bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The impact of intraperitoneal antibiotic administration in patients with peritoneal dialysis-related peritonitis: systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors:   on behalf of Working Group on Revision of Peritoneal Dialysis Guidelines, Morimoto Kohkichi , Terawaki Hiroyuki , Washida Naoki , Kasai Takahiro , Tsujimoto Yasushi , Yuasa Hidemichi , Ryuzaki Munekazu , Ito Yasuhiko , Tomo Masashi , Nakamoto Hidetomo
Published: April 2020

Background

Peritonitis is a common and clinically important complication in patients receiving peritoneal dialysis (PD). Antibiotic administration is essential for PD-related peritonitis, but routes of administration have not been established enough. Here, we performed a systematic review to assess the efficacy and safety of intraperitoneal (IP) antibiotic administration compared to intravenous (IV) antibiotic administration in patients with PD-related peritonitis.

Methods

Cochrane CENTRAL, MEDLINE, and Ichushi-Web were searched in June 2017. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines were followed, and articles were screened by four independent reviewers.

Results

Two randomized controlled trials (113 patients) were identified. IP antibiotic administration was more effective than IV antibiotic administration. The pooled risk difference between IP and IV was 0.13 (95% CI − 0.17 to 0.43). Safety assessment indicated less frequency of side effects in patients receiving IP antibiotic administration. The pooled risk ratios of IV to IP regarding adverse drug reaction-related and administration route-related side effects were 5.13 (0.63 to 41.59) and 3.00 (0.14 to 65.90), respectively.

Conclusion

The systematic review and meta-analysis suggested that IP antibiotic administration is more effective and safer in patients with PD-related peritonitis compared to IV antibiotic administration.
Does mobile instant messaging facilitate social presence in online communication? A two-stage study of higher education students
Authors: Tang Ying , Hew Khe Foon
Published: April 2020

Online social presence supports student learning by making group interactions more appealing and has become a central concept in computer-mediated communication. However, questions remain over how social presence is presented in a mobile instant messaging (MIM)-facilitated environment and to what extent MIM can afford social presence compared to a threaded discussion forum. This study offers a new contribution by examining the social presence levels afforded by a MIM app (WeChat) and comparing it with a threaded discussion forum. We present a two-stage study. In stage 1, we analyzed social presence levels in the MIM postings of class A with a validated instrument comprising three dimensions, namely, affective, interactive, and cohesive responses. In stage 2, we employed a historical cohort control experimental research study to compare social presence levels manifested in class A to those in class B who used an online forum. Follow-up interviews were conducted to solicit explanations of the differences in social presence levels. The results show that compared to the asynchronous threaded forum, the quasi-synchronous MIM is particularly suited to promoting (a) expression of emotions (affective social presence), (b) expressing agreement (interactive social presence), and (c) phatics and providing support (cohesive social presence). Four attributes might contribute to the differences including (a) the ease of use of non-verbal cues, (b) location-free digital interaction, (c) presence awareness, and (d) multimodality. The implications for future practices and research are discussed.
Would treatment decisions about secondary prevention of CVD based on estimated lifetime benefit rather than 10-year risk reduction be cost-effective?
Authors: Berkelmans Gijs F. N. , Greving Jacoba P. , van der Graaf Yolanda , Visseren Frank L. J. , Dorresteijn Jannick A. N.
Published: April 2020

Objective

To test the hypothesis that treatment decisions (treatment with a PCSK9-mAb versus no treatment) are both more effective and more cost-effective when based on estimated lifetime benefit than when based on estimated risk reduction over 10 years.

Methods

A microsimulation model was constructed for 10,000 patients with stable cardiovascular disease (CVD). Costs and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) due to recurrent cardiovascular events and (non)vascular death were estimated for lifetime benefit-based compared to 10-year risk-based treatment, with PCSK9 inhibition as an illustration example. Lifetime benefit in months gained and 10-year absolute risk reduction were estimated using the SMART-REACH model, including an individualized treatment effect of PCSK9 inhibitors based on baseline low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. For the different numbers of patients treated (i.e. the 5%, 10%, and 20% of patients with the highest estimated benefit of both strategies), cost-effectiveness was assessed using the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER), indicating additional costs per QALY gain.

Results

Lifetime benefit-based treatment of 5%, 10%, and 20% of patients with the highest estimated benefit resulted in an ICER of €36,440/QALY, €39,650/QALY, or €41,426/QALY. Ten-year risk-based treatment decisions of 5%, 10%, and 20% of patients with the highest estimated risk reduction resulted in an ICER of €48,187/QALY, €53,368/QALY, or €52,390/QALY.

Conclusion

Treatment decisions (treatment with a PCSK9-mAb versus no treatment) are both more effective and more cost-effective when based on estimated lifetime benefit than when based on estimated risk reduction over 10 years
Caspase-8 in Labeo rohita is evolutionary conserved and is activated in Aeromonas hydrophila and Edwardsiella tarda infection and rhabdovirus vaccination
Authors: Samanta Mrinal , Giri Alok Kumar , Paichha Mahismita , Choudhary Pushpa , Saha Ashis
Published: April 2020

Background

Caspase-8, a member of the family of conserved cysteine proteases, plays a crucial role in the initiation phase of the apoptotic death-signaling cascade and thereby attracts interest for its study across the animal species including fish. In India, rohu (Labeo rohita) is an important freshwater fish species; thus, this study on caspase-8 was undertaken to investigate its role during pathogenic invasion.

