bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Plasma concentration and expression of adipokines in epicardial and subcutaneous adipose tissue are associated with impaired left ventricular filling pattern
Authors: Toczylowski Kacper , Hirnle Tomasz , Harasiuk Dorota , Zabielski Piotr , Lewczuk Anna , Dmitruk Iwona , Ksiazek Monika , Sulik Artur , Gorski Jan , Chabowski Adrian , Baranowski Marcin
Published: September 2019

Background

Adipokines in serum derive mainly from subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissues. Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT), being a relatively small but unique fat depot, probably does not make an important contribution to systemic concentrations of adipokines. However, proximity of EAT to cardiac muscle and coronary arteries allows cells and proteins to penetrate between tissues. It is hypothesized that overexpression of proinflammatory cytokines in EAT plays an important role in pathophysiology of the heart. The aim of the study was to analyze the relationship between echocardiographic heart parameters and adipokines in plasma, epicardial, and subcutaneous fat in patients with obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Additionally, we evaluate proinflammatory properties of EAT by comparing that depot with subcutaneous adipose tissue.

Methods

The study included 55 male individuals diagnosed with coronary artery disease (CAD) who underwent planned coronary artery bypass graft. Plasma concentrations of leptin, adiponectin, resistin, visfatin, apelin, IL-6, and TNF-α, as well as their mRNA and protein expressions in EAT and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) were determined.

Results

Obesity and diabetes were associated with increased leptin and decreased adiponectin plasma levels, higher protein expression of leptin and IL-6 in SAT, and higher visfatin protein expression in EAT. Impaired left ventricular (LV) diastolic function was associated with increased plasma concentrations of leptin, resistin, IL-6, and adiponectin, as well as with increased expressions of resistin, apelin, and adiponectin in SAT, and leptin in EAT.

Conclusions

Obesity and T2DM in individuals with CAD have a limited effect on adipokines. Expression of adipokines in EAT and SAT is linked to certain heart parameters, however diastolic dysfunction of the LV is strongly associated with circulating adipokines.
Correction to: New paradigm for stage III melanoma: from surgery to adjuvant treatment
Authors: Ascierto Paolo Antonio , Borgognoni Lorenzo , Botti Gerardo , Guida Michele , Marchetti Paolo , Mocellin Simone , Muto Paolo , Palmieri Giuseppe , Patuzzo Roberto , Quaglino Pietro , Stanganelli Ignazio , Caracò Corrado
Published: September 2019

Following publication of the original article [1], the authors reported that one of the authors, Corrado Caracò, has been accidentally omitted from the author list. In this Correction the author has been added to the author list.
Multi-level predictors of psychological problems among methadone maintenance treatment patients in difference types of settings in Vietnam
Authors: Le Tuan Anh , Le Mai Quynh Thi , Dang Anh Duc , Dang Anh Kim , Nguyen Cuong Tat , Pham Hai Quang , Vu Giang Thu , Hoang Chi Linh , Tran Tung Thanh , Vuong Quan-Hoang , Tran Tung Hoang , Tran Bach Xuan , Latkin Carl A. , Ho Cyrus S. H. , Ho Roger C. M.
Published: September 2019

Background

Methadone, a long-acting opioid agonist maintenance treatment (MMT) is used to treat opioid addiction by preventing opioid withdrawal and reducing cravings. However, it is important to note that mental conditions may persist, or even remain undetected while methadone maintenance treatment is ongoing. This study aimed to examine the level of psychological problems among MMT patients at public and private health facilities and identify associated factors.

Method

From January to September 2018, a cross-sectional study was performed in Nam Dinh province, one of the largest epicenters providing HIV/AIDS surveillance and treatment services in the North of Vietnam. 395 male respondents currently receiving MMT agreed to participate in a face-to-face interview. Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) were used to assess psychological problems among patients.

Results

The percentage of patients suffering from mild to extremely severe anxiety was the highest among psychological problems (18%). 2.8% of participants had mild depressive symptoms and the percentage of those having mild or moderate stress was approximately 4%. In addition, the longer treatment duration, the lower mental health scores regarding three types of psychological problems. Respondents who received MMT services in public health facilities were more likely to have a higher score of all psychological problems. Participants who lived with partners or spouse, having higher monthly family income had a lower likelihood of having severe depression and stress status. Freelancers or blue-collars/farmers had lower score of depression and anxiety compared to people being unemployed.

Conclusion

This study suggests that among our sample, MMT patients receiving treatment in public health facilities might have higher rate of psychological problems, including depression, anxiety, and stress than that of those in the private health facility. These results highlight the necessity of taking psychological counseling adequately for MMT patients and psychological assessment should be prioritized in the early stage of treatment.
Benchmarking Monte-Carlo dose calculation for MLC CyberKnife treatments
Authors: Mackeprang P.-H. , Vuong D. , Volken W. , Henzen D. , Schmidhalter D. , Malthaner M. , Mueller S. , Frei D. , Kilby W. , Aebersold D. M. , Fix M. K. , Manser P.
Published: September 2019

Background

Vendor-independent Monte Carlo (MC) dose calculation (IDC) for patient-specific quality assurance of multi-leaf collimator (MLC) based CyberKnife treatments is used to benchmark and validate the commercial MC dose calculation engine for MLC based treatments built into the CyberKnife treatment planning system (Precision MC).

