bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Prospective, Randomized Investigation of Syndesmosis Injury Fixation
Authors: Giza Eric , Oliver Todd , Barousse Patrick S. , Allen Tyler , Shelton Trevor , Sarcon Aida K. , Sathy Ashoke , Faerber Wade , Lin Johnny L. , Stannard James P. , Crist Brett , Rocca Gregory J. Della , Ronan James , Kreulen Christopher D.
Published: July 2020

Category:

Ankle; Trauma

Introduction/Purpose:

Syndesmotic disruption occurs in 10 to 13% of all ankle fractures. It is present in 15 cases per 100,000 of the general population. There has been debate on the best treatment for syndesmotic injuries. The typical surgical treatments include fixation with either screws or suture button devices. The purpose of this study is to compare clinical outcomes of syndesmotic injuries treated surgically with either screws or suture button devices. It was hypothesized that suture button fixation would provide equal clinical results with less need for hardware removal.

Methods:

This was a multi-center, randomized, prospective clinical trial comparing two surgical interventions for treatment of acute syndesmotic injury. Subjects were placed into either screw fixation or the Suture-button device group. Subjects with clinical signs or radiographic evidence of syndesmotic injury were asked to participate in this study. Inclusion criteria was ages 18 to 65 years old with confirmed syndesmotic instability. The primary outcomes of the study were VAS scores (activity, pain, satisfaction) and FFI scores (pain, disability, activity) which were collected at preoperative state, 6 weeks, and 12 months postoperatively.

Results:

Sixty-five subjects were enrolled in this study. Thirty-two subjects received Suture-button fixation (49%) and 33 received screw fixation (51%). VAS scores and FFI scores for subjects treated with the Suture-button device or screw fixation comparing preoperative, six-week, and 12-month scores all showed clinical improvement. There was no significant difference between the two treatment groups (p >0.05).Nine subjects (27%) in the syndesmotic screw fixation group experienced adverse events, and only one subject (3%) in the suture-button group had adverse event.

Conclusion:

The short-term clinical outcomes suggest that both syndesmotic screws and suture-button devices are effective treatment options to address acute syndesmotic injuries. In the short-term (12-months), suture-button fixation resulted in significantly less adverse events compared to syndesmotic screw fixation group.
Treatment of nontuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease: an official ATS/ERS/ESCMID/IDSA clinical practice guideline
Authors: Daley Charles L. , Iaccarino Jonathan M. , Lange Christoph , Cambau Emmanuelle , Wallace Richard J. , Andrejak Claire , Böttger Erik C. , Brozek Jan , Griffith David E. , Guglielmetti Lorenzo , Huitt Gwen A. , Knight Shandra L. , Leitman Philip , Marras Theodore K. , Olivier Kenneth N. , Santin Miguel , Stout Jason E. , Tortoli Enrico , van Ingen Jakko , Wagner Dirk , Winthrop Kevin L.
Published: July 2020

Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) represent over 190 species and subspecies, some of which can produce disease in humans of all ages and can affect both pulmonary and extrapulmonary sites. This guideline focuses on pulmonary disease in adults (without cystic fibrosis or human immunodeficiency virus infection) caused by the most common NTM pathogens such asMycobacterium aviumcomplex,Mycobacterium kansasii, andMycobacterium xenopiamong the slowly growing NTM andMycobacterium abscessusamong the rapidly growing NTM. A panel of experts was carefully selected by leading international respiratory medicine and infectious diseases societies (ATS, ERS, ESCMID, IDSA) and included specialists in pulmonary medicine, infectious diseases and clinical microbiology, laboratory medicine, and patient advocacy. Systematic reviews were conducted around each of 22 PICO (Population, Intervention, Comparator, Outcome) questions and the recommendations were formulated, written, and graded using the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation) approach. Thirty-one evidence-based recommendations about treatment of NTM pulmonary disease are provided. This guideline is intended for use by healthcare professionals who care for patients with NTM pulmonary disease, including specialists in infectious diseases and pulmonary diseases.
Meta-analysis for milk fat and protein percentage using imputed sequence variant genotypes in 94,321 cattle from eight cattle breeds
Authors: van den Berg Irene , Xiang Ruidong , Jenko Janez , Pausch Hubert , Boussaha Mekki , Schrooten Chris , Tribout Thierry , Gjuvsland Arne B. , Boichard Didier , Nordbø Øyvind , Sanchez Marie-Pierre , Goddard Mike E.
Published: July 2020

Background

Sequence-based genome-wide association studies (GWAS) provide high statistical power to identify candidate causal mutations when a large number of individuals with both sequence variant genotypes and phenotypes is available. A meta-analysis combines summary statistics from multiple GWAS and increases the power to detect trait-associated variants without requiring access to data at the individual level of the GWAS mapping cohorts. Because linkage disequilibrium between adjacent markers is conserved only over short distances across breeds, a multi-breed meta-analysis can improve mapping precision.