Results

The complete cDNA sequence of Labeo rohita caspase-8 (Lrcasp8) consisted of 1746 bp nucleotides (nt) having an ORF of 1440 nt encoding a polypeptide of 480 amino acid (aa) residues with the molecular mass of ∼ 54.8 kDa. Structurally, Lrcasp8 comprised two DED domains (DED11-77aa and DED297-174aa) and one CASc domain230-476aa. Within the CASc domain, various putative motifs, viz., a large subunit (p20237-360aa), a small subunit (p10389-474aa), and a penta-peptide (QACQG354-358aa) active site, were identified. The secondary structure of Lrcasp8 protein comprised seventeen α-helices, eleven β-strands, and twenty-nine coils. Phylogenetically, it is closely related to common carp caspase-8 and exhibits significant (p < 0.05) similarity (88.3%) and identity (78.7 %) in their amino acid sequence. The tissue-specific expression of Lrcasp8 has been analyzed by quantitative real-time PCR assay, and it revealed the highest expression (~ 23-fold) in the blood and lowest in the spleen. In Aeromonas hydrophila and Edwardsiella tarda infection and rhabdovirus vaccination, caspase-8 gene expression in rohu fingerlings was significantly (p <0.05) induced in various organs/tissues. Infection of the Labeo rohita gill cells with A. hydrophila resulted in apoptosis and cell death with the induction of caspase-8 gene expression.

Conclusion

This is the first report on the identification and structural characterization of caspase-8 cDNA and predicted protein and the analysis of caspase-8 gene expression in Labeo rohita following Aeromonas hydrophila and Edwardsiella tarda infections and rhabdovirus vaccinations. The data in this article together suggest the critical role of caspase-8 during infection and apoptosis in Labeo rohita.
Management and outcome of pediatric metastatic Wilms’ tumor at the National Cancer Institute, Egypt
Authors: Elayadi Moatasem , Magdy Sarah , Khalil Ehab , Zekri Wael
Published: April 2020

Background

Wilms’ tumor (WT) is the most common renal malignant tumor of childhood. Metastatic WT has a worse prognosis than localized disease. This study aims to assess the clinical outcome and different prognostic factors that influence treatment outcome of pediatric metastatic WT cases treated at National Cancer Institute (NCI), Egypt, between January 2008 and December 2015. Medical records were retrospectively reviewed for clinical, radiological and histopathological data, treatment received, and survival outcome.

Results

In the specified study period, 24/103 (23.3%) patients with WT were metastatic at presentation. The mean age was 5.25 ± 2.87 years (range 2.0–12.7). Abdominal swelling/mass was the commonest presentation (70.8%). Only 3 patients (12.5%) had combined lung and liver metastases while 21 patients (87.5%) had pulmonary-only metastases. All patients had favorable histology tumors with no anaplasia. Nine patients (37.5%) underwent upfront nephrectomy. Majority of patients (91.7%) had local stage III disease. Surgical complications were reported in 4 patients; 3 of them had up-front nephrectomy. Only 7/21 patients achieved rapid complete response of pulmonary nodules after 6 weeks of chemotherapy (CTH), and they had a better survival outcome. Patients were followed up till December 2017. Thirteen patients (54.1%) experienced events during the study period including 5 relapses, 6 cases with disease progression, and 2 patients died out of sepsis. The 3-year event-free and overall survival rates were 48.2% and 54.2%, respectively.

Conclusion

Neo-adjuvant CTH followed by delayed nephrectomy seems more suitable approach in our institute. Pulmonary response to neo-adjuvant CTH appears to be a strong predictor for outcome.
Sensitivity of firm size measures to practices of corporate finance: evidence from BRICS
Authors: Hashmi Syed Danial , Gulzar Saqib , Ghafoor Zeshan , Naz Iram
Published: April 2020

Firm size has remained a major area of investigation for researchers from a long time. This study aims at examining impact of different measures of firm size (total assets, total sales, market capitalization and number of employees) on seven important practices of corporate finance which are financial policy, dividend policy, investment policy, diversification, firm performance, compensation and incentives and board structure (corporate governance). Moreover, this study also examines the sensitivity of different proxies of firm size on these practices of corporate finance. Data from BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) have been analysed. Overall results supported the hypotheses. Study concludes that different proxies of firm size are differently related to practices of corporate finance based on sign, significance andR2. All proxies capture different aspects of firm size and have different implications for corporate finance. Thus, this study confirms “measurement effect” in “size effect”. Unfortunately, this means that many of past studies may not be robust and are biased. Researchers thus need to be careful when selecting any proxy of firm size for their research keeping in mind the scope and context of their work. Choosing a proxy thus is a theoretical and empirical question.
An effective stability indicating RP-HPLC method for simultaneous estimation of Dolutegravir and Lamivudine in bulk and their tablet dosage form
Authors: Godela Ramreddy , G Sowjanya
Published: April 2020

Background

A Simple, sensitive, and specific stability indicating reverse phase HPLC method was developed for simultaneous estimation of Lamivudine and Dolutegravir in bulk and tablet dosage form. Effective separation was achieved by injecting10 μL of the standard solution into Xbridge Phenyl (250 × 4.6 mm, 5 μ,100 A0) column, using a mobile phase composition of methanol: buffer (0.1% v/v trifluoroacetic acid in water) (85:15 v/v) and isocratic elution programming have been done at a flow rate of 0.8 mL/min. The eluted analytes detected at 258 nm wavelength. The stress conditions such as acid, base, oxidative, thermal, and photo stability were applied as per ICH guidelines to determine the stability of the drugs in different environmental conditions.