Methods

The benchmark included dose profiles in water in 15 mm depth and depth dose curves of rectangular MLC shaped fields ranging from 7.6 mm × 7.7 mm to 115.0 mm  × 100.1 mm, which were compared between IDC, Precision MC and measurements in terms of dose difference and distance to agreement. Dose distributions of three phantom cases and seven clinical lung cases were calculated using both IDC and Precision MC. The lung PTVs ranged from 14 cm3 to 93 cm3. Quantitative comparison of these dose distributions was performed using dose-volume parameters and 3D gamma analysis with 2% global dose difference and 1 mm distance criteria and a global 10% dose threshold. Time to calculate dose distributions was recorded and efficiency was assessed.

Results

Absolute dose profiles in 15 mm depth in water showed agreement between Precision MC and IDC within 3.1% or 1 mm. Depth dose curves agreed within 2.3% / 1 mm. For the phantom and clinical lung cases, mean PTV doses differed from − 1.0 to + 2.3% between IDC and Precision MC and gamma passing rates were > =98.1% for all multiple beam treatment plans. For the lung cases, lung V20 agreed within ±1.5%. Calculation times ranged from 2.2 min (for 39 cm3 PTV at 1.0 × 1.0 × 2.5 mm3 native CT resolution) to 8.1 min (93 cm3 at 1.1 × 1.1 × 1.0 mm3), at 2% uncertainty for Precision MC for the 7 examined lung cases and 4–6 h for IDC, which, however, is not optimized for efficiency but used as a gold standard for accuracy.

Conclusions

Both accuracy and efficiency of Precision MC in the context of MLC based planning for the CyberKnife M6 system were benchmarked against MC based IDC framework. Precision MC is used in clinical practice at our institute.
Hemoadsorption with CytoSorb shows a decreased observed versus expected 28-day all-cause mortality in ICU patients with septic shock: a propensity-score-weighted retrospective study
Authors: Brouwer Willem Pieter , Duran Servet , Kuijper Martijn , Ince Can
Published: September 2019

Background and aims

Innovative treatment modalities have not yet shown a clinical benefit in patients with septic shock. To reduce severe cytokinaemia, CytoSorb as an add-on to continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) showed promising results in case reports. However, there are no clinical trials investigating outcomes.

Methods

In this investigator-initiated retrospective study, patients with septic shock were treated with CRRT + CytoSorb (n = 67) or CRRT alone (n = 49). The primary outcome was the 28-day all-cause mortality rate. Patients were weighted by stabilized inverse probability of treatment weights (sIPTW) to overcome differences in baseline characteristics.

Results

At the start of therapy, CytoSorb-treated patients had higher lactate levels (p < 0.001), lower mean arterial pressure (p = 0.007) and higher levels of noradrenaline (p < 0.001) compared to the CRRT group. For CytoSorb, the mean predicted mortality rate based on a SOFA of 13.8 (n = 67) was 75% (95%CI 71–79%), while the actual 28-day mortality rate was 48% (mean difference − 27%, 95%CI − 38 to − 15%, p < 0.001). For CRRT, based on a SOFA of 12.8 (n = 49), the mean predicted versus observed mortality was 68% versus 51% (mean difference − 16.9% [95%CI − 32.6 to − 1.2%, p = 0.035]). By sIPTW analysis, patients treated with CytoSorb had a significantly lower 28-day mortality rate compared to CRRT alone (53% vs. 72%, respectively, p = 0.038). Independent predictors of 28-day mortality in the CytoSorb group were the presence of pneumosepsis (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 5.47, p = 0.029), higher levels of lactate at the start of CytoSorb (aOR 1.15, p = 0.031) and older age (aOR per 10 years 1.67, p = 0.034).

Conclusions

CytoSorb was associated with a decreased observed versus expected 28-day all-cause mortality. By IPTW analysis, intervention with CytoSorb may be associated with a decreased all-cause mortality at 28 days compared to CRRT alone.
Cancer-associated fibroblast-derived Gremlin 1 promotes breast cancer progression
Authors: Ren Jiang , Smid Marcel , Iaria Josephine , Salvatori Daniela C. F. , van Dam Hans , Zhu Hong Jian , Martens John W. M. , ten Dijke Peter
Published: September 2019

Background

Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) have been reported to maintain epithelial integrity and to antagonize the transforming growth factor β (TGFβ)-induced epithelial to mesenchymal transition. The expression of soluble BMP antagonists is dysregulated in cancers and interrupts proper BMP signaling in breast cancer.

Methods

In this study, we mined the prognostic role of BMP antagonists GREMLIN 1 (GREM1) in primary breast cancer tissues using in-house and publicly available datasets. We determined which cells express GREM1 RNA using in situ hybridization (ISH) on a breast cancer tissue microarray. The effects of Grem1 on the properties of breast cancer cells were assessed by measuring the mesenchymal/stem cell marker expression and functional cell-based assays for stemness and invasion. The role of Grem1 in breast cancer-associated fibroblast (CAF) activation was measured by analyzing the expression of fibroblast markers, phalloidin staining, and collagen contraction assays. The role of Grem1 in CAF-induced breast cancer cell intravasation and extravasation was studied by utilizing xenograft zebrafish breast cancer (co-) injection models.

