Ceria nanocrystals decorated mesoporous silica nanoparticle based ROS-scavenging tissue adhesive for highly efficient regenerative wound healing

Publication date: January 2018
Source:Biomaterials, Volume 151
Author(s): Haibin Wu, Fangyuan Li, Shuaifei Wang, Jingxiong Lu, Jinquan Li, Yang Du, Xiaolian Sun, Xiaoyuan Chen, Jianqing Gao, Daishun Ling
Restoration of tissue integrity and tissue function of wounded skin are both essential for wound repair and regeneration, while synergistic promotion of the two remains elusive. Since elevated reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in the injured site has been implicated in triggering a set of deleterious effects such as cellular senescence, fibrotic scarring, and inflammation, it is speculated that alleviating oxidative stress in the microenvironment of injured site would be beneficial to promote regenerative wound healing. In this study, a highly versatile ROS-scavenging tissue adhesive nanocomposite is synthesized by immobilizing ultrasmall ceria nanocrystals onto the surface of uniform mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN). The ceria nanocrystals decorated MSN (MSN-Ceria) not only has strong tissue adhesion strength, but also significantly restricts ROS exacerbation mediated deleterious effects, which efficiently accelerates the wound healing process, and more importantly, the wound area exhibits an unexpected regenerative healing characteristic featured by marked skin appendage morphogenesis and limited scar formation. This strategy can also be adapted to other wound repair where both ROS-scavenging activity and tissue adhesive ability matter.

Graphical abstract

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Non-invasive evaluation of Secukinumab efficacy in severe plaque psoriasis with confocal microscopy and optical coherence tomography: A case report

http://ift.tt/2zPWlfo

Feature analysis of ultrasound elastography image for quantitative assessment of cutaneous carcinoma

Abstract

Background

To evaluate the feasibility of using quantitative texture features computed from high frequency ultrasound and ultrasound elastography (USE) images in the discrimination of benign from malignant skin lesions.

Methods

A commercial ultrasound system with a 14 MHz transducer was used to visualize skin lesions requiring biopsy on clinical evaluation. Patients were enrolled over a 6-month period and imaged prospectively by operators blind to the histopathologic diagnosis. Anatomic ultrasound and USE imaging of the skin lesions was performed using a 2-4 mm gel standoff pad before biopsy and histopathologic evaluation. The ElastoAnalysis software developed for the texture analysis of USE images was provided by Hitachi. The software computes thirteen texture features within a region of interest (ROI), which have demonstrated promise in diagnostic characterization of liver fibrosis staging and in quantitative elastography of breast cancer. This approach has not yet been studied in the quantitative assessment of skin cancer. Results were retrospectively compared to the histopathologic diagnosis and a diagnostic criteria with the goal of maximizing sensitivity was evaluated for each textural feature.

Results

Of the 37 lesions included, among 30 patients who participated, 12 lesions were malignant and 25 were benign. Eleven out of thirteen textural metrics computed by the software were useful in differentiating benign from malignant lesions with 100% sensitivity and specificities ranging from 28% to 85%.

Conclusions

This feasibility study demonstrated that feature analysis of USE may be useful in quantitatively differentiating cancerous from benign primary solitary skin lesions prior to biopsy.

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Sensitive skin in Korean population: An epidemiological approach

Abstract

Background/Purpose

Sensitive skin is characterized by uncomfortable sensations in response to multiple factors that do not normally have irritant properties. We used an epidemiological approach to evaluate the prevalence and characteristics of sensitive skin in a Korean population, and compared the results with those of populations from other countries.

Methods

A representative nationwide sample of 1000 Koreans aged ≥15 years was selected. The methodology used in this study (questionnaires) was the same as that used in similar studies conducted in other countries.

Results

Sensitive skin was present in 56.8% of the Koreans. The prevalence of sensitive skin was highest among countries such as the USA (44.6%), Europe (38.4%), Russia (39.7%), Brazil (34.2%), and Japan (54.5%). Participants with sensitive skin were more likely to accompany skin disorders than those with non-sensitive skin (72.3% vs 38.0%; P < .001). Sensitive skin group were 2-3 times more reactive to climatic and environmental factors, cosmetics, and food items than non-sensitive skin group.