Results

The retention times of Lamivudine and Dolutegravir were found to be 3.4 and 5.0 min respectively. The developed method was linear in the concentration range of 5–15 μg/mL and 30–90 μg/mL for Dolutegravir and Lamivudine respectively. Detection and quantification limits were observed at 3.6 and 11 μg/mL for Lamivudine and 0.50 and 1.5 μg/mL for Dolutegravir. Method validation parameters were within the acceptance criteria of ICH guidelines, and the degradation products were well resolved from Dolutegravir and Lamivudine peaks, which indicate the stability of the method.

Conclusion

The developed RP-HPLC method was highly precise, specific, sensitive, and stability indicating. Hence, the method has the ability to use in quality control department for regular analysis for the estimation of Lamivudine and Dolutegravir.
Examining the effect of smoking on suicidal ideation and attempts: triangulation of epidemiological approaches
Authors: Harrison Ruth , Munafò Marcus R. , Davey Smith George , Wootton Robyn E.
Published: April 2020

Background

Previous literature has demonstrated a strong association between cigarette smoking, suicidal ideation and suicide attempts. This association has not previously been examined in a causal inference framework and could have important implications for suicide prevention strategies.

Aims

We aimed to examine the evidence for an association between smoking behaviours (initiation, smoking status, heaviness, lifetime smoking) and suicidal thoughts or attempts by triangulating across observational and Mendelian randomisation analyses.

Method

First, in the UK Biobank, we calculated observed associations between smoking behaviours and suicidal thoughts or attempts. Second, we used Mendelian randomisation to explore the relationship between smoking and suicide attempts and ideation, using genetic variants as instruments to reduce bias from residual confounding and reverse causation.

Results

Our observational analysis showed a relationship between smoking behaviour, suicidal ideation and attempts, particularly between smoking initiation and suicide attempts (odds ratio, 2.07; 95% CI 1.91–2.26; P < 0.001). The Mendelian randomisation analysis and single-nucleotide polymorphism analysis, however, did not support this (odds ratio for lifetime smoking on suicidal ideation, 0.050; 95% CI −0.027 to 0.127; odds ratio on suicide attempts, 0.053; 95% CI, −0.003 to 0.110). Despite past literature showing a positive dose-response relationship, our results showed no clear evidence for a causal effect of smoking on suicidal ideation or attempts.

Conclusions

This was the first Mendelian randomisation study to explore the effect of smoking on suicidal ideation and attempts. Our results suggest that, despite observed associations, there is no clear evidence for a causal effect.
Coronavirus disease: challenges for psychiatry
Authors: Kelly Brendan D.
Published: April 2020

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) presents two urgent health problems: the illness caused by the virus itself and the anxiety, panic and psychological problems associated with the pandemic. Both problems present substantial challenges for our patients, their families, our multidisciplinary teams and our psychiatrist colleagues. We need good psychiatry, now more than ever.
The Microbiome as a Circadian Coordinator of Metabolism
Authors: Alvarez Yelina , Glotfelty Lila G , Blank Niklas , Dohnalová Lenka , Thaiss Christoph A
Published: April 2020

The microbiome is critically involved in the regulation of systemic metabolism. An important but poorly understood facet of this regulation is the diurnal activity of the microbiome. Herein, we summarize recent developments in our understanding of the diurnal properties of the microbiome and their integration into the circadian regulation of organismal metabolism. The microbiome may be involved in the detrimental consequences of circadian disruption for host metabolism and the development of metabolic disease. At the same time, the mechanisms by which microbiome diurnal activity is integrated into host physiology reveal several translational opportunities by which the time of day can be harnessed to optimize microbiome-based therapies. The study of circadian microbiome properties may thus provide a new avenue for treating disorders associated with circadian disruption from the gut.
Race, Discrimination, and the Cuban Constitution of 1940
Authors: Henderson Kaitlyn
Published: April 2020

After the Revolution of 1933, the Cuban Communist Party reflected an intersection of labor organizers, members of prestigious black fraternal organizations, and the intelligentsia—groups that have previously been framed as distinct bodies of black political activism. I argue that the Communist Party successfully reintroduced critical discussions of racial discrimination on the island during the 1939 Club Atenas colloquium and the 1940 constitutional assembly. Public engagement with race and discrimination had previously been silenced due to the island's famous rhetoric of a raceless nation, created by the writings of José Martí and enforced during the Race War of 1912. Between the Revolution of 1933 and the constitution of 1940, the political landscape of Cuba transformed dramatically. As the traditional two-party system splintered, the Communist Party coalesced to establish themselves as a unique site for black political leadership and operated as the island's most outspoken critic of racial discrimination.
Metabolic labeling of RNA uncovers the contribution of transcription and decay rates on hypoxia-induced changes in RNA levels
Authors: Tiana Maria , Acosta-Iborra Bárbara , Hernández Rosana , Galiana Clara , Fernández-Moreno Miguel Ángel , Jimenez Benilde , del Peso Luis
Published: April 2020