Results

Expression analysis of clinical breast cancer datasets revealed that high expression of GREM1 in breast cancer stroma is correlated with a poor prognosis regardless of the molecular subtype. The large majority of human breast cancer cell lines did not express GREM1 in vitro, but breast CAFs did express GREM1 both in vitro and in vivo. Transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) secreted by breast cancer cells, and also inflammatory cytokines, stimulated GREM1 expression in CAFs. Grem1 abrogated bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)/SMAD signaling in breast cancer cells and promoted their mesenchymal phenotype, stemness, and invasion. Moreover, Grem1 production by CAFs strongly promoted the fibrogenic activation of CAFs and promoted breast cancer cell intravasation and extravasation in co-injection xenograft zebrafish models.

Conclusions

Our results demonstrated that Grem1 is a pivotal factor in the reciprocal interplay between breast cancer cells and CAFs, which promotes cancer cell invasion. Targeting Grem1 could be beneficial in the treatment of breast cancer patients with high Grem1 expression.
Description of an integrated management system for invasive mosquitoes at entry-exit ports in Zhejiang, China
Authors: Yang Tianci , Lin Yili , Li Cheng , Xie Guojun , Qian Jun , Yang Jianmin , Ma Xiang , Wang Limin , Qi Runzi , Yu Bin , Zheng Wei , Wu Zhonghua , Zhang Xiaobin , Cao Xuechun , Li Jie
Published: September 2019

Background

As mosquitoes are one of the most harmful creatures in the world, recent high-frequency interceptions of invasive mosquito species have emphasized the need to enhance the biological security of the Zhejiang Province in China. As such, an integrated management system should be implemented to monitor the vectors of mosquito-borne diseases during data digitization and the processing of permanent E-forms and provide an online one-stop identification service.

Methods

This system is a semi-open network built on the latest Microsoft.NET Framework, Active Server Page.NET (ASP.NET) and Internet Information Services (IIS) for the Windows 2000 service as a basic infrastructure platform. This creates a physical separation between the data input as the back-page intranet and the online automated Lucid identification as the front-page internet through the digital interchange platform and security firewall.

Results

This system mainly comprises three core modules: automated statistical analysis of operational data, online vector identification and digital specimen storage management, in addition to accessory modules. The joint analysis of invasive and native data collected between 2011 and 2017 at 14 surveillance points in the Zhejiang Province, excluding Ningbo Port, provided insights into the geographical differences in species abundance and the dynamic nature of seasonal interception within the statistical analysis module. Most importantly, multi-access keys to mosquitoes based on Lucid software were loaded in the module for vector identification. Subscribers can utilize this procedure for the online identification of 2 subfamilies, 10 genera and 33 mosquitoes by selecting any typical morphological feature in the classification system that matches the current images at hand.

Conclusions

Our report suggests that this system can enhance the ability to master the basic information on invasive mosquitoes and satisfy the increasing requirements for public health safety in the integrated management of vector-borne diseases.
Magnitude of metabolic syndrome and its associated factors among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in Ayder Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Tigray, Ethiopia: a cross sectional study
Authors: Gebremeskel Gebreamlak Gebremedhn , Berhe Kalayou Kidanu , Belay Desta Siyoum , Kidanu Berihu Hailu , Negash Assefa Iyasu , Gebreslasse Kfle Tekulu , Tadesse Degena Bahrey , Birhanu Mulugeta Molla
Published: September 2019

Objective

The objective of this study was to assess magnitude of metabolic syndrome and its associated factors among type 2 diabetes mellitus patients in Ayder Comprehensive Specialized Hospital. A hospital based cross sectional study design was used. Binary logistic regression model was used.

Result

A total of 419 respondents (208 males and 211 females) were enrolled; the mean age was 56.39 (SD 10.18), 51.1% of the respondents had metabolic syndrome according to international diabetes federation. Sex and age were statistically associated with metabolic syndrome with [AOR (95% CI) 1.93 (1.057, 3.533) and 1.04 (1.012, 1.072)] respectively. Regular physical exercise, overweight and obesity were statistically associated with metabolic syndrome with [AOR (95% CI) 1.84 (1.002, 3.362), 2.68 (1.518, 4.747) and 3.55 (1.254, 10.074)] respectively. To conclude, Magnitude of metabolic syndrome was high. The associated factors for metabolic syndrome are physical inactivity, inadequate intake of fruits, family history, overweight, and obesity.
Height estimation based on second cervical vertebra measured using three-dimensional computed tomographic scanning in Iranian adults
Authors: Saadat Mostafavi Seyed Reza , Memarian Azadeh , Motamedi Omid , Khaleghi Mohammadreza , Pouromidi Mehdi
Published: September 2019

Objectives

The cervical vertebrae are more durable than other skeletal components, and therefore may be the only remnants of a dead body. The present study aims to investigate the role of several linear dimensions of the second cervical vertebrae measured by Three-Dimensional Computed Tomographic Scanning (3D CT Scan) in height estimation of Iranian adult population. In this cross-sectional study, height determination was performed by measuring 15 indexes of the second cervical vertebrae. Indexes were obtained by screening cervical CT scan of 66 patients (33 males and 33 females) aged ≥ 18 years at Rasoul Hospital. Chi square, T student and logistic regression tests were used for statistical analysis. The significance level was considered to be < 0.05.