Results

To maximise the power to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL), we combined the results of nine within-population GWAS that used imputed sequence variant genotypes of 94,321 cattle from eight breeds, to perform a large-scale meta-analysis for fat and protein percentage in cattle. The meta-analysis detected (p ≤ 10−8) 138 QTL for fat percentage and 176 QTL for protein percentage. This was more than the number of QTL detected in all within-population GWAS together (124 QTL for fat percentage and 104 QTL for protein percentage). Among all the lead variants, 100 QTL for fat percentage and 114 QTL for protein percentage had the same direction of effect in all within-population GWAS. This indicates either persistence of the linkage phase between the causal variant and the lead variant across breeds or that some of the lead variants might indeed be causal or tightly linked with causal variants. The percentage of intergenic variants was substantially lower for significant variants than for non-significant variants, and significant variants had mostly moderate to high minor allele frequencies. Significant variants were also clustered in genes that are known to be relevant for fat and protein percentages in milk.

Conclusions

Our study identified a large number of QTL associated with fat and protein percentage in dairy cattle. We demonstrated that large-scale multi-breed meta-analysis reveals more QTL at the nucleotide resolution than within-population GWAS. Significant variants were more often located in genic regions than non-significant variants and a large part of them was located in potentially regulatory regions.
Identification of tRFs and phasiRNAs in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and their responses to exogenous abscisic acid
Authors: Luan Wei , Dai Ya , Li Xin-Yu , Wang Yan , Tao Xiang , Li Cai-Xia , Mao Ping , Ma Xin-Rong
Published: July 2020

Background

The non-coding small RNA tRFs (tRNA-derived fragments) and phasiRNAs (plant-specific) exert important roles in plant growth, development and stress resistances. However, whether the tRFs and phasiRNAs respond to the plant important stress hormone abscisic acid (ABA) remain enigma.

Results

Here, the RNA-sequencing was implemented to decipher the landscape of tRFs and phasiRNAs in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) leaves and their responses when foliar spraying exogenous ABA after 24 h. In total, 733 tRFs and 137 phasiRNAs were detected. The tRFs were mainly derived from the tRNAAla transporting alanine, which tended to be cleaved at the 5’terminal guanine site and D loop uracil site to produce tRFAla with length of 20 nt. Most of phasiRNAs originated from NBS-LRR resistance genes. Expression analysis revealed that 156 tRFs and 68 phasiRNAs expressed differentially, respectively. Generally, exogenous ABA mainly inhibited the expression of tRFs and phasiRNAs. Furthermore, integrating analysis of target gene prediction and transcriptome data presented that ABA significantly downregulated the abundance of phsaiRNAs associated with biological and abiotic resistances. Correspondingly, their target genes such as AP2/ERF, WRKY and NBS-LRR, STK and RLK, were mainly up-regulated.

Conclusions

Combined with the previous analysis of ABA-response miRNAs, it was speculated that ABA can improve the plant resistances to various stresses by regulating the expression and interaction of small RNAs (such as miRNAs, tRFs, phasiRNAs) and their target genes. This study enriches the plant tRFs and phasiRNAs, providing a vital basis for further investigating ABA response-tRFs and phasiRNAs and their functions in biotic and abiotic stresses.
Prehospital administration of blood products: experiences from a Finnish physician-staffed helicopter emergency medical service
Authors: Vuorinen Pauli , Kiili Joonas-Eemeli , Setälä Piritta , Kämäräinen Antti , Hoppu Sanna
Published: July 2020

Background

Massive infusions of crystalloids into bleeding hypotensive patients can worsen the outcome. Military experience suggests avoiding crystalloids using early damage control resuscitation with blood components in out of hospital setting. Civilian emergency medical services have since followed this idea. We describe our red blood cell protocol in helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) and initial experience with prehospital blood products from the first 3 years after implementation.

Methods

We performed an observational study of patients attended by the HEMS unit between 2015 and 2018 to whom packed red blood cells, freeze-dried plasma, or both were transfused. The Student’s two-sided T-test was used to compare vitals in prehospital phase with those at the hospital’s emergency department. A p-value < 0.05 was considered significant.

Results

Altogether, 62 patients received prehospital transfusions. Of those, 48 (77%) were trauma patients and most (n = 39, 81%) suffered blunt trauma. The transfusion began at a median of 33 (IQR 21–47) minutes before hospital arrival. Median systolic blood pressure showed an increase from 90 mmHg (IQR 75–111 mmHg) to 107 mmHg (IQR 80–124 mmHg; P < 0.026) during the prehospital phase. Four units of red blood cells were handled incorrectly when unused red blood cells were returned and required disposal during a three-year period. There were no reported adverse effects from prehospital transfusions.

Conclusion

We treated two patients per month with prehospital blood products. A prehospital physician-staffed HEMS unit carrying blood products is a feasible and safe method to start transfusion roughly 30 min before arrival to the hospital.

Trial registration

The study was retrospectively registered by the Tampere University Hospital’s Medical Director (R19603) 5.11.2019.
Comparison of clinical features and outcomes between patients with early and delayed lupus nephritis
Authors: Ahn Sung Soo , Yoo Juyoung , Jung Seung Min , Song Jason Jungsik , Park Yong-Beom , Lee Sang-Won
Published: July 2020

Background

Lupus nephritis is associated with increased risk of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and all-cause mortality. We evaluated the clinical features and outcomes of patients with early and delayed lupus nephritis.