Cells adapt to environmental changes, including fluctuations in oxygen levels, through the induction of specific gene expression programs. However, most transcriptomic studies do not distinguish the relative contribution of transcription, RNA processing, and RNA degradation processes to cellular homeostasis. Here we used metabolic labeling followed by massive parallel sequencing of newly transcribed and preexisting RNA fractions to simultaneously analyze RNA synthesis and decay in primary endothelial cells exposed to low oxygen tension. We found that changes in transcription rates induced by hypoxia are the major determinant of changes in RNA levels. However, degradation rates also had a significant contribution, accounting for 24% of the observed variability in total mRNA. In addition, our results indicated that hypoxia led to a reduction of the overall mRNA stability from a median half-life in normoxia of 8.7 h, to 5.7 h in hypoxia. Analysis of RNA content per cell confirmed a decrease of both mRNA and total RNA in hypoxic samples and that this effect is dependent on the EGLN/HIF/TSC2 axis. This effect could potentially contribute to fundamental global responses such as inhibition of translation in hypoxia. In summary, our study provides a quantitative analysis of the contribution of RNA synthesis and stability to the transcriptional response to hypoxia and uncovers an unexpected effect on the latter.
Requirement for cleavage factor IIm in the control of alternative polyadenylation in breast cancer cells
Authors: Turner Rachael E. , Henneken Lee M. , Liem-Weits Marije , Harrison Paul F. , Swaminathan Angavai , Vary Robert , Nikolic Iva , Simpson Kaylene J. , Powell David R. , Beilharz Traude H. , Dichtl Bernhard
Published: April 2020

Alternative polyadenylation (APA) determines stability, localization and translation potential of the majority of mRNA in eukaryotic cells. The heterodimeric mammalian cleavage factor II (CF IIm) is required for pre-mRNA 3′ end cleavage and is composed of the RNA kinase hClp1 and the termination factor hPcf11; the latter protein binds to RNA and the RNA polymerase II carboxy-terminal domain. Here, we used siRNA mediated knockdown and poly(A) targeted RNA sequencing to analyze the role of CF IIm in gene expression and APA in estrogen receptor positive MCF7 breast cancer cells. Identified gene ontology terms link CF IIm function to regulation of growth factor activity, protein heterodimerization and the cell cycle. An overlapping requirement for hClp1 and hPcf11 suggested that CF IIm protein complex was involved in the selection of proximal poly(A) sites. In addition to APA shifts within 3′ untranslated regions (3′-UTRs), we observed shifts from promoter proximal regions to the 3′-UTR facilitating synthesis of full-length mRNAs. Moreover, we show that several truncated mRNAs that resulted from APA within introns in MCF7 cells cosedimented with ribosomal components in an EDTA sensitive manner suggesting that those are translated into protein. We propose that CF IIm contributes to the regulation of mRNA function in breast cancer.
A (DES)CONFIANÇA DOS BRASILEIROS NA DEMOCRACIA
Authors: Santos Everton Rodrigo , Hoffmann Fábio , Duarte Scarleth
Published: April 2020

O artigo tem o objetivo de fazer uma análise do estado da democracia brasileira a partir de dados longitudinais do Consórcio Latinobarômetro, da Pesquisa Mundial de Valores (WVS), das Variedades de Democracia (V-Dem) e do mais recente Estado Global da Democracia do Instituto para a Democracia e a Assistência Eleitoral (IDEA). O trabalho, portanto, tem dois enfoques: o apoio de massas e o apoio institucional. O argumento central deste artigo é que a democracia brasileira tem apresentado uma queda consistente e constante no apoio de massas nos últimos anos, como também tem perdido terreno em sua dimensão institucional. Dessa forma, o problema que orienta este trabalho é delimitado pela seguinte questão: poderá a democracia brasileira sobreviver apenas sob uma fachada eleitoral, dados os sinais de agravamento em seu estado representados pela queda consistente e constante, não somente do apoio de massas, mas também do apoio às regras de competição, começando a ser menos assistidas e respeitadas pela elite política? Os resultados não são nada promissores para a democracia brasileira, principalmente quando colocados sob a análise de um quadro mais amplo de crise do modelo liberal de democracia pelo mundo, particularmente, pelo latino-americano e pelo brasileiro. A verificação dos dados reforça a máxima de que a democracia requer vigilância constante e de que os seus valores que vêm sendo transmitidos para as futuras gerações são tão importantes quanto uma arquitetura democrática mínima.
EVOLUCION JURÍDICA DEL VÍNCULO BIOLÓGICO EN LA MATERNIDAD: HACIA LA RUPTURA
Authors: Wilmars Frédéric Mertens de
Published: April 2020

Los debates actuales relativos a la gestación subrogada se inscriben en la perspectiva de la ruptura del vínculo biológico en la maternidad. La ciencia aleja siempre más los límites a la procreación. A través del Derecho, el Estado trata de controlar el desarrollo de esta técnica que replantea las cuestiones jurídicas de la filiación materna. La maternidad biológica siempre ha sido considerada como única por motivos jurídicos y políticos. Ahora bien, la ciencia y el Derecho han permitido la emergencia de otros tipos de maternidad. Además, las técnicas reproductivas, la gestación subrogada, así como la inminencia de la ectogénesis conducen a la ruptura jurídica del vínculo biológico de la maternidad, puesto que ésta es posible en un contexto de cambio sociológico que hace prevalecer la libre elección de la (no)maternidad y la igualdad de género ante el hecho de la Naturaleza.
Effect of coffee consumption on fetal renal artery blood flow and amniotic fluid volume in third trimester of pregnancy
Authors: Çöl Madendağ İlknur , Eraslan Sahin Mefkure , Aydın Emine , Madendag Yusuf
Published: April 2020