Conclusion

The prevalence of sensitive skin in Korea is the highest among countries in which such investigation has been conducted. The sensitive skin group appears more likely to experience dermatological reactions to unexpected factors than the non-sensitive skin group.

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Haptic augmented skin surface generation toward telepalpation from a mobile skin image

Abstract

Background/purpose

Very little is known about the methods of integrating palpation techniques to existing mobile teleskin imaging that delivers low quality tactile information (roughness) for telepalpation. However, no study has been reported yet regarding telehaptic palpation using mobile phone images for teledermatology or teleconsultations of skincare.

Methods

This study is therefore aimed at introducing a new algorithm accurately reconstructing a haptic augmented skin surface for telehaptic palpation using a low-cost clip-on microscope simply attached to a mobile phone. Multiple algorithms such as gradient-based image enhancement, roughness-adaptive tactile mask generation, roughness-enhanced 3D tactile map building, and visual and haptic rendering with a three-degrees-of-freedom (DOF) haptic device were developed and integrated as one system.

Results

Evaluation experiments have been conducted to test the performance of 3D roughness reconstruction with/without the tactile mask. The results confirm that reconstructed haptic roughness with the tactile mask is superior to the reconstructed haptic roughness without the tactile mask. Additional experiments demonstrate that the proposed algorithm is robust against varying lighting conditions and blurring. In last, a user study has been designed to see the effect of the haptic modality to the existing visual only interface and the results attest that the haptic skin palpation can significantly improve the skin exam performance.

Conclusion

Mobile image-based telehaptic palpation technology was proposed, and an initial version was developed. The developed technology was tested with several skin images and the experimental results showed the superiority of the proposed scheme in terms of the performance of haptic augmentation of real skin images.

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Treatment challenges in and outside a specialist network setting: pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours

Publication date: Available online 16 October 2017
Source:European Journal of Surgical Oncology (EJSO)
Author(s): Panagis Lykoudis, Stefano Partelli, Francesca Muffatti, Martyn Caplin, Massimo Falconi, Giuseppe Fusai
Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Neoplasms comprise a group of rare tumours with special biology, an often indolent behaviour and particular diagnostic and therapeutic requirements. The specialized biochemical tests and radiological investigations, the complexity of surgical options and the variety of medical treatments that require individual tailoring, mandate a multidisciplinary approach that can be optimally achieved through an organized network. The present study describes currents concepts in the management of these tumours as well as an insight into the challenges of delivering the pathway in and outside a Network.



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Patient satisfaction with Radioguided Occult Lesion Localisation using Iodine-125 Seeds (‘ROLLIS’) versus conventional hookwire localisation

Publication date: Available online 16 October 2017
Source:European Journal of Surgical Oncology (EJSO)
Author(s): Jeremy S.L. Ong, Joelin Teh, Christobel Saunders, Anita G. Bourke, Catalina Lizama, Jade Newton, Michael Phillips, Donna B. Taylor
BackgroundWomen with impalpable or poorly palpable breast cancer require radiologically guided localisation prior to breast conserving surgery. Radioguided Occult Lesion Localisation using Iodine-125 Seed (ROLLIS) is an emerging alternative to conventional Hookwire Localisation (HWL). We compared ROLLIS with conventional HWL with respect to patient reported stress and discomfort related to the localisation procedure.Patients and methodsFrom September 2013 to January 2016, women who were eligible for breast conserving surgery with impalpable or poorly palpable histologically confirmed invasive or in-situ carcinoma were recruited to the multi-centre ROLLIS randomised controlled trial and underwent either ROLLIS or HWL. Following surgery a questionnaire was administered to each participant regarding the stress and discomfort related to the localisation procedure. Multivariate analysis was performed to compare the primary outcome of patient-reported stress and discomfort between localisation groups.Results218 participants with 220 lesions were randomised and underwent breast conserving surgery following localisation. 201 (92.2%) and 202 (92.7%) of participants provided responses to the stress and discomfort components of the questionnaire respectively. HWL was associated with a statistically significant increased odds of greater stress and discomfort when compared to ROLLIS (OR=2.07, p=0.01 and OR=1.94, p=0.01 respectively). Insertion of multiple localisation devices was also associated with increased stress (OR=5.68, p<0.01) and discomfort (OR=2.96, p<0.01).ConclusionWhen compared with conventional HWL, ROLLIS is associated with significantly less stress and discomfort for patients prior to breast conserving surgery.



