by Samuel Brennan  , Matthew Keon  , Zheng Su  , Bing Liu  , Xiao Min Song  , Thiri Zaw  , Matthew McKay  , Donna Pascovici  and Nitin K. Saksena

Received: 21 August 2020;  Published: 29 March 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.2101164

There are no curative strategies for ALS, and as a result the alternative therapies are gaining ground, in particular the stem cell-based therapies which hold a promising future. Here we describe an ALS patient, who by choice, received allogeneic human cord-blood derived multipotent stem cells (MSC) intravenously and intrathecally. This is the first snapshot of pre-and post-stem cell transplantation in an ALS patient through transcriptomic, epigenomic, and proteomic follow-up elucidating the effect of stem cells in [...]

by Michael F Knoll  , Carmela A Knoll  , Rita Bottino  , Suzanne Bertera  and Massimo Trucco

Received: 12 January 2021;  Published: 25 March 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.transplant.2101140

Clinical islet transplantation was first realized over four decades ago at the University of Minnesota. Autologous islet transplantation is now widely recognized as a treatment to prevent diabetes in patients after pancreas excision and is offered at major transplant centers throughout the United States and the world. Type 1 diabetes represents a much larger demographic in which islet transplantation may benefit patients. Allogeneic islet transplantation can now offer similar outcomes to pancreas transplantation in [...]

by Nidhi Sharma  and Yvonne Efebera

Received: 26 October 2020;  Published: 25 March 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.transplant.2101139

Graft-versus host disease is one of the major causes of death in patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Major contributing factors to severity of graft-versus host disease include HLA mismatch, conditioning regimen intensity, age of donor and recipient, source of stem cell, and donor type. Strategies and clinical trials are ongoing to reduce the incidence of graft-versus host disease, and to improve on the survival outcome of patients with graft-versus host disease, Research efforts [...]

by Macyn Leung  , Alexander Pipchuk  and Xiaolong Yang

Received: 11 January 2021;  Published: 24 March 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.genet.2101127

PD-L1 is an immune checkpoint protein that is frequently overexpressed by the cells in the tumor microenvironment. PD-L1 binds to PD-1 present on the activated antitumor T-cells, which allows for tumor immune escape. The ability of the PD-1/PD-L1 axis to suppress antitumor immunity enables its application as a potential target for small-molecule-based immunotherapies. Targeting the PD-L1-mediated tumor immune evasion represents a promising approach for immune checkpoint blockade therapies. However, the existing mon [...]

by Shih-Ang Hsu

Received: 21 December 2020;  Published: 24 March 2021;  doi: 10.21926/jept.2101014

In order to improve offshore wind power operation and maintenance (O&M), particularly during tropical and non-tropical cyclones, short-term forecasts or nowcasts up to 6 hours of meteorological and oceanographic (met-ocean) parameters including wind, waves, currents and turbulence intensity are needed. On the basis of numerous air-sea and wind-wave interaction experiments, datasets are analyzed including those from simultaneous measurements of wind and waves during Hurricane Wilma. Formulas are presented for nowcas [...]

by Lina Nguyen  , Gabrielle Romena  , Ethan Nguyen  , Cassandra Tran  , Kaitlyn Nguyen  , Ananya Devarajan  and Henry Hirschberg

Received: 15 December 2020;  Published: 23 March 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2101090

Following post-operative treatment, the vast majority of GBMs recur, usually within 2 cm of the tumor resection margin. Since these tumors seldom metastasize outside the CNS, improved localized therapies should prove beneficial. Drug delivery systems (DDS) that allow control over drug release by an externally applied energy, such as light, have the potential of improving the results of chemotherapy. Light-activated hydrogel DDS, implanted in the operative cavity formed by tumor resection, bypasses the blood brain b [...]

by Edwin Meresh  , Clinton Korneffel  , Bavani Rajah  and Ryan Bergren

Received: 23 December 2020;  Published: 23 March 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2101089

Catatonia can occur in patients diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder and malignant catatonia is life threatening. Anti-psychotic medications should be discontinued during acute phase of catatonia. Anti-psychotic discontinuation in catatonia is a challenge in patients maintained on long-acting injectable antipsychotics because of the extended release. Case report: We present a case of malignant catatonia developed in a patient with history of schizophrenia and developmental delay. Symptoms lasted severa [...]

by Martine S. Bosma  , Monique A.A. Caljouw  , Jacqueline K. Benfield  , Laura Edwards  , Tanja C.W. Nijboer  and Wilco P. Achterberg

Received: 07 December 2020;  Published: 19 March 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.2101163

Visuospatial neglect (VSN) adversely impacts both the length of rehabilitation and activities of daily living (ADL) of patients after stroke and can reduce their participation in community activities. Therefore, it is important to assess VSN after stroke in neurorehabilitation facilities. The process of assessing VSN comprehensively in current geriatric rehabilitation remains unclear. This study examined the process of VSN in post-stroke assessment emphasizing the details of the (systematic) routines and structure [...]

by Peter Leary  and Peter Malin

Received: 30 November 2020;  Published: 19 March 2021;  doi: 10.21926/jept.2101013

In interest of accurately modelling wellbore production in convective geothermal systems, we draw attention to two approaches to numerical simulation of crustal fluid flow. The historical "strong" approach simulates the fluid mass conservation condition on a localised finite difference mesh approximation to poroelastic continua. The more flexible "weak" approach globally enforces fluid mass conservation by in effect integrating over all numerical mesh cells. Strong formulation crustal flow simulation emerged from n [...]

by Keita Kiuchi  , Katsumasa Kishi  and Kanto Araki

Received: 23 December 2020;  Published: 17 March 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2101010

This study investigated the physical and psychological impacts of elements related to coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and demographic data in Japan both directly and as mediated by stressors, immediately following the rescinding of the state of emergency declaration accompanying the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 outbreak. An online survey was administered to 1,500 Japanese registered with an online outsourcing service. Data were analyzed with structural equation modeling using Mplus. Relatively lar [...]