Objective: Coffee is frequently (one or two cups/day) consumed throughout pregnancy. Although there are a few studies evaluating caffeine effects on pregnancy; however, a diuretic effect of caffeine on fetal kidneys has not been reported. Therefore, after drinking coffee whether changing of amniotic fluid index (AFI) and fetal renal artery blood flow (FRABF, RI, Resistive index; PI, Pulsatility index) were evaluated in this study.
Methods: This clinical study was performed with two groups. For the study group, 63 participants with isolated borderline oligohydramnios who agreed to drink one cup of instant coffee were included in this study while 63 participants with isolated borderline oligohydramnios who did not drink one cup of instant coffee formed the control group. AFI, RI and PI were evaluated both before and after coffee intake.Results: Maternal characteristics of all study population were homogenous. FRABF indices were similar in both before and after coffee consumption. AFI was increased significantly six hours after drinking coffee (p<0.001).
Conclusions: The coffee consumption increased the amniotic fluid volume. However it does not seem to affect on FRABF. According to our study findings, coffee consumption may offer a new opportunity to improve amniotic fluid volume for pregnant women with oligohydramnios.
doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.36.4.1690
How to cite this:Madendag IC, Sahin ME, Aydin E, Madendag Y. Effect of coffee consumption on fetal renal artery blood flow and amniotic fluid volume in third trimester of pregnancy. Pak J Med Sci. 2020;36(4):735-739. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.36.4.1690
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Experiences of expatriate university teachers in a health science university in Saudi Arabia-A Qualitative study
Authors: Asif Uzma , Bano Nusrat , Al Najjar Hend
Published: April 2020

Background and Objective: A large number of university teachers in Saudi Arabia comprise of expatriates. Their experiences are unique in context of the challenges and benefits of academic expatriation. The purpose of this study was to describe the experiences of expatriate university teachers in Saudi Arabia.

Methods: A qualitative descriptive design was used based on in-depth interviews with academic expatriates, recruited through snowball sampling in a Health Science University in Saudi Arabia. The study was conducted from 12 September 2019 to 20 October 2019 after IRB approval. Graneheimian inductive approach was used for content analysis of the data. Standard principles of trustworthiness were applied.

Results: Three major themes emerged as ‘conscious venture’, ‘spirit at work’ and ‘coping strategies’. Each theme had 2-3 subthemes, populated by 14-23 statements.

Conclusion: Expatriate faculty members described antecedents for their motivations at work. They shared their experiences regarding job adjustments, work environment and professional commitment.

doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.36.4.1896

How to cite this:Asif U, Bano N, Al-Najjar H. Experiences of expatriate university teachers in a health science university in Saudi Arabia-A Qualitative study. Pak J Med Sci. 2020;36(4):799-803. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.36.4.1896

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Transcanalicular diode laser assisted dacryocystorhinostomy: A breakthrough in the treatment of acquired nasolacrimal duct obstruction
Authors: Awais Muhammad , Hassan Naqvi Syed Abid , Akram Amjad , Shahid Muhammad
Published: April 2020

Objective: To evaluate the success rate of Transcanalicular Diode laser assisted Dacryocystorhinostomy (TC-DCR) in cases of acquired nasolacrimal duct obstruction (NLDO).

Methods: This Quasi-Experimental study was conducted in Armed Forces Institute of Ophthalmology (AFIO) Rawalpindi, from July 2018 to April 2019. In this study, 73 patients of chronic dacryocystitis secondary to acquired NLDO were treated by TC-DCR under general anaesthesia. Follow up examination was done after one day, one week and three months. Silicone tubes were removed three months after surgery and syringing of lacrimal system done to confirm patency of lacrimal passages. Success of the procedure was documented as absence of epiphora and patent nasolacrimal duct on syringing.

Results: Seventy three patients (males 27; females 46) were included in this study. Mean age of these patients was 51.6±21 years. On completion of this study which was three months after surgery, we found subjective improvement (absence of epiphora) in 86.3% patients and objective improvement (successful irrigation of lacrimal passages) in 93.2% patients.

Conclusion: TC- DCR is a minimally invasive technique of doing Dacryocystorhinostomy and imparts more than 90% success rate. It has additional advantages of good cosmetic results, low complication rate and short surgery and convalescence time.

doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.36.4.1906

How to cite this:Awais M, Naqvi SAH, Akram A, Shahid M. Transcanalicular diode laser assisted dacryocystorhinostomy: A breakthrough in the treatment of acquired nasolacrimal duct obstruction. Pak J Med Sci. 2020;36(4):804-807. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.36.4.1906

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Epidemiological evaluation of subclinical mastitis of dairy cows in Greece
Authors: THEMISTOKLEOUS K. , KARAGIANNIS I. , BOSCOS C. , PANOUSIS N. , KIOSSIS E.
Published: April 2020

