well as for two consecutive follow-up assessments, identical in period, in 2019 and 2020. The majority of participants had participated in non-pharmacological interventions during 2018 as well as 2019, whereas all of them continued their participation online in 2020. Results: Mixed measures analysis of variance showed that participants’ ‘deterioration difference—D’ by means of their performance difference in neuropsychological assessments between 2018–2019 (D1) and 2019–2020 (D2) did not change, except for the FUCAS, RAVLT, and phonemic fluency tests, since both groups resulted in a larger deterioration difference (D2) in these tests. Additionally, three path models examining the direct relationships between performance in tests measuring mood, as well as everyday functioning and cognitive measures, showed that participants’ worsened performance in the 2019 and 2020 assessments was strongly affected by NPI performance, in sharp contrast to the 2018 assessment. Discussion: During the lockdown period, MCI and ADD patients’ neuropsychological performance did not change, except from the tests measuring verbal memory, learning, and phonemic fluency, as well as everyday functioning. However, the natural progression of the MCI as well as ADD condition is the main reason for participants’ deterioration. Mood performance became increasingly closely related to cognition and everyday functioning. Hence, the role of quarantine and AD progression are discussed as potential factors associated with impairments.

Vasoproliferative retinal tumors. Current approach to treatment

Relevance. Vasoproliferative retinal tumor is a rare acquired disease. The exact pathogenesis of vasoproliferative tumors remains completely unknown, and it has long been assumed that their development is a reactive process with the proliferation of glial cells and blood vessels. Despite the widespread use of this term, vasoproliferative tumor cannot be fully attributed to true tumors and it cannot be reliably established that it is vascular in its pathogenesis. The clinical signs of vasoproliferative retinal tumor manifests itself as a yellowish-red, often loose mass with vessels of normal or slightly enlarged caliber, usually small, single and located in the lower-outer or lower part of the fundus. Due to their rarity, there are currently no uniform recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of this pathology. Most of the available methods have limited effectiveness, causing a temporary regression of the process, which makes it necessary to repeatedly re-treat or combine several treatments. In some cases, the use of several therapeutic options leads to complications that can be caused by both therapy and the natural progression of the disease, which together prevents reconvalescence and improvement of visual func tions. Purpose. This article presents for the first time a detailed review of the literature, including generalized data on the epidemiology, pathogenesis, histological features, differential diagnosis and modern approaches to the treatment of this pathology. Material and methods. The article uses literary materials of domestic and foreign authors published in the period from 1982 to the present. Conclusion. It is necessary to further study the mechanisms of development of vasoproliferative tumors and related complications. The article uses literary materials of domestic and foreign authors published in the period from 1982 to the present. Keywords: vasoproliferative tumors, retinal vascular tumors, retinal angiomatosis, endoresection, vitrectomy, brachytherapy.

Sclerosing mucoepidermoid carcinoma with eosinophilia of the thyroid: demonstrating the natural progression of a rare and misunderstood disease

Sclerosing mucoepidermoid carcinoma with eosinophilia of the thyroid in a 46-year-old woman.

Applied Statistics with R

Whether at the undergraduate, graduate, or post-graduate level, Applied Statistics with R: A Practical Guide for the Life Sciences teaches readers to properly analyze data in an efficient, accessible, plainspoken, frank, and occasionally humorous manner. Readers will come away with the knowledge of which analyses they should use and when they should use them, an important skill in an age when the statistical analyses used in the life-sciences are becoming increasingly advanced. This book uses the statistical language R, which is the choice of ecologists worldwide and is rapidly becoming the ‘go-to’ stats program throughout the life-sciences. Written around a single real-world dataset, Applied Statistics with R which encourages readers to become deeply familiar with an imperfect but realistic set of data, much like they themselves might collect. Early chapters are designed to teach basic data manipulation skills and build good habits in preparation for learning more advanced analyses. This approach also demonstrates the importance of viewing data through different lenses, facilitating an easy and natural progression from linear and generalized linear models through to mixed effects versions of those same analyses. Readers will also learn advanced plotting and data-wrangling techniques, and gain an introduction to writing their own functions. Applied Statistics with R is suitable for senior undergraduate and graduate students, professional researchers, and practitioners throughout the life-sciences, whether in the fields of ecology, evolution, environmental studies, or computational biology.