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Parenchymal sparing surgery for colorectal liver metastases: the need for a common definition

Publication date: Available online 16 October 2017
Source:European Journal of Surgical Oncology (EJSO)
Author(s): Marie Desjardin, Gregoire Desolneux, Véronique Brouste, Olivier Degrandi, Benjamin Bonhomme, Marianne Fonck, Yves Becouarn, Dominique Béchade, Serge Evrard
BackgroundThe definition of parenchymal sparing surgery (PSS) for colorectal liver metastases (CRLM) diverges requiring a clarification of the concept.MethodA consecutive series of patients were treated by PSS for their CRLMs, either by resection or intra-operative ablation (IOA), whenever possible a one-stage surgery and minimal usage of portal vein embolization. Post-operative complications were the primary endpoint with a special focus on post-operative liver failure.ResultsThree hundred and eighty-seven patients underwent a PSS out of which 328 patients received a median of 9 pre-operative cycles of chemotherapy. One hundred and twenty-eight patients had a major resection, combined with IOA in 137 patients and IOA alone in 50 cases. The 5yr-overall survival was 50.3%. There was no difference in post-operative complications between minor and major resections, validating our PSS definition based on the Tumor burden/Healthy liver ratio and not just the retrieved volume.ConclusionsPSS is defined as a high ratio of tumoral burden per specimen retrieved while favoring one-stage surgery approach. Our series, using combined resections and IOAs, matches this definition well. Furthermore, complications were correlated neither to chemotherapy nor to liver-induced toxicities, contrary to extended hepatectomies.



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Autologous fat tissue grafting improves pulmonary healing after laser metastasectomy

Publication date: Available online 16 October 2017
Source:European Journal of Surgical Oncology (EJSO)
Author(s): Simone Furia, Pierfrancesco Cadenelli, Francesca Andriani, Paolo Scanagatta, Leonardo Duranti, Andrea Spano, Carlotta Galeone, Luca Porcu, Ugo Pastorino
BackgroundExtensive clinical experience has demonstrated the potential usefulness of autologous fat tissue (AFT) graft in tissue reconstruction, repair or regeneration. In the present study, we evaluated the feasibility and safety of AFT in the repair of surgically injured lung surface.MethodsEighty consecutive procedures of pulmonary metastasectomy by laser precision resection, were performed in 66 patients between March 2010 and December 2012. In the first 20 procedures, AFT graft was applied on the wounded pulmonary surface without closure of parenchymal surface. The following 40 procedures were carried on without AFT (20 leaving the resection margins open and 20 closing the resection margins with a running suture). In the remaining 20 procedures, AFT was applied and the resection margins closed. The efficacy of this technique was evaluated by comparing the AFT group with the non-AFT group, with respect to prolonged alveolar air leakage (PAAL), time to drain removal, length of hospital stay, and patient survival at four years.ResultsThe occurrence of PAAL was lower in the AFT group as compared to non-AFT group (17.5% versus 42.5%, p=0.027), and median time to drain removal shorter (4 versus 6 days respectively, p=0.016). Overall 4-year survival was 70% for AFT group, and 59% for non-AFT group (p= 0.34).ConclusionsThis prospective cohort observational study demonstrated the feasibility and safety of AFT pulmonary grafting after laser metastasectomy. AFT graft improved pulmonary healing, by reducing the incidence and severity of PAAL. Moreover, there was no evidence of tumor promotion in the metastatic setting, with a similar overall survival at 4 years.