Subclinical mastitis, diagnosed by elevated somatic cell count (SCC) in milk, is an important monitoring parameter of dairy cows’ udder health, related to their productivity and welfare. The present retrospective study aims to evaluate the epidemiology of subclinical mastitis (SCM) among the 37 herds of the Holstein Association of Greece participating in the milk quality recording system “ΙΩ”, from the start of 2015 until the end of 2018. The herds’ inclusion criterion was the consistency of monthly SCC recording throughout at least one full year between 2015 and 2018, with a maximum interval of 61 days between two consecutive monthly SCC recordings. Twenty-six herds (8630 cows) in 2015, thirty herds (10763 cows) in 2016, thirty herds (10945 cows) in 2017 and twenty-six herds (9597 cows) in 2018 were included. The prevalence of SCM and chronic SCM, the incidence rate of new cases of SCM, as well as the average somatic cell score and bulk tank milk SCC were determined for each of the four years. The results indicate a progressive deterioration of udder health from the onset of the cow’s productive life until culling. A year-over-year increase in the number of cows with subclinical mastitis led to an overall SCM prevalence of 34.5%, chronic SCM prevalence of 26.9% and a bulk tank milk SCC of 463000 cells/mL, in 2018. The average somatic cell score, a base 2logarithm of individual cow’s SCC, was found persistently above the subclinical mastitis indicative cut-off in all four years, with a peak in 2018. At herd level, the incidence rate of new SCM cases was 12 new cases / 100 cows / month; the highest incidence rate was observed in the early lactation stage group (1-60 days-in-milk), in all four years, reaching a peak of 31 new cases / 100 cows / month, in 2018. In 2018, prevalence of heifers’ SCM and chronic SCM was23.4% and 16.9%, respectively. Despite the adequate average 305-days milk yield (9608 kg in 2018), the results were indicative of poor udder health status, pointed out by reduced duration of cows’ productive life (less than 3 lactations)and lower milk quality (elevated SCC). The severity and wide spreading of subclinical mastitis in Greek dairy herds highlights the necessity of a national mastitis control program, aiming to improve the productive efficacy, management decisions accuracy and quality of produced milk.
Complete vaginal stenosis and hematocolpus in two bitches with a history of GnRH treatment to postpone puberty
Authors: MARINO G. , QUARTUCCIO M. , SFACTERIA A. , CRISTARELLA S. , ZANGHÌ A.
Published: April 2020

Two mixed-breed bitches (18 and 19 months), that had been treated, one year before, with deslorelin acetate implant to postpone puberty, were hospitalized and monitored during their first heat. The heat was presumed by the owners, that observed vulvar swelling in both cases but no vulvar bloody discharge. The following diagnostic procedures were employed: physical genital tract examination, vaginoscopy, vaginal cytology, endocrine assay, ultrasound and X-ray using vaginal infusion of iodum and pneumobladder as positive and negative contrasts. In bitch 1, vaginal cytology and progesterone levels confirmed the presence of an ovulatory “dry” oestrus, without cytological presence of red blood cells, progressing to dioestrus. Ultrasound showed preovulatory follicles and, in the following days, transition to corpora lutea. The caudal abdomen presented a large ovoid cystic structure filled with echoic fluid, next to the bladder. Radiographic scans demonstrated a normal bladder profile, while the contrast medium failed to enter into the cranial vagina. On the basis of these findings, the bitch 1 was submitted to laparotomy 10 days after the end of oestrus. A vaginal dilatation (10x5 cm), from which brown fluid was aspirated, was found and resected together with uterus and ovaries. Bitch 2 had the same diagnostic route and findings, but she was laparotomized 3 months after the heat. During this period no spontaneous regression of the lesion was observed. At laparotomy, the vaginal dilatation (8x4 cm) was only aspirated and the bitch regularly neutered. In both cases, cytology of the fluid taken from the vaginal sac revealed superficial epithelial cells and abundant degenerate red blood cells. Histology (bitch 1) confirmed the vaginal origin of the dilatation and revealed an additional Gärtner duct cyst. The abnormality (hematocolpus) probably originated by an inadequate drainage of proestrous bloody discharge because of a severe vaginal stenosis. A congenital origin of the lesion was unlikely; it was strongly suspected that the treatment of the prepubertal bitches interfered, by an irreversible way, with the normal development of the vagina.
El valor jurídico y práctico del proyecto de artículos de la CDI sobre el derecho de los acuíferos transfronterizos
Authors: Movilla Pateiro Laura , Sindico Francesco
Published: April 2020

Este trabajo aborda el valor jurídico y práctico que puede llegar a tener el proyecto de artículos sobre el derecho de los acuíferos transfronterizos de la CDI, sobre el cual no parece previsible que se vaya a adoptar una convención a corto plazo. Para ello, se toma como referencia el estudio del valor jurídico y práctico que han tenido otros trabajos de la CDI que no han llegado a convertirse en una convención internacional en vigor. Este análisis nos permite apreciar que su aplicación práctica depende no tanto de su forma, sino más bien del valor jurídico de su contenido, es decir, de su naturaleza consuetudinaria o de desarrollo progresivo; y, en este último caso, de su capacidad para generar nuevas costumbres internacionales a través de su aceptación por los Estados.
Las garantías procesales de las víctimas en la normatividad de la Unión Europea
Authors: Anichiarico González Angélica María , Cisneros Trujillo Cástulo
Published: April 2020