Result

In the total population, among the indexes for the second cervical vertebrae, the Max height of the axis (AMA) (r = 0.470, P = 0.0001), Max length of the axis (CMA) (r = 0.320, P = 0.007), and Sagittal max body diameter (DSMC) (r = 0.281, P = 0.019) had a strong and positive correlation with height. The results of this study showed the accuracy of linear dimensions of cervical vertebrae in determining the body height of the Iranian adult population.
Defective angiogenesis in CXCL12 mutant mice impairs skeletal muscle regeneration
Authors: Hardy David , Fefeu Mylène , Besnard Aurore , Briand David , Gasse Paméla , Arenzana-Seisdedos Fernando , Rocheteau Pierre , Chrétien Fabrice
Published: September 2019

Background

During muscle regeneration, the chemokine CXCL12 (SDF-1) and the synthesis of some specific heparan sulfates (HS) have been shown to be critical. CXCL12 activity has been shown to be heavily influenced by its binding to extracellular glycosaminoglycans (GAG) by modulating its presentation to its receptors and by generating haptotactic gradients. Although CXCL12 has been implicated in several phases of tissue repair, the influence of GAG binding under HS influencing conditions such as acute tissue destruction remains understudied.

Methods

To investigate the role of the CXCL12/HS proteoglycan interactions in the pathophysiology of muscle regeneration, we performed two models of muscle injuries (notexin and freeze injury) in mutant CXCL12Gagtm/Gagtmmice, where the CXCL12 gene having been selectively mutated in critical binding sites of CXCL12 to interact with HS. Histological, cytometric, functional transcriptomic, and ultrastructure analysis focusing on the satellite cell behavior and the vessels were conducted on muscles before and after injuries. Unless specified, statistical analysis was performed with the Mann-Whitney test.

Results

We showed that despite normal histology of the resting muscle and normal muscle stem cell behavior in the mutant mice, endothelial cells displayed an increase in the angiogenic response in resting muscle despite the downregulated transcriptomic changes induced by the CXCL12 mutation. The regenerative capacity of the CXCL12-mutated mice was only delayed after a notexin injury, but a severe damage by freeze injury revealed a persistent defect in the muscle regeneration of CXCL12 mutant mice associated with vascular defect and fibroadipose deposition with persistent immune cell infiltration.

Conclusion

The present study shows that CXCL12 is crucial for proper muscle regeneration. We highlight that this homing molecule could play an important role in drastic muscle injuries and that the regeneration defect could be due to an impairment of angiogenesis, associated with a long-lasting fibro-adipogenic scar.
Explicit expressions and integral representations for the Stirling numbers. A probabilistic approach
Authors: Adell José A. , Lekuona Alberto
Published: September 2019

We show that the Stirling numbers of the first and second kind can be represented in terms of moments of appropriate random variables. This allows us to obtain, in a unified way, a variety of old and new explicit expressions and integral representations of such numbers.
Primer on adult patient satisfaction in perioperative settings
Authors: Trinh Lily N. , Fortier Michelle A. , Kain Zeev N.
Published: September 2019

The topic of patient satisfaction has gained increasing importance over the past decade. Due to the impact of patient satisfaction on health care quality, understanding factors that predict satisfaction is vital. The purpose of this review is to examine the literature and identify factors related to patient perioperative satisfaction as well as predictive variables that, if modified, can enhance satisfaction scores of patients undergoing surgery. Our review reports that patient satisfaction scores are affected by modifiable factors such as clinician-patient communication, information provision to patients, and operational function of a hospital. Non-modifiable factors affecting patient satisfaction scores include patient demographics such as gender, age, and education. In order to enhance patient perioperative satisfaction, we suggest that anesthesiologists and surgeons focus their efforts on enhancing their communication skills and providing information that is appropriately tailored to the understanding of their patients.
Retrospective analysis of older travellers attending a specialist travel health clinic
Authors: Darrat Milad , Flaherty Gerard T.
Published: September 2019

Background

Older people represent a significant proportion of overseas travellers. The epidemiology of older international travellers is not well described in the literature. This study aims to identify demographics, travel characteristics and the medical profile of older travellers seeking pre-travel health advice in a specialist travel medicine clinic.

Methods

Records of travellers aged 60 years and older attending the Tropical Medical Bureau clinic in Galway, Ireland between 2014 and 2018 were examined. Descriptive and inferential analysis of data was performed.

Results

A total of 337 older travellers sought pre-travel health advice during the study period. The mean age of the cohort was 65.42 (±10) years. Most of the travellers (n = 267, 80%) had at least one travelling companion. Nearly half of older travellers (n = 155, 46.8%) were travelling with a single companion. Tourism was the main reason for travel for the majority (n = 260, 77.6%), followed by visiting friends and relatives (VFR) (n = 23, 6.9%) travellers. The mean interval remaining before the planned trip was 4.36 (±2) weeks, and the mean duration of travel was 3.16 (±1) weeks. The most popular single country of destination was India with 33 (9.8%) visitors, and South East Asia was the most popular region with 132 (39.2%) older travellers. The majority of travellers (n = 267, 79.2%) had a documented pre-existing medical condition. The most commonly reported medical conditions were hypertension (n = 26, 7.7%), dyslipidaemia (n = 18, 5.3%), diabetes mellitus (n = 12, 3.5%), insect bite sensitivity (n = 11, 3.3%), and hypothyroidism (n = 9, 2.6%). Antihypertensive agents (n = 32, 9.4%) and statins (n = 24, 7.1%) were the most frequently used medications. Typhoid (n = 112, 33.2%) and hepatitis A (n = 84, 24.9%) were the most common vaccinations administered to older travellers at the clinic.