Methods

The medical records of 171 patients who met the 1997 revised classification criteria for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) with pathologic confirmation of lupus nephritis were reviewed. Early lupus nephritis was defined when lupus nephritis was histopathologically confirmed as the first clinical manifestation of SLE, whereas delayed lupus nephritis was defined as lupus nephritis that was identified after the diagnosis of SLE. Clinical and laboratory data, as well as kidney histopathology and medication usage were investigated. Kaplan-Meier and Cox-proportional hazard analysis was performed to compare the outcomes of early and delayed lupus nephritis and evaluate factors associated with ESRD and all-cause mortality.

Results

Patients with early lupus nephritis had higher disease activity (median non-renal SLE disease activity index-2000, 6.0 vs. 4.0; p < 0.001) and more frequent skin rash, oral ulcer and serositis; however, the proportion of patients with higher renal chronicity index was greater in the delayed lupus nephritis group (p = 0.007). Nevertheless, no difference was found regarding ESRD and all-cause mortality between the groups. In Cox-proportional hazard analysis, C-reactive protein level, creatinine level and chronicity index were factors associated with ESRD, while age and haemoglobin level were associated with all-cause mortality.

Conclusions

In conclusion, clinical outcomes of early and delayed lupus nephritis are not significantly different. Rigorous adherence to current treatment recommendations is essential for the treatment of lupus nephritis.
Factors affecting quality of end-of-life hospital care - a qualitative analysis of free text comments from the i-CODE survey in Norway
Authors: Hansen Marit Irene Tuen , Haugen Dagny Faksvåg , Sigurdardottir Katrin Ruth , Kvikstad Anne , Mayland Catriona R. , Schaufel Margrethe Aase ,   on behalf of the ERANet-LAC CODE project group, Haugen Dagny Faksvåg , Sigurdardottir Katrin Ruth , Hansen Marit Irene Tuen , Hufthammer Karl Ove , Leppert Wojciech , Wolszczak Katarzyna , Yanneo Eduardo Garcia , Tripodoro Vilma , Goldraij Gabriel , Weber Martin , Gerlach Christina , Zambon Lair , Passarini Juliana Nalin , Saad Ivete Bredda , Ellershaw John , Ting Grace , Mayland Catriona , Kvikstad Anne , Gravdahl Eva , Bratke Julia , Bakken Janet , Guldhav Kristin Vassbotn
Published: July 2020

Background

The ERANet-LAC CODE (Care Of the Dying Evaluation) international survey assessed quality of care for dying cancer patients in seven countries, by use of the i-CODE questionnaire completed by bereaved relatives. The aim of this sub study was to explore which factors improve or reduce quality of end-of-life (EOL) care from Norwegian relatives’ point of view, as expressed in free text comments.

Methods

194 relatives of cancer patients dying in seven Norwegian hospitals completed the i-CODE questionnaire 6–8 weeks after bereavement; recruitment period 14 months; response rate 58%. Responders were similar to non-responders in terms of demographic details.104 participants (58% spouse/partner) added free text comments, which were analyzed by systematic text condensation.

Results

Of the 104 comments, 45% contained negative descriptions, 27% positive and 23% mixed. 78% described previous experiences, whereas 22% alluded to the last 2 days of life. 64% of the comments represented medical/surgical/oncological wards and 36% palliative care units. Four main categories were developed from the free text comments: 1) Participants described how attentive care towards the practical needs of patients and relatives promoted dignity at the end of life, which could easily be lost when this awareness was missing. 2) They experienced that lack of staff, care continuity, professional competence or healthcare service coordination caused uncertainty and poor symptom alleviation. 3) Inadequate information to patient and family members generated unpredictable and distressing final illness trajectories. 4) Availability and professional support from healthcare providers created safety and enhanced coping in a difficult situation.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that hospitals caring for cancer patients at the end of life and their relatives, should systematically identify and attend to practical needs, as well as address important organizational issues. Education of staff members ought to emphasize how professional conduct and communication fundamentally affect patient care and relatives’ coping.
Milan criteria in the MELD era—is it justifiable to extend the limits for orthotopic liver transplantation?
Authors: Morgul Mehmet Haluk , Felgendreff Philipp , Kienlein Andreas , Gauger Ulrich , Semmling Katrin , Hau Hans-Michael , Tautenhahn Hans-Michael , Bartels Michael
Published: July 2020

Background

The Milan criteria (MC) are widely used for the indication of liver transplantation (LTx) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Good long-term results have also been reported following LTx for patients exceeding the MC. In this article, we compare the overall and recurrence-free survival of our patients fulfilling and exceeding the MC according to the post-transplant histopathological results.

Patients and methods

Data from 120 patients with HCC (22 females and 98 males) were analyzed. The median patient age was 61 years (Q1, Q3 54.7, 65.4), and the median MELD score was 11 (Q1, Q3 8, 15). The median follow-up period was 53 months (Q1, Q3 16.6, 78). Patients were categorized into established criteria (MC, up-to-seven (UTS), Asan criteria, AFP score), and the outcome of the individual groups was compared.

Results

Seventy-four of 120 patients fulfilled the MC, 86 patients met the UTS criteria, 85 patients fulfilled the Asan criteria, and 79 patients had an AFP score less than or equal to 2. The 1- and 5-year survival rates of all patients were 76.7% and 55.6%, respectively. In total, 14.2% of all patients (5.4% of patients who met the MC, 7% of patients who met the UTS criteria, 5.9% of patients who met the Asan criteria, and 6.3% of patients who had an AFP score less than 2) experienced recurrence.