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An analysis of factors affecting the accuracy of endoscopic biopsy after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Publication date: Available online 16 October 2017
Source:European Journal of Surgical Oncology (EJSO)
Author(s): Yin-Kai Chao, Yu-Wen Wen, Hsien-Kun Chang, Chen-Kan Tseng, Yun-Hen Liu
PurposeThe accuracy of endoscopic esophageal biopsy after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) remains suboptimal. We retrospectively examined the factors that may affect the diagnostic accuracy of post-nCRT endoscopic biopsy in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC).Materials and methodsA total of 213 ESCC patients were enrolled. Biopsy findings were cross-checked against the final pathology outcomes (ypT0 versus non-ypT0) to assess their accuracy. The independent predictors of diagnostic accuracy were identified by multivariate logistic regression analysis.ResultsPost-nCRT endoscopic biopsy results were diagnostically consistent with the final pathology outcomes in 116 (54.5%) patients. Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified a long time interval between the completion of nCRT and the endoscopic examination as the only factor independently associated with a higher diagnostic accuracy. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that the optimal cutoff value for the time interval between nCRT completion and endoscopic biopsy was 45 days. The estimated diagnostic accuracies of biopsies performed before and after the optimal cutoff time were 49.1% and 72.9%, respectively.ConclusionsEndoscopic biopsies performed ≥45 days after nCRT are associated with a higher diagnostic accuracy. This time cutoff may serve as a reference to inform the choice of the optimal treatment strategy following nCRT, especially among complete responders in whom surgery withholding is being considered.



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Perioperative morbidity, bowel function and oncologic outcome after radical cystectomy and ileal orthotopic neobladder reconstruction: Studer-pouch versus I-pouch

Publication date: Available online 20 October 2017
Source:European Journal of Surgical Oncology (EJSO)
Author(s): Johannes Mischinger, Mohamed F. Abdelhafez, Steffen Rausch, Tilman Todenhöfer, Eva Neumann, Stefan Aufderklamm, Arnulf Stenzl, Georgios Gakis
ObjectiveTo investigate whether the length of ileum used for ileal orthotopic neobladder (ONB) reconstruction (60cm vs. 40cm) after radical cystectomy (RC) for bladder cancer (BC) impacts on bowel function, postoperative complications or survival outcome.Material and MethodsIn this retrospective study, we included 56 patients who received an ONB (Studer (S)-Pouch: 23 patients; I-Pouch: 33 patients) after RC for BC between 2003 and 2011. Preoperative comorbidities were assessed by the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) and surgical complications as graded by the Clavien-Dindo classification. Changes of perioperative bowel habits were retrospectively evaluated by the validated Gastrotintestinal Quality of Life Index (GIQLI). Kaplan–Meier analyses calculated survival outcomes between both ONB types.ResultsPreoperative CCI was comparable between S- and I-pouch patients. No significant differences were observed for 30-day major- (p=0.33) and minor (p=0.96) complication rates between both neobladder types. S-Pouch patients reported higher preoperative stool frequencies (S-pouch: mean 2.7; I-pouch: mean 3.4; p=0.049) and tended to suffer from urgency (S: mean 2.9; I: mean 3.4; p=0.059). No significant differences in postoperative bowel disorders were found between both neobladder types (S-Pouch: 15.9, IQR; I-Pouch: 16.6 IQR; p=0.84). Furthermore, we observed no overall-, cancer specific- or recurrence free survival advantage for either of both ONB variants (p=0.81; 0.65 and 0.78), respectively.ConclusionComorbidities, perioperative complication rates and bowel habits were similar between both ONB substitutes and did not influence survival outcomes. These stratified data suggest that the length of ileum used for ONB reconstruction (60- vs. 40cm) does not impact per se on postoperative bowel function.



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Linalool-rich essential oils from the Amazon display antidepressant-type effect in rodents