Conclusions

This study provides an insight into the demographics, travel characteristics, and medical profile of elderly travellers seeking advice at a large travel clinic in Ireland. A wide range of travel destinations, diseases and medication use was reported among this group of travellers, which may enable travel medicine physicians to provide more tailored advice and to more appropriately counsel older travellers.
Development and implementation of ISAR, a new synthesis platform for radiopharmaceutical production
Authors: Frank Christopher , Winter Georg , Rensei Fredrik , Samper Victor , Brooks Allen F. , Hockley Brian G. , Henderson Bradford D. , Rensch Christian , Scott Peter J. H.
Published: September 2019

Background

PET radiopharmaceutical development and the implementation of a production method on a synthesis module is a complex and time-intensive task since new synthesis methods must be adapted to the confines of the synthesis platform in use. Commonly utilized single fluid bus architectures put multiple constraints on synthesis planning and execution, while conventional microfluidic solutions are limited by compatibility at the macro-to-micro interface. In this work we introduce the ISAR synthesis platform and custom-tailored fluid paths leveraging up to 70 individually addressable valves on a chip-based consumable. The ISAR synthesis platform replaces traditional stopcock valve manifolds with a fluidic chip that integrates all fluid paths (tubing) and valves into one consumable and enables channel routing without the single fluid bus constraint. ISAR can scale between the macro- (10 mL), meso- (0.5 mL) and micro- (≤0.05 mL) domain seamlessly, addressing the macro-to-micro interface challenge and enabling custom tailored fluid circuits for a given application. In this paper we demonstrate proof-of-concept by validating a single chip design to address the challenge of synthesizing multiple batches of [13N]NH3 for clinical use throughout the workday.

Results

ISAR was installed at an academic PET Center and used to manufacture [13N]NH3 in > 96% radiochemical yield. Up to 9 batches were manufactured with a single consumable chip having parallel paths without the need to open the hot-cell. Quality control testing confirmed the ISAR-based [13N]NH3 met existing clinical release specifications, and utility was demonstrated by imaging a rodent with [13N]NH3 produced on ISAR.

Conclusions

ISAR represents a new paradigm in radiopharmaceutical production. Through a new system architecture, ISAR integrates the principles of microfluidics with the standard volumes and consumables established in PET Centers all over the world. Proof-of-concept has been demonstrated through validation of a chip design for the synthesis of [13N]NH3 suitable for clinical use.
A study protocol for the development and internal validation of a multivariable prognostic model to determine lower extremity muscle injury risk in elite football (soccer) players, with further exploration of prognostic factors
Authors: Hughes Tom , Riley Richard , Sergeant Jamie C. , Callaghan Michael J.
Published: September 2019

Background

Indirect muscle injuries (IMIs) are a considerable burden to elite football (soccer) teams, and prevention of these injuries offers many benefits. Preseason medical, musculoskeletal and performance screening (termed periodic health examination (PHE)) can be used to help determine players at risk of injuries such as IMIs, where identification of PHE-derived prognostic factors (PF) may inform IMI prevention strategies. Furthermore, using several PFs in combination within a multivariable prognostic model may allow individualised IMI risk estimation and specific targeting of prevention strategies, based upon an individual’s PF profile. No such models have been developed in elite football and the current IMI prognostic factor evidence is limited. This study aims to (1) develop and internally validate a prognostic model for individualised IMI risk prediction within a season in elite footballers, using the extent of the prognostic evidence and clinical reasoning; and (2) explore potential PHE-derived PFs associated with IMI outcomes in elite footballers, using available PHE data from a professional team.

Methods

This is a protocol for a retrospective cohort study. PHE and injury data were routinely collected over 5 seasons (1 July 2013 to 19 May 2018), from a population of elite male players aged 16–40 years old. Of 60 candidate PFs, 15 were excluded. Twelve variables (derived from 10 PFs) will be included in model development that were identified from a systematic review, missing data assessment, measurement reliability evaluation and clinical reasoning. A full multivariable logistic regression model will be fitted, to ensure adjustment before backward elimination. The performance and internal validation of the model will be assessed. The remaining 35 candidate PFs are eligible for further exploration, using univariable logistic regression to obtain unadjusted risk estimates. Exploratory PFs will also be incorporated into multivariable logistic regression models to determine risk estimates whilst adjusting for age, height and body weight.

Discussion

This study will offer insights into clinical usefulness of a model to predict IMI risk in elite football and highlight the practicalities of model development in this setting. Further exploration may identify other relevant PFs for future confirmatory studies and model updating, or influence future injury prevention research.
Preliminary diagnosis of medial meniscus posterior root tears using the Rosenberg radiographic view
Authors: Kodama Yuya , Furumatsu Takayuki , Kamatsuki Yusuke , Hiranaka Takaaki , Takahata Tomohiro , Sadakane Masayuki , Ikuta Haruhiko , Yasumitsu Masaharu , Ozaki Toshifumi
Published: September 2019

Purpose

To verify the effectiveness of detecting medial meniscus posterior root tears (MMPRTs) using weight-bearing posterior-anterior (PA) radiographs.