Conclusions

The outcomes of the patients were comparable to those reported in the current literature. In our population, similar recurrence and survival rates of the patients were noted for patients fulfilling the UTS criteria irrespective of fulfilling or exceeding the MC. Consequently, we consider using UTS criteria as the extended criterion for LTx indication.
TREM2 ectodomain and its soluble form in Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Yang Jiaolong , Fu Zhihui , Zhang Xingyu , Xiong Min , Meng Lanxia , Zhang Zhentao
Published: July 2020

Triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (TREM2) is a receptor mainly expressed on the surface of microglia. It mediates multiple pathophysiological processes in various diseases. Recently, TREM2 has been found to play a role in the development of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). TREM2 is a transmembrane protein that is specifically expressed on microglia in the brain. It contains a long ectodomain that directly interacts with the extracellular environment to regulate microglial function. The ectodomain of TREM2 is processed by a disintegrin and metalloprotease, resulting in the release of a soluble form of TREM2 (sTREM2). Recent studies have demonstrated that sTREM2 is a bioactive molecule capable of binding ligands, activating microglia, and regulating immune responses during the AD continuum. Clinical studies revealed that sTREM2 level is elevated in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of AD patients, and the sTREM2 level is positively correlated with the levels of classical CSF biomarkers, namely t-tau and p-tau, indicating that it is a reliable predictor of the early stages of AD. Herein, we summarize the key results on the generation, structure, and function of sTREM2 to provide new insights into TREM2-related mechanisms underlying AD pathogenesis and to promote the development of TREM2-based therapeutic strategy.
The polyphenol-rich extract from chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa L.) modulates gut microbiota and improves lipid metabolism in diet-induced obese rats
Authors: Zhu Yue , Zhang Jia-ying , Wei Yu-long , Hao Jing-yi , Lei Yu-qing , Zhao Wan-bin , Xiao Yu-hang , Sun Ai-dong
Published: July 2020

The gut microbiota plays a critical role in obesity and lipid metabolism disorder. Chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa L.) are rich in polyphenols with various physiological and pharmacological activities. We determined serum physiological parameters and fecal microbial components by using related kits, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and 16S rRNA gene sequencing every 10 days. Real-time PCR analysis was used to measure gene expression of bile acids (BAs) and lipid metabolism in liver and adipose tissues. We analyzed the effects of different Chokeberry polyphenol (CBPs) treatment time on obesity and lipid metabolism in high fat diet (HFD)-fed rats. The results indicated that CBPs treatment prevents obesity, liver steatosis and improves dyslipidemia in HFD-fed rats. CBPs modulated the composition of the gut microbiota with the extended treatment time, reducing the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio (F/B ratio) and increasing the relative abundance of Bacteroides, Prevotella, Akkermansia and other bacterial species associated with anti-obesity properties. We found that CBPs treatment gradually decreased the total BAs pool and particularly reduced the relative content of cholic acid (CA), deoxycholic acid (DCA) and enhanced the relative content of chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA). These changes were positively correlated Bacteroides, Prevotella and negatively correlated with Clostridium, Eubacterium, Ruminococcaceae. In liver and white adipose tissues, the gene expression of lipogenesis, lipolysis and BAs metabolism were regulated after CBPs treatment in HFD-fed rats, which was most likely mediated through FXR and TGR-5 signaling pathway to improve lipid metabolism. In addition, the mRNA expression of PPARγ, UCP1 and PGC-1α were upregulated markedly in interscapular brown adipose tissue (iBAT) after CBPs treatment. We confirmed that CBPs could reduce the body weight of HFD-fed rats by accelerating energy homeostasis and thermogenesis in iBAT. Finally, the fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) experiment results demonstrated that FMT from CBPs-treated rats failed to reduce the weight of HFD-fed rats. However, FMT from CBPs-treated rats improved dyslipidemia and reshaped gut microbiota in HFD-fed rats. In conclusion, CBPs treatment improved obesity and complications by regulating gut microbiota in HFD-fed rats. The gut microbiota plays an important role in BAs metabolism after CBPs treatment, and BAs have therefore emerged as major effectors in microbe-host signaling events that influence host lipid metabolism, energy metabolism and thermogenesis.
Density and size of lymphoid follicles are useful clues in differentiating primary intestinal follicular lymphoma from intestinal reactive lymphoid hyperplasia
Authors: Li Hsin-Ni , Wang Ren Ching , Chen Jun-Peng , Chang Sheng-Tsung , Chuang Shih-Sung
Published: July 2020

Background

Primary intestinal follicular lymphoma (PI-FL) is a rare and indolent lymphoma and is challenging for diagnosis with endoscopic biopsy specimens. Whole slide imaging (WSI) has been increasingly used for assisting pathologic diagnosis, but not for lymphoma yet, probably because there are usually too many immunostained sections in a single case. In this study we attempted to identify morphological clues of PI-FL in the endoscopic biopsy specimens by measuring various parameters using WSI.