Este artículo proporciona una reflexión de las garantías procesales de las víctimas en la Unión Europea, teniendo en cuenta el punto de vista de los actores y la forma en que los Estados y la Unión han influido en su normatividad, que se considera una de las más protectoras y salvaguardas de la Unión Europea. Desde una perspectiva interpretativa, con base en los acontecimientos y la profunda participación, veremos como esta normatividad ha demostrado un avance importante en el interés de proteger y garantizar el derecho a la verdad y la justicia de quienes han sufrido o experimentado las consecuencias de los delitos.
El papel controversial del TEDH en la interpretación del Convenio de La Haya del 25 de octubre de 1980 sobre los Aspectos Civiles de la Sustracción Internacional de Menores: Especial referencia a los casos Neulinger y Shuruk c. Suiza y X c. Letonia
Authors: Celis María Mayela
Published: April 2020

El presente artículo explora la reciente jurisprudencia del Tribunal Europeo de Derechos Humanos (TEDH) en materia de sustracción internacional de menores, y hace algunas reflexiones sobre su posible impacto en el funcionamiento del Convenio de La Haya sobre Sustracción de Menores. Se hace especial referencia a la sentencia Neulinger y Shuruk c. Suiza dictada por la Gran Sala, así como a la “conmoción” que produjo en la comunidad jurídica. A continuación, se examina la sentencia X c. Letonia misma que, tras el asunto Neulinger, ha sido la sentencia más sobresaliente emitida por la Gran Sala de dicho Tribunal Europeo. En particular, se analizan los razonamientos y fundamentos legales de dichas sentencias, poniendo de relieve tanto sus deficiencias como sus virtudes. Asimismo, se analizan sentencias recientes del Tribunal Europeo y su consonancia o divergencia con los principios expuestos en X c. Letonia. Por último, y a la luz de los principios generales adoptados por el Tribunal Europeo, se considera la dirección que debería tomar dicho Tribunal y los tribunales nacionales de los Estados parte.
La garantía de los DESCA a través del dialogo judicial y arbitral
Authors: Solórzano Quintero Juan Felipe
Published: April 2020

El escrito muestra, en primer lugar, la importancia de los derechos sociales, económicos, culturales y ambientales. En segundo lugar, refleja que en la actualidad estos no se encuentran protegidos del todo, en especial en el ámbito del derecho internacional de inversiones. De esta forma los laudos producto de las disputas entre Estados e inversores pueden afectar la instrumentalización de los derechos sociales, ya que restringirían de manera drástica potestades al Estado. En consecuencia, se hace necesario que los árbitros se sometan a los derechos humanos. Para ello, en el Max Planck de derecho público comparado y de derecho internacional se ha desarrollado una teoría conocida como el ius constitutionale commune en América Latina, que permitiría someter a los árbitros no solo a los derechos de las personas, sino que también podría tener en cuenta las decisiones de los tribunales encargados de proteger los derechos humanos v.gr. la Corte Interamericana de Derechos Humanos.
La verificación de noticias y el problema de la inmediatez: análisis de cobertura de una noticia falsa en medios digitales chilenos
Authors: Herrera Cabello Judith
Published: April 2020

La presente investigación tuvo como objetivo estudiar la inmediatez en la divulgación de noticias en los medios digitales y su proceso de verificación. El texto presenta un marco teórico sobre el periodismo, cómo se dio su inserción en la era digital y cómo se realizan las verificaciones de información en la actualidad. Además, se realizó un análisis a una noticia falsa del año pasado: que el jugador de fútbol Cristiano Ronaldo, supuestamente, construiría un hospital pediátrico en Chile. Dicho análisis arrojó que ninguna de las notas escogidas contenía más de una fuente y que ninguno de los sitios realizó ediciones para cambiar los errores.
La visualización de datos para eventos deportivos: emergencia y consolidación de mecanismos informativos basados en tecnologías de la visión en los medios de comunicación
Authors: Plazas Hugo Alonso
Published: April 2020

Este artículo presenta el estudio de las características enunciativas que los medios de comunicación emplean al incorporar la visualización de datos como un mecanismo para el contacto con la audiencia y el provecho de las redes digitales, los servicios de datos y las nuevas técnicas interactivas de presentación de información. El trabajo aborda el reconocimiento de este uso en el marco de eventos deportivos de gran escala, tomando en cuenta los conceptos de deporte, espectáculo, espectador y fanático. En este contexto se recurre a consideraciones culturales acerca de las relaciones establecidas entre los agentes de la comunicación y la apropiación social del deporte. Para esto se analizaron cinco casos de visualización de datos preparados para la Copa Mundo FIFA 2018 a partir de la dimensión enunciativa, que permiten descubrir las relaciones comunicativas establecidas al interior del texto (la interfaz de los dispositivos de visualización de datos) entre el productor, el usuario y los datos deportivos. Con esta aproximación se comprende el manejo de relatos de victoria inscritos en los dispositivos tecnológicos que facilitan tanto la anticipación del evento, como el empoderamiento del usuario, en un marco de flexibilidad temporal y complementariedad informativa que apelan directamente al espectador deportivo en la figura de fanático.
Perspectivas y retos de las técnicas de inteligencia artificial en el ámbito de las ciencias sociales y de la comunicación
Authors: Ramos Pollán Raul
Published: April 2020