Materials and methods

Twenty-three patients were diagnosed with an MMPRT using magnetic resonance imaging (Group A), with 23 matched individuals forming the control group (Group B). The distance between medial tibial eminence and the lateral edge of the medial femoral condyle (MTE–MFC distance) and medial joint space (MJS) width were measured on weight-bearing PA radiographs, with the knee flexed at 45° (Rosenberg view). Absolute medial meniscus extrusion (MME) was measured on magnetic resonance images.

Results

The MTE–MFC distance was greater and the MJS width was smaller in Group A than Group B (7.7 ± 1.7 mm versus 6.0 ± 1.24 mm and 3.2 ± 0.8 mm versus 4.5 ± 0.7 mm, respectively; P < 0.05). The MTE–MFC distance and MJS width correlated with MME (r = 0.603 and 0.579, respectively; P < 0.05), and the extent of MME was greater in Group A than Group B (4.1 ± 1.1 mm versus 1.8 ± 1.5 mm, respectively; P < 0.05).

Conclusions

MMPRTs increase the MTE–MFC distance and decrease the MJS width, with these measurements correlating to the MME. Therefore, measurement of the MTE–MFC distance and MJS width on the Rosenberg view could be a useful preliminary method for the diagnosis of an MMPRT.

Level of evidence

IV
Role of high-resolution ultrasound in the assessment of abdominal wall masses and mass-like lesions
Authors: Baz Ahmed Abdelrahman Mohamed , El-Azizi Hatem Mohamed Said , Mohamed Mohamed Sayed Qayati , Abdeldayem Ahmed Yehia Ibrahim
Published: September 2019

Background

To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of high-resolution ultrasound in the assessment of abdominal wall masses and mass-like lesions and to provide an overview of the sonographic appearances of different abdominal wall pathologies, 54 patients were included in a prospective study. The patients’ age was ranging from 1 to 75 years. Twenty-eight were females (51.9%) and 26 were males (48.1%); all were evaluated by a high-resolution ultrasound examination, and the results were correlated to the patients’ operative findings and histopathological results as well as the pelviabdominal CT findings.

Results

In comparison to the operative, histopathological, and CT findings, the high-resolution ultrasound had an overall 100% accuracy for abdominal wall lesions, and for hernia cases, it had 100% sensitivity, 100% specificity, 100% accuracy, 100% positive predictive value, and 100% negative predictive value.

Conclusion

The current study had encouraging results regarding the role of high-resolution ultrasound in the assessment of abdominal wall masses and mass-like lesions; nevertheless, it is considered as an effective and simple diagnostic tool that may limit the patients’ exposure to invasive biopsies and to the hazardous exposure to ionizing radiation and contrast media administration like that in CT examination.
Noninvasive tool for the diagnosis of NAFLD in association with atherosclerotic cardiovascular risk
Authors: Musa Nevine I. , Safwat Eslam , Abdelhakam Sara M. , Farid Amir M. , Hetta Waleed M.
Published: September 2019

Background

Whether the severity of liver histology in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is associated with more pronounced cardiovascular disease is unsettled. There is a need to develop a noninvasive tool to help its diagnosis in association with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. We aimed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of NAFLD-liver fat score (NAFLD-LFS) and carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) in magnetic resonance imaging-proved NAFLD. The study comprised 60 patients with NAFLD during the period from October 2015 to June 2017, diagnosed by clinical features, laboratory tests, and magnetic resonance study. Thirty healthy subjects served as controls. All included individuals were subjected to anthropometric measurements and measurement of NAFLD-LFS and CIMT.

Results

On doing ultrasonography, 30 cases showed mild, 24 showed moderate, and 6 cases showed severe steatosis. NAFLD-LFS at a cutoff value of − 1.628 showed a sensitivity of 96.7%, specificity 100%, positive predictive value 100%, negative predictive value 93.8%, and accuracy 97.8%. CIMT at a cutoff value of 0.6 had a sensitivity of 70%, specificity 53.3%, positive predictive value 75%, negative predictive value 47.1%, and accuracy 64.4%. The combination of CIMT at cutoff 0.7 and NAFLD-LFS at cutoff − 1.628 showed sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and diagnostic accuracy of 100%.

Conclusion

CIMT combined with NAFLD-LFS can produce a simple noninvasive tool for diagnosis of NAFLD.
Psychiatric assessment of adults in care proceedings
Authors: Nathan Rajan , Scarisbrick Ruth , Brown Gaynor
Published: September 2019

Psychiatric assessments of adults involved in care proceedings can play a critical role in assisting the family court to resolve proceedings justly. To properly carry out this role, the psychiatric expert should have an up-to-date understanding of the wider context within which they are working. This article outlines the legal framework of care proceedings in England and Wales and summarises the key aspects of the process. The duties of the expert and how the expert is engaged are explained. Finally, guidance is presented on how the expert should approach questions that are commonly raised in these proceedings.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

After reading this article you will be able to:

•

appreciate the legal framework relevant to care proceedings in England and Wales

•

recognise the circumstances in which expert psychiatric evidence relating to adults in care proceedings is commissioned

