BACKGROUND During the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, contact with the healthcare system for cancer treatment can increase risk of infection and associated mortality. Treatment recommendations must consider this risk for elderly and vulnerable cancer patients. We re-analyzed trials in elderly glioblastoma (GBM) patients, incorporating COVID-19 risk, in order to provide a quantitative framework for comparing different radiation (RT) fractionation schedules on patient outcomes. METHODS We extracted individual patient-level data (IPLD) for 1,321 patients from Kaplan-Meier curves from five randomized trials on treatment of elderly GBM patients including available subanalyses based on MGMT methylation status. We simulated trial data with incorporation of COVID-19 associated mortality risk in several scenarios (low, medium, and high infection and mortality risks). Median overall survival and hazard ratios were calculated for each simulation replicate. RESULTS Our simulations reveal how COVID-19-associated risks affect sals.permissions@oup.com.AIMS We aimed to assess the impact of an educational, motivational intervention on the adherence to oral anticoagulation (OAC) in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (AF). METHODS AND RESULTS Hospitalised patients with non-valvular AF who received OAC were randomly assigned to usual medical care or a proactive intervention, comprising motivational interviewing and tailored counseling on medication adherence. The primary study outcome was adherence to OAC at 1-year, which was evaluated according to Proportion of Days Covered (PDC) by OAC regimens and was assessed through nationwide registers of prescription claims. Secondary outcomes included the rate of persistence to OAC, gaps in treatment, and clinical events. A total of 1009 patients were randomised, 500 in the intervention group and 509 in the control group. At 1-year follow-up, 77.2% (386/500) of patients in the intervention group were adherent (PDC>80%), compared with 55% (280/509) in the control group (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 2.84, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.14-3.75; p  less then  0.001). Mean PDC±standard deviation was 0.85±0.26 and 0.75±0.31, respectively (p  less then  0.001). Patients that received the intervention were more likely to persist in their OAC therapy at 1 year (aOR 2.42, 95% CI 1.71-3.41; p  less then  0.001). Usual medical care was associated with more major (≥3 months) treatment gaps (aOR 2.39, 95% CI 1.76-3.26; p  less then  0.001). Clinical events over a median follow-up period of 2 years did not differ among treatment groups. CONCLUSIONS In patients receiving OAC therapy for non-valvular AF, a multilevel motivational intervention significantly improved medication adherence and rate of therapy persistence, and reduced major gaps in treatment. No significant impact on clinical outcomes was observed. © Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author 2020. For permissions, please email journals.permissions@oup.com.Bleeding is a common contributor to death and morbidity in animals and provides strong selective pressure for the coagulation system to optimize hemostasis for diverse environments. Although coagulation factor XII (FXII) is activated by nonbiologic surfaces, such as silicates, which leads to blood clotting in vitro, it is unclear whether FXII contributes to hemostasis in vivo. Humans and mice lacking FXII do not appear to bleed more from clean wounds than their counterparts with normal FXII levels. We tested the hypothesis that soil, a silicate-rich material abundant in the environment and wounds of terrestrial mammals, is a normal and potent activator of FXII and coagulation. Blood loss was compared between wild-type (WT) and FXII-knocked out (FXII-/-) mice after soil or exogenous tissue factor was applied to transected tails. The activation of FXII and other components of the coagulation and contact system was assessed with in vitro coagulation and enzyme assays. Soils were analyzed by time-of-flight secondary ionization mass spectrometry and dynamic light scattering. Soil reduced blood loss in WT mice, but not FXII-/- mice. Soil accelerated clotting of blood plasma from humans and mice in a FXII-dependent manner, but not plasma from a cetacean or a bird, which lack FXII. The procoagulant activity of 13 soils strongly correlated with the surface concentration of silicon, but only moderately correlated with the ζ potential. FXII augments coagulation in soil-contaminated wounds of terrestrial mammals, perhaps explaining why this protein has a seemingly minor role in hemostasis in clean wounds. © 2020 by The American Society of Hematology.A wide range of fungal species is associated with post-harvest spoilage of grapes. However, Aspergillus carbonarius is the primary fungus responsible for the contamination of grapes with ochratoxin A, a mycotoxin causing several confirmed health effects to humans and animals. Aiming to find a method, safe for the consumers, to prevent post-harvest decay and ochratoxin A contamination of grapes, the potential use of essential oils as preservatives was investigated. Essential oils of Origanum dictamnus (dittany) , Origanum onites (oregano) , Origanum microphyllum (marjoram) , Thymbra capitata (thyme) , Satureja thymbra (savory) , Rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) , Laurus nobilis (laurel) and Salvia officinalis (sage) were tested. The essential oil components were identified by GC/MS analysis. A first evaluation of the effectiveness of essential oils was performed in vitro , at a range of concentrations up to 300 μL L -1 . Based on the results of the in vitro tests, the four most effective essential oils ( O. dictamnus , O. onites , T. capitata and S. thymbra ) were tested on Sultana grapes, during post-harvest storage. The four essential oils tested, having the carvacrol and/or thymol as a common component, at a high concentration, significantly reduced, or even completely inhibited the growth of the fungus, in all treatments.  https://www.selleckchem.com/products/Nolvadex.html  As revealed from the results, the essential oils of O. dictamnus , O. onites and S. thymbra were the most effective, causing total inhibition on the growth of the fungus with a minimum concentration of 100 μL L -1 , followed by the essential oil of T. capitata , total effective with a minimum concentration of 200 μL L -1 . Essential oils of O. microphyllum , L. nobilis , S. officinalis and R. officinalis , although they had a significant effect on the growth of A. carbonarius , failed to inhibit its growth completely at any of the concentrations tested.