En los últimos diez años, los métodos y técnicas de inteligencia artificial (IA) han visto grandes avances, y han pasado a formar parte, en muchos casos, del paisaje habitual desde el cual se abordan nuevos o antiguos problemas en distintas áreas del conocimiento humano. En este avance confluyen distintos aspectos, y en especial tres: la disponibilidad y la variedad de datos de manera generalizada en muchas de las áreas de actividad humana; un entendimiento más profundo de las matemáticas que gobiernan la algorítmica subyacente; y una disponibilidad y capacidad de hardware y del cómputo que permiten una experimentación amplia y profusa de los datos. Teniendo en cuenta estos aspectos, el reto fundamental en cada problema y en cada ámbito de aplicación se enfoca en entender cómo utilizar estas tecnologías, qué alcance pueden llegar a tener y qué limitaciones hay que superar para poder tener resultados beneficiosos de ellas (en términos de costes de producción, valor, etc.). Este reto incluye aspectos como la identificación de las fuentes de datos y sus necesidades de integración y curación; la necesidad y el coste de adquirir o construir datasets etiquetados; la medición de la volumetría de datos necesaria; y la validación de su factibilidad, el planteamiento técnico de las tareas de analítica de datos y su alineación con los objetivos de la aplicación final; etc. Las ciencias sociales y de la comunicación no son una excepción a estos campos del conocimiento ligados a la IA, aunque sí presentan particularidades que definen el tipo de tecnologías y métodos de IA que son más apropiados (i.e. procesamiento de lenguaje natural). La utilización exitosa de técnicas de IA en estas disciplinas corresponde, no solo al conocimiento de las técnicas, sino también al establecimiento de contextos de aplicación factibles, que incluyan la disponibilidad de datos, la complejidad adecuada de la tarea a realizar y los procedimientos de validación con expertos en el área. Este trabajo presenta una introducción a la metodología gracias a la cual se generan modelos de IA, un resumen de los métodos y servicios de ia con más potencial de usarse en ciencias sociales y de la comunicación y, finalmente, algunos ejemplos de aplicaciones que ilustran consideraciones prácticas y técnicas al respecto.
Rates of Convergence to Stationarity for Reflected Brownian Motion
Authors: Blanchet Jose , Chen Xinyun
Published: April 2020

We provide the first rate of convergence to stationarity analysis for reflected Brownian motion (RBM) as the dimension grows under some uniformity conditions. In particular, if the underlying routing matrix is uniformly contractive, uniform stability of the drift vector holds, and the variances of the underlying Brownian motion (BM) are bounded, then we show that the RBM converges exponentially fast to stationarity with a relaxation time of order [Formula: see text] as the dimension d → ∞. Our bound for the relaxation time follows as a corollary of the nonasymptotic bound we obtain for the initial transient effect, which is explicit in terms of the RBM parameters.
Cultural Entrepreneurship in Corporate Governance Practice Diffusion: Framing of “Independent Directors” by U.S.-Listed Chinese Companies
Authors: Park Sun Hyun , Zhang Yanlong
Published: April 2020

Although the diversity of cultural expectations for different corporate governance practices has been acknowledged, our understanding of how companies use cultural differences to legitimize their governance practice choice and facilitate their resource acquisition remains limited. Building on the literature on cultural entrepreneurship, we theorize how foreign-listed firms engage in global framing in tailoring the description of their new governance practice to the host country investors. Our empirical study examines the relative emphasis of monitoring over resource-providing roles by the U.S.-listed Chinese companies’ independent directors when their roles are understood differently in the home and host countries. Our study finds that exposure to the alternative cultural repertoire of a host country via overseas education of board members and foreign institutional ownership enhance a firm’s organizational resources available to engage in global framing. The likelihood of global framing, however, is constrained by the home country’s institutional environment, which is characterized by local business history and connections to strong local resource providers such as the state. We also find that the effectiveness of global framing to obtain investor recognition in the host country is restricted when the company lacks the capacity to implement the declared role of independent director-as-monitor in its home country.
Expert knowledge for the recognition of leukemic cells
Authors: Ochoa-Montiel Rocio , Olague Gustavo , Sossa Humberto
Published: April 2020

This work shows the advantage of expert knowledge for leukemic cell recognition. In the medical area, visual analysis of microscopic images has regularly used biological samples to recognize hematological disorders. Nowadays, techniques of image recognition are needed to achieve an adequate identification of blood tissues. This paper presents a procedure to acquire expert knowledge from blood cell images. We apply Gaussian mixtures, evolutionary computing, and standard techniques of image processing to extract knowledge. This information feeds a support vector machine or multilayer perceptron to classify healthy or leukemic cells. Additionally, convolutional neural networks are used as a benchmark to compare our proposed method with the state of the art. We use a public database of 260 healthy and leukemic cell images. Results show that our traditional pattern recognition methodology matches deep learning accuracy since the recognition of blood cells achieves 99.63%, whereas the convolutional neural networks reach 97.74% on average. Moreover, the computational effort of our approach is minimal, while meeting the requirement of being explainable.
Testing of large-aperture aspheric mirrors using a single coated lens
Authors: Ye Lu , Wang Wei , Zhang Xiangchao , Xu Min , Zhang Jinping , Zheng Liehua
Published: April 2020

The measurement of aspheric surfaces is very difficult and challenging. An optical system with a single coated lens is proposed for measuring large-aperture aspheric convex/concave surfaces. In this system, the first surface of the compensator is used as an auto-collimation surface, which can realize high-precision null compensation. Based on the third-order aberration theory, the initial design parameters of the system are obtained by analytical calculation, and the parameters are then optimized numerically. An oblate spheroid with an equivalent aperture of 426 mm is taken as an example, and the measuring accuracy of the proposed method can achieve

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