•

understand the common questions posed to expert psychiatrists undertaking assessments of adults in care proceedings and develop an assessment framework.
Proposal for Value-Based, Tiered Reimbursement for Tumor Biomarker Tests to Promote Innovation and Evidence Generation
Authors: Dinan Michaela A. , Lyman Gary H. , Schilsky Richard L. , Hayes Daniel F.
Published: September 2019

Cancer precision medicine depends on high-quality tumor biomarker tests (TBTs) for treatment selection. TBT reimbursement within the United States in the current regulatory environment is not tied to premarket evidence of clinical utility, resulting in a vicious cycle wherein low-level evidence of utility leads to poor reimbursement, thereby impeding investment in developing new, clinically valuable TBTs supported by high-level evidence. Rational, value-based TBT pricing presents many practical challenges. Precise one-to-one mapping of reimbursement to cost savings or cost effectiveness is precluded by an absence of formal cost-effectiveness analyses for many emerging TBTs, and for more established TBTs, it has become clear that such analyses may yield wildly variable, subjective estimates. To address these challenges, we propose a system of tiered reimbursement that rewards development of high-quality TBTs within specific use contexts, supported by strong evidence of analytic validity and clinical utility. We propose three use contexts of TBTs, each defined by its influence on treatment decisions relative to the current standard of care—Opt-Out, Opt-In, and the use of appropriate, alternative, effective therapies (Opt-Alt). By ensuring minimum levels of reimbursement, this system provides a return on investment to encourage and support the research and development needed to generate high levels of evidence for claims of clinical utility for TBTs by using a robust, objective, and value-based system. We believe our proposed evaluation system will serve as a practical starting point to raise the bar for TBT quality and utility, which has the potential to redirect health care dollars from futile or ineffective treatment to investment in the development of high-quality TBTs needed for safe and effective precision cancer care.
Functional Hierarchy of Uterotonics Required for Successful Parturition in Mice
Authors: Yoshida Masahide , Takayanagi Yuki , Ichino-Yamashita Azusa , Sato Kei , Sugimoto Yukihiko , Kimura Tadashi , Nishimori Katsuhiko
Published: September 2019

Parturition is an essential process in placental mammals for giving birth to offspring. However, the molecular machineries of parturition are not fully understood. We investigated whether oxytocin plays a crucial role in the progress of parturition in cooperation with the prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α) receptor. We first examined alterations in the expression of uterine contraction-associated genes in uteri of oxytocin receptor–deficient mice (Oxtr−/−) during parturition. We found that induction of cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 and connexin 43 expression was impaired in Oxtr−/−, whereas that of PGF2α receptor expression was not. We next generated mice with double knockout of genes for the oxytocin receptor/oxytocin and PGF2α receptor (Oxtr−/−;Ptgfr−/− and Oxt−/−;Ptgfr−/−) and evaluated their parturition with Oxtr−/−, Oxt−/−, Ptgfr−/−, and wild-type mice. In Oxtr−/−;Ptgfr−/− and Oxt−/−;Ptgfr−/−, pregnancy rates were similar to those of other genotypes. However, normal parturition was not observed in Oxtr−/−;Ptgfr−/− or Oxt−/−;Ptgfr−/− because of persistent progesterone from the corpus luteum, as observed in Ptgfr−/−. We administered RU486, a progesterone antagonist, to Ptgfr−/−, Oxtr−/−;Ptgfr−/−, and Oxt−/−;Ptgfr−/− on gestation day 19. These mice were able to deliver a living first pup and the parturition onset was similar to that in Ptgfr−/−. Meanwhile, unlike Ptgfr−/−, ∼75% of Oxtr−/−;Ptgfr−/− and Oxt−/−;Ptgfr−/− administered RU486 remained in labor at 24 hours after the onset of parturition. All of the pups that experienced prolonged labor died. We thus revealed that the oxytocin receptor is an upstream regulator of COX-2 and connexin 43 in the uterus during parturition and that both oxytocin/oxytocin receptor and PGF2α receptor are major components for successful parturition.
Call for Papers
Authors: Appiah Kwame Anthony , Frank Joseph , Katz Stanley N.
Published: September 2019

At the founding editor’s invitation in 1991–92, the members of the editorial board and the department editors of Common Knowledge wrote individual and small-group calls for papers to be published in the inaugural issue of Spring 1992 and the succeeding issue, Fall 1992. This call for papers was published among the second group.
Self-Subversion
Authors: Hirschman Albert O.
Published: September 2019

In a survey spanning over half a century of his own work, Hirschman, among the most influential thinkers of the twentieth century on political economy, celebrates the ability to undermine one’s own claims and theories. Whereas skepticism toward other people’s work is not noteworthy, Hirschman argues, self-critque is crucial in relation “to one’s own generalizations or constructs.” But self-criticism and interpretive changes do “not in the end cancel out or refute the earlier findings”; rather, they help to define domains of the social world where originally postulated relations do not hold. Exercises in “self-subversion,” while often experienced at first as traumatic, are eventually, as Hirschman’s own career attests, “rewarding and enriching.”
The Achievement of Ambivalence
Authors: Segal Hanna
Published: September 2019