Methods

We retrospectively investigated 21 PI-FL cases, and scanned the HE sections from 17 of these cases with endoscopic biopsy specimens. Sections from 17 intestinal biopsies showing reactive lymphoid hyperplasia were scanned for comparison. The density and diameter of lymphoid follicles and the shortest distance of these follicles to the surface epithelia were measured on WSI. Comparisons of the aforementioned parameters were made between the neoplastic and reactive follicles.

Results

The density of follicles was significantly higher in PI-FL than that of reactive hyperplasia (median 0.5 vs. 0.2/mm2;p < 0.01). Furthermore, the neoplastic follicles were significantly larger (median diameter 756.9 vs. 479.7 μm;p < 0.01). The shortest distance of follicles to the surface epithelia tended to be closer in PI-FL (104.7 vs. 177.8 μm,p = 0.056), but not statistically significant.

Conclusions

In this study we found that in PI-FL the density and diameter of lymphoid follicles as measured from WSI were significantly different from that of intestinal reactive lymphoid hyperplasia. When facing the diagnostic challenge between these two entities in routine practice, pathologists might be alerted by these morphological clues and request for immunohistochemistry for differential diagnosis.
Publication of data collection forms from NHLBI funded sickle cell disease implementation consortium (SCDIC) registry
Authors: Glassberg Jeffrey A. , Linton Elizabeth A. , Burson Katrina , Hendershot Tabitha , Telfair Joseph , Kanter Julie , Gordeuk Victor R. , King Allison A. , Melvin Cathy L. , Shah Nirmish , Hankins Jane S. , Epié Axel Yannick , Richardson Lynne D. ,   for the Sickle Cell Disease Implementation Consortium
Published: July 2020

Background

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is an autosomal recessive blood disorder affecting approximately 100,000 Americans and 3.1 million people globally. The scarcity of relevant knowledge and experience with rare diseases creates a unique need for cooperation and infrastructure to overcome challenges in translating basic research advances into clinical advances. Despite registry initiatives in SCD, the unavailability of descriptions of the selection process and copies of final data collection tools, coupled with incomplete representation of the SCD population hampers further research progress. This manuscript describes the SCDIC (Sickle Cell Disease Implementation Consortium) Registry development and makes the SCDIC Registry baseline and first follow-up data collection forms available for other SCD research efforts.

Results

Study data on 2400 enrolled patients across eight sites was stored and managed using Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap). Standardized data collection instruments, recruitment and enrollment were refined through consensus of consortium sites. Data points included measures taken from a variety of validated sources (PHENX, PROMIS and others). Surveys were directly administered by research staff and longitudinal follow-up was coordinated through the DCC. Appended registry forms track medical records, event-related patient invalidation, pregnancy, lab reporting, cardiopulmonary and renal functions.

Conclusions

The SCDIC Registry strives to provide an accurate, updated characterization of the adult and adolescent SCD population as well as standardized, validated data collecting tools to guide evidence-based research and practice.
Extra-adrenal, non-functional adrenocortical carcinoma presenting with acute abdomen: a case report
Authors: Mirsharifi Alireza , Vasei Mohammad , Sadeghian Ehsan , Ghorbani-Abdehgah Ali , Naybandi Atashi Sara
Published: July 2020

Background

Adrenocortical carcinoma is a rare malignancy, with 43% being non-functional. These may arise from adrenal rest anywhere in the embryonic pathway of the adrenal glands. In the context of extra-adrenal and retroperitoneal tumors, the exact pathologic diagnosis is challenging. The case reported here, to the best of our knowledge, is the seventh reported case of extra-adrenal non-functional adrenocortical carcinoma.

Case presentation

We report a case of extra-adrenal non-functional adrenocortical carcinoma in a 15-year-old Persian boy who presented with an acute abdomen. He underwent surgical resection. Pathologic findings based on immunohistochemistry and cellular morphology confirmed adrenocortical carcinoma. He was treated with mitotane for 24 months. During a follow-up period of 30 months, no recurrence or metastases were found.

Conclusion

Despite the rarity of extra-adrenal adrenocortical carcinoma, presentation with an acute abdomen may occur, and the tumor may be found anywhere in the adrenal embryonic pathway. On the other hand, tumor behavior and prognosis in children may be different from what we expect in adults.
Common variants in LAMC1 confer risk for pelvic organ prolapse in Chinese population
Authors: Chen Juan , Li Lei , Lang Jinghe , Zhu Lan
Published: July 2020

Background

Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) affects around 15% of postmenopausal women in China. Although it has been widely accepted that genetic variants could confer risk for POP, the genetic susceptibility variants remain largely unknown. Previous studies indicated that LAMC1, which encodes the laminin gamma 1 chain and is critical for extracellular matrix, might be a susceptibility gene for POP. The study is to test the correlation of common variants across the LAMC1 gene with POP susceptibility in Chinese population.

Methods

A total of 396 individuals, including 161 unrelated patients of POP and 235 healthy controls, were recruited. Ten SNPs, including rs20558, rs20563, rs10911193, rs6424889, rs10911241, rs3768617, rs12073936, rs729819, rs10911214 and rs869133, of LAMC1, were genotyped using standard Sanger sequencing. The UNPHASED program (version 3.1.5) was used to analyze the genotyping data for allelic and genotypic associations.

Results

SNP rs10911241 was significantly associated with POP risk (χ2 = 10.70, P = 1.1 E-03). The minor allele (rs10911241-G) carriers exhibited an increased risk of the disease (OR = 1.71, 95% CI = 1.24–2.36).

Conclusion

Association of LAMC1 with POP risk in Chinese population strongly supported the involvement of LAMC1 in POP development.
Joint inversion of potential-fields data over the DO-27 kimberlite pipe using a Gaussian mixture model prior
Authors: Astic Thibaut , Fournier Dominique , Oldenburg Douglas W.
Published: July 2020

We have carried out petrophysically and geologically guided inversions (PGIs) to jointly invert airborne and ground-based gravity data and airborne magnetic data to recover a quasi-geology model of the DO-27 kimberlite pipe in the Tli Kwi Cho (also referred to as TKC) cluster. DO-27 is composed of three main kimberlite rock types in contact with each other and embedded in a granitic host rock covered by a thin layer of glacial till. The pyroclastic kimberlite (PK), which is diamondiferous, and the volcanoclastic kimberlite (VK) have anomalously low density, due to their high porosity, and weak magnetic susceptibility. They are indistinguishable from each other based upon their potential-field responses. The hypabyssal kimberlite (HK), which is not diamondiferous, has been identified as highly magnetic and remanent. Quantitative petrophysical signatures for each rock unit are obtained from sample measurements, such as the increasing density of the PK/VK unit with depth and the remanent magnetization of the HK unit, and are represented as a Gaussian mixture model (GMM). This GMM guides the PGI toward generating a 3D quasi-geology model with physical properties that satisfies the geophysical data sets and the petrophysical signatures. Density and magnetization models recovered individually yield volumes that have physical property combinations that do not conform to any known petrophysical characteristics of the rocks in the area. A multiphysics PGI addresses this problem by using the GMM as a coupling term, but it puts a volume of the PK/VK unit at a location that is incompatible with geologic information from drillholes. To conform to that geologic knowledge, a fourth unit is introduced, PK-minor, which is petrophysically and geographically distinct from the main PK/VK unit. This inversion produces a quasi-geology model that presents good structural locations of the diamondiferous PK unit and can be used to provide a resource estimate or decide the locations of future drillholes.
Safety and Acceptability of Thermal Ablation for Treatment of Human Papillomavirus Among Women Living With HIV in Western Kenya
Authors: Mungo Chemtai , Osongo Cirilus Ogollah , Ambaka Jeniffer , Randa Magdalene A. , Omoto Jackton , Cohen Craig R. , Huchko Megan
Published: July 2020

PURPOSE

The WHO now recommends thermal ablation as an alternative to cryotherapy within “screen-and-treat” cervical cancer programs in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). We conducted a safety and acceptability clinical trial of thermal ablation in a Kenyan Ministry of Health hospital among women living with HIV (WLWH; ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT04191967 ).

METHODS

Between August 2019 and February 2020, WLWH age 25-65 years underwent human papillomavirus (HPV) self-collection in western Kenya. HPV-positive women underwent visual inspection with acetic acid, biopsy, and treatment with thermal ablation performed by a nonphysician clinician, if eligible by standard guidelines. A questionnaire was administered after treatment to assess for pain and treatment acceptability. Adverse events (AEs) were evaluated 4-6 weeks after treatment with a standardized grading tool.

RESULTS

A total of 293 HPV-positive WLWH underwent thermal ablation in the study period. The mean age was 40.4 years (standard deviation, 8.7 years). After treatment, 15 (5.1%), 231 (78.8%), 42 (14.3%), and 5 (1.8%) reported none, mild, moderate, and severe pain with treatment, respectively. At follow-up, spotting, vaginal discharge, and pelvic pain were reported by 99 (37.8%), 258 (98.5%), and 46 (17.6%), respectively, for a median of 3.3 (interquartile range [IQR], 2-3), 14 (IQR, 7-21), and 7 (IQR, 3-7) days, respectively. Most participants graded their AEs as mild (grade 1): 94 (95.0%) for bleeding, 125 (48.5%) for vaginal discharge, and 37 (80.4%) for pelvic pain. No grade 3 or 4 AEs were reported. The vast majority (99.2%) were satisfied with the treatment and would recommend it to a friend.

CONCLUSION

Thermal ablation performed by nonphysicians in the public health sector in Kenya proved safe and highly acceptable in treating HPV-positive WLWH.
Characterization of revenue and costs in the optimization of small airport businesses
Authors: Nascimento Marcos Paulo Coutinho , Caetano Mauro
Published: July 2020

This study seeks to identify factors associated with both airports costs and revenues, specifically in the context of small airports. The main variables of airports costs and revenues, applied in small airports, and data from small Brazilian airports was analyzed using statistical and mathematical tools to propose ordinary equations for the relationships identified between the considered variables. The results show the main variables with significant impact on the management of small airports and, from this, the development of a mathematical model serves as a complement to report the cost structure, income and characteristics of small airports business.
Scientific basis for the use of psychological influence in personnel work
Authors: Sepiashvili Ekaterina , Rozikov Manuchehr , Aydarmamadov Ruzador
Published: July 2020

The problem of psychological influence on people is relevant for research both in theoretical and applied terms. A significant increase in interest in the study of communication processes is one of the characteristic features of the development of the modern world. Projects are being carried out in the course of which the features of communication in the educational, industrial, official, political and other social spheres are studied. At present, several methodological approaches that have formed in science can be identified in which the phenomenon of “manipulation” is understood differently.