Segal traces the development and use of the psychoanalytic concept of ambivalence from Eugen Bleuler to Freud to Melanie Klein and Wilfred Bion. Segal’s own argument, ultimately, is that ambivalence is an achievement rather than a problem, though only when it is acknowledged and not repressed. Her essay concludes its survey with Freud’s “Civilization and its Discontents” and Segal’s own meditation on the cultural implications of failure to acknowledge ambivalence. In their efforts to overcome ambivalence, groups often depend on the most primitive psychotic mechanisms, dealing with aggression by projecting it outward and thereby creating enmities. Merging with a group superego allows for the perpetrating of atrocities in wars and revolutions that would never be pursued in our personal lives. Segal warns that the price for failing to recognize ambivalence in the nuclear age is very high, perhaps even the survival of the human race.
Are There Rationally Undecidable Arguments?
Authors: Frank Manfred , Allen Barry
Published: September 2019

Frank in this article treats the disagreement between François Lyotard and Jürgen Habermas over whether there are arguments that cannot be decided rationally. Lyotard identifies rational undecidability as the “postmodern condition.” Habermas objects that reasonable procedures do exist that are adequate for the resolution of any argument among reasonable participants. Frank judges Lyotard’s argument as unpersuasive yet blames Habermas for dismissing altogether the idea of rationally undecidable disagreements. Frank then turns from contemporary philosophy to early German Romantic hermeneutics and literary theory to substantiate a claim that unresolvable disagreement exists even amid consensus. “Every consensus,” Frank writes in explication of Friedrich Schleiermacher, “contains a residual misunderstanding that will never entirely go away, and this is why no consensus as to either the meaning or the interpretation of the world can ever be final or universally valid.” Frank moreover cites the even more radical position of Friedrich Schlegel: “All truth is relative—but together with that proposition another must be coordinated: there is essentially no such thing as error.” Frank’s own conclusion, reached after comparing these Romantic notions with Jacques Derrida’s concept of différance, is that “the shaping of consensus will never lead us to a universal symbolism that everyone must make use of in the same way.”
Peace and Knowledge Politics in the Upper Xingu
Authors: Vanzolini Marina , Sauma Translated by Julia
Published: September 2019

With special reference to the Tupi-speaking Aweti people, this article reconsiders the nature of Xinguan pacifism in an analysis of sorcery and its relation to war in the Upper Xingu region of Brazil. It is argued that the mechanism that keeps violence there under control is probably less the result of an applied pacifist ideology—that is, rejection of war as the socius’s generative matrix—than the effect of a specific conception of knowledge. It is through the Xinguans’ refusal of the idea of singular truth, rather than through their rejection of war, that their logic is “good to think” through the question of peace. This article divides roughly into two parts, the first concentrating on Xinguan sorcery, and the second on their knowledge politics.
Do Scientific Objects Have a History?
Authors: Latour Bruno
Published: September 2019

Latour in this essay criticizes and abandons the approach to science studies—in which the object of study is presumed to be inert and passively circulating amid networks of practices, institutions, authorities, and historical events — that he took in “The ‘Pédofil’ of Boa Vista,” an article published in the spring 1995 issue of Common Knowledge. Here he argues that Whitehead’s neglected text Process and Reality offers the possibility of a radical historical realism that puts the scientific object and the scientist’s laboratory on the same footing. His case study is of the Lille laboratory where, in 1858, Pasteur identified a yeast responsible for lactic fermentation. Even as Pasteur acted to cause the yeast to emerge, he felt—in a way that practicing scientists often attest—that he was “led” to do so by the propensity of things. Whitehead enables us to understand that it was not Pasteur alone who altered the representation of fermentation; the fermentation itself modified its manifestation. Hence there is historicity not only on the human side of scientific discovery—the story of Pasteur and his yeast—but also historicity on the nonhuman side—the story of the yeast and its Pasteur.
Historians and Storytellers
Authors: Thomas Keith
Published: September 2019

This guest column comprises both a review of the English translation of Carlo Ginzburg’s book Threads and Traces: True False Fictive (2012) and some general comments on the merits and demerits of microhistory as a genre poised between historical writing and fiction. The column is published in the context of two others regarding this latter topic — one by Natalie Zemon Davis, the author of the microhistorical classic The Return of Martin Guerre, and one by Colin Rich-mond. Davis’s column is a response to Keith Thomas’s having drawn approving attention to the following remark of J. H. Elliott’s: “Something is amiss when the name of Martin Guerre threatens to become better known than that of Martin Luther.” In the present piece, Thomas writes of Ginzburg, a founder of Italian microhistory, that he is more a “European intellectual” than a “mere historian,” the difference being that the former is less interested in history per se than in fields such as anthropology, philosophy, and literary theory. Thomas’s column expresses doubt about the intellectual restlessness of historians like Ginzburg and about the preparation of microhistorians to write constantly on topics new to them, but it claims as well that Ginzburg’s “combination of erudition and piercing intelligence is irresistible.”
Local Knowledge and Microidentities
Authors: Bowersock G. W.
Published: September 2019

This response to two academic conferences—“Local Knowledge and Microidentities,” held in England in 2004, and “Patrie d’origine et patries électives,” held in France in 2009—argues that “the idea of the local can only arise from a supralocal perspective” and, thus, that there is no local knowledge without a cosmopolitan knowledge more widely shared. Contributions to the conferences remarked on the widespread existence in Greek and Roman antiquity of bicultural identity and of hypermultiple citizenship (especially for well-traveled athletes and performers). Therefore, despite much evidence of strong attachments by ancient Greeks and Romans to local places and traditions, this brief essay concludes that the concept of microidentity is “hopelessly simplistic.”