The paper presents the theoretical and methodological foundations of the study of psychological influence, outlines the guidelines of the studies carried out to date on this issue. Existing theories and methodologies dictate a different understanding of how to relate to manipulations, how to work with manipulative behavior, what is considered an effective solution to the problem of manipulation. In the broadest sense, manipulation is any personal influence on someone or something.

As part of the writing of the article, an empirical study of employees and managers of personnel services of organizations was conducted. The subjects were 50 people aged 22 to 45 years, organizations and enterprises whose profession is of the type “person-person”, because the tendency to manipulate in this case is especially strong. Based on the study, among all the psychological manipulations in the professional activities of the personnel service, nine methods of psychological manipulations (constructive and destructive) created in the course of professional activity were identified.
Minería ilegal aurífera en la Amazonia colombiana: impactos sociales, ambientales y su relación con los cultivos de uso ilícito, a partir del estudio de caso de San José del Fragua, Caquetá
Authors: Romero Peñuela Natalia , Ríos Monroy Julián Camilo , Güiza Suárez Leonardo
Published: July 2020

Las características geográficas de la Amazonía colombiana, sumadas a las dificultades de acceso al territorio y la baja presencia gubernamental, han creado un escenario en el que resulta posible el desarrollo de economías ilícitas, que en muchas ocasiones son fuente de financiación de agrupaciones criminales. En este orden de ideas, en este artículo se caracteriza la dimensión de la minería aurífera en la región, sus impactos en materia ambiental y social,  y su relación con los cultivos de uso ilícito. Todo esto, a partir del análisis de bases de datos oficiales, revisión de la producción científica existente, entrevistas semiestructuradas a mineros y cocaleros que se realizaron en el marco de un estudio de caso en San José del Fragua, Caquetá y derechos de petición a las autoridades ambientales.
Integrating Individual and Aggregate Diversity in Top-N Recommendation
Authors: Çanakoğlu Ethem , Muter İbrahim , Aytekin Tevfik
Published: July 2020

Recommender systems have become one of the main components of web technologies that help people to cope with information overload. Based on the analysis of past user behavior, these systems filter items according to users’ likes and interests. Two of the most important metrics used to analyze the performance of these systems are the accuracy and diversity of the recommendation lists. Whereas all the efforts exerted in the prediction of the user interests aim at maximizing the former, the latter emerges in various forms, such as diversity in the lists across all user recommendation lists, referred to as aggregate diversity, and diversity in the lists of individuals, known as individual diversity. In this paper, we tackle the combination of these three objectives and justify this approach by showing through experiments that handling these objectives in pairs does not yield satisfactory results in the third one. To that end, we develop a mathematical model that is formulated using multiobjective optimization approaches. To cope with the intractability of this nonlinear integer programming model, its special structure is exploited by a decomposition technique. For the solution of the resulting formulation, we propose an iterative framework that is composed of a clique-generating genetic algorithm, a constructive heuristic, and an improvement heuristic. The former is designed to incorporate all objective functions into the generated cliques and specifically impose a certain level of individual diversity, whereas the latter chooses one clique for each user such that the desired aggregate diversity level is fulfilled. We conduct experiments on three data sets and show that the proposed modeling approach successfully handles all objectives according to the needs of the system and that the proposed methodology is capable of yielding good upper bounds.
Prehospital sepsis care in Ireland: an audit
Authors: Mulrooney Nicola , McCluskey Patrick , O'Reilly Martin , Collins Niamh
Published: July 2020

Background:

Sepsis is a life-threatening illness that requires early recognition and treatment. In Ireland, mortality, while improving, remains at 17% for adults and in a range of 2–4% in children aged under16 years. Prompt, accurate recognition of severe sepsis in the prehospital period could improve outcomes in patients with severe sepsis.

Aim:

This study aimed to audit the prehospital care of patients with sepsis against national Irish sepsis clinical practice guidelines and identify areas for improvement.

Methods:

A retrospective analysis of all Dublin Fire Brigade patient care reports over a 1-week period was carried out and patients with potential sepsis and potential severe sepsis were identified. Care was assessed against the national prehospital clinical practice guidelines. Call-taking and dispatch information were cross-checked.

Findings:

The incidence of potential sepsis was 3.7%. It is a condition of extremes of age; 8.5% of patients were aged less than 1 year and 58% were aged above 65 years. While 48% of calls were categorised as high priority, about one-third (32%) were put in a low-priority category, and 37% of the latter were potential cases of severe sepsis. The most common chief complaints at the call-taking stage were ‘breathing problems’ and ‘sick person’.

Conclusion:

Potential sepsis is not infrequent and call-taking information may not capture the potential or severity of sepsis. Education must emphasise the risk in old and young patients. To ensure patients receive timely advanced interventions, call-taking and dispatch systems should ensure that practitioners with the skills to identify and manage sepsis are dispatched to these patients.
Treating sepsis in the emergency prehospital setting with IV antibiotics
Authors: Jadzinski Patryk , Markham Chris
Published: July 2020

Background:

The effectiveness of intravenous (IV) antibiotics for the treatment of sepsis in UK prehospital emergency care is not fully understood. In addition, the views of the key clinical decision-makers in ambulance services have not been documented.

Aims:

This study aimed to provide contemporary, primary data on the opinions of medical directors from across the UK on the use of IV antibiotics to treat sepsis in prehospital emergency care.

Methods:

A qualitative methodology was used. During semi-structured telephone interviews, participants were encouraged to share their personal and professional views on the use of IV antibiotics to treat sepsis in ambulance services. The interviews were recorded and transcribed, and a thematic content analysis using the principles of grounded theory was carried out.

Findings:

Five themes emerged: barriers and enablers; early sepsis recognition; accurate and consistent National Early Warning Score (NEWS) scoring; the need for primary evidence; and standardisation of equipment and protocols. A range of opinions were suggested, with an emphasis on rapid transfers and the need for further evidence.

Conclusion:

There is a drive for early sepsis diagnosis and pre-alerting the receiving hospital. However, there are potential barriers to standardising the approach if paramedics were to collect blood samples and administer IV antibiotics. Additionally, in the absence of UK data on the effectiveness of this treatment, many key decision-makers are reluctant to consider it as a standard approach. Despite this, there is some strong support for using benzylpenicillin for the treatment of suspected sepsis.
The Effects of Intelligence, Emotional, Spiritual and Adversity Quotient on the Graduates Quality in Surabaya Shipping Polytechnic
Authors: Puspitacandri Ardhiana , Warsono Warsono , Roesminingsih Erny , Soesatyo Yoyok , Susanto Heru
Published: July 2020

This research aims to analyze the effects of intelligence quotient, emotional quotient, spiritual quotient, and adversity quotient on the graduates quality of vocational higher education. Data were collected from 217 cadets at Surabaya Shipping Polytechnic who already took an internship as respondents using stratified cluster random technique. This is a correlational and quantitative study using a questionnaire developed from several existing scales and analyzed using Structural Equation Models (SEM) to determine the path of effects and to create the best structural model of intelligence-based graduates quality (IESA-Q). The results indicate that there are direct and indirect effects of intelligence quotient, emotional quotient, spiritual quotient, and adversity quotient on graduates quality, meaning that each quotient has a positive effect on graduate’s quality. The process to create the professional and ethical quality of Surabaya Shipping Polytechnic graduate is dominated by Emotional Quotient (25,2%) and Spiritual Quotient (21,4%), while Intelligence Quotient (IQ) becomes the support as it effects the development process of all quotients, Emotional Quotient (EQ), Spiritual Quotient (SQ), and also Adversity Quotient (AQ). Therefore, based on the findings of this study, the student acceptance requirements are emphasized on IQ and EQ as a basis to develop other quotients in order to generate graduates with good quality. Learning is designed on IQ, EQ, SQ, AQ to control and to evaluate process and product outcomes.
The 'obvious' stuff: exploring the mundane realities of students' digital technology use in school
Authors: Selwyn Neil , Nemorin Selena , Bulfin Scott , Johnson Nicola F
Published: July 2020

This paper explores the ways in which students perceive digital technology as being helpful and/or useful to their schooling. Drawing upon survey data from students (n=1174) across three Australian high schools, the paper highlights seventeen distinct digital ‘benefits’ in domains such as information seeking, writing and composition, accessing prescribed work, scheduling and managing study tasks. While these data confirm the centrality of such technologies to students’ experiences of school, they also suggest that digital technology is not substantially changing or ‘transforming’ the nature of schools and schooling per se. Instead, students were most likely to associate digital technologies with managing the logistics of individual study and engaging with school work in distinctly teacher-led linear and passive ways. As such, it is concluded that educationalists need to temper enthusiasms for what might be achieved through digital technologies, and instead develop better understandings of the realities of students’ instrumentally-driven uses of digital technology.
What are teens doing with media? An ethnographic approach for identifying transmedia skills and informal learning strategies
Authors: Scolari Carlos A. , Ardèvol Elisenda , Pérez-Latorre Òliver , Masanet Maria-Jose , Lugo Rodríguez Nohemi
Published: July 2020

The emergence of new media, devices, narratives and practices has compelled media literacy scholars and professionals to review their theoretical frameworks and methodological approaches. Based on a new conception – ‘transmedia literacy’ – that moves from traditional media literacy to informal learning and participatory cultures practices, the research program behind the present article tries to understand how new generations are doing things with media outside schools and how they learnt to do the things they do. The article begins by describing the transformations of media literacy in recent years as a consequence of the mutations of the media ecology and, in that context, proposes a methodological approachfor analysing the acquisition of transmedia skills in informal learning environments by teens. The article describes, analyses and evaluates the development and initial implementation of this methodology working with teenagers in a high-school in NAME CITY. It ends with a Research Kit that includes surveys, creative workshops, interactive interviews and media diaries with teens between 12-18 years old. The article also describes the evolution of this methodological approach from its original formulation to the evaluation of the model after it was tested, and reflects on the possibilities of developing specific research devices to be applied in transnational research.