Publication date: 15 February 2018
Source:Journal of Ethnopharmacology, Volume 212
Author(s): Éverton Renan Q. dos Santos, Cristiane Socorro F. Maia, Enéas A. Fontes Junior, Ademar S. Melo, Bruno G. Pinheiro, José Guilherme S. Maia
Ethnopharmacological relevanceThe essential oils of the leaves of Aniba rosaeodora (pau-rosa), Aniba parviflora (macacaporanga) and Aeollanthus suaveolens (catinga-de-mulata), rich in linalool, are used in the traditional medicine of the Brazilian Amazon for its effects on the central nervous system, such as sedative, anticonvulsant and antidepressant, among other therapeutic properties.Aim of the studyTo analyze the chemical composition of these oils and to evaluate their neurobehavioral effects in rodents, based on different and established behavioral tests.Material and methodsThe oils were distilled and analyzed by GC and GC-MS. Male Wistar rats received intraperitoneal doses of the oils of pau-rosa (3.5 and 35mg/kg), macacaporanga (8.5 and 85mg/kg) and catinga-de-mulata (7.5 and 75mg/kg), in addition to a linalool standard (30mg/kg). The neurobehavioral effects were evaluated using the tests: Open Field (spontaneous locomotion activity), Elevated Plus Maze (anxiolytic- type activity), Splash and Forced Swimming (antidepressive-type activity) and the Inhibitory Avoidance (memory retention).ResultsThe three oils (highest dose) and standard linalool presented significant antidepressant activity in rodents. Linalool was identified as the major constituent of the oils (pau-rosa, 88.6%, macacaporanga, 45%, catinga-de-mulata, 49.3%). The standard linalool used was 97.0%.ConclusionThe pau-rosa, macacaporanga, and catinga-de-mulata oils presented antidepressant activity due to the presence of linalool, which, by the final synergistic action of other constituents found in oils, may have contributed to the increase or reduction of this behavioral effect in the treated animals. A relevant fact is that there was no compromise of spontaneous locomotion and the memory retention in the rodents.

Graphical abstract

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What Can SCORE Web Portal Usage Analytics Tell Us About How Surgical Residents Learn?

Publication date: Available online 24 October 2017
Source:Journal of Surgical Education
Author(s): Amit R.T. Joshi, Aitua Salami, Mark Hickey, Kerry B. Barrett, Mary E. Klingensmith, Mark A. Malangoni
PurposeThe Surgical Council on Resident Education (SCORE) was established in 2004 with 2 goals: to develop a standardized, competency-based curriculum for general surgery residency training; and to develop a web portal to deliver this content. By 2012, 96% of general surgery residency programs subscribed to the SCORE web portal. Surgical educators have previously described the myriad ways they have incorporated SCORE into their curricula. The aim of this study was to analyze user data to describe how and when residents use SCORE.MethodsUsing analytic software, we measured SCORE usage from July, 2013 to June, 2016. Data such as IP addresses, geo-tagging coordinates, and operating system platforms were collected. The primary outcome was the median duration of SCORE use. Secondary outcomes were the time of day and the operating system used when accessing SCORE. Descriptive statistics were performed, and a p < 0.05 was deemed statistically significant.ResultsThere were 42,743 total SCORE subscribers during the study period (75% resident and 25% faculty) with a mean of 14,248 subscribers per year. The overall median duration of SCORE use was 11.9minute/session (interquartile range [IQR]: 6.8). Additionally, there was a significant increase in session length over the 3 academic years; 10.1 (IQR: 6.4), 11.9 (IQR: 7.2), and 13.2minute/session (IQR: 5.4) in 2013 to 2014, 2014 to 2015, and 2015 to 2016, respectively (p < 0.001). SCORE usage was highest in November to February at 21.0minute/session (14.2) compared to July to October and March to June (12.3 [IQR: 3.2] and 9.6minute/session [IQR: 2.2]), respectively (p < 0.001). This seasonal trend continued for all 3 years. We observed an increased number of sessions per day over the 3 years: median of 1500 sessions/d (IQR: 1115) vs 1706 (IQR: 1334) vs 1728 (IQR: 1352), p < 0.001. (Fig.). Most SCORE sessions occurred at night: 38,011 (IQR: 4532) vs 17,529 (IQR: 19,850) during the day (p < 0.001). Windows was the most frequently used operating system at 48.9% (p < 0.001 vs others).ConclusionsSCORE usage has increased significantly over the last 3 years, when measured by number of sessions per day and length of time per session. There are predictable daily, diurnal, and seasonal variations in SCORE usage. The annual in-training examination is a prominent factor stimulating SCORE usage.



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Reap What You Sow: Which Rural Surgery Training Programs Currently Exist and Do Medical Students Know of Their Existence?

Publication date: Available online 24 October 2017
Source:Journal of Surgical Education
Author(s): Isolina R. Rossi, Aaron L. Wiegmann, Pat Schou, David C. Borgstrom, Matthew B. Rossi
BackgroundThere exists an acute need to recruit and train general surgeons for rural communities. To assist medical students interested in rural surgery, the American College of Surgeons (ACS) website lists general surgery residencies, which are tailored to train the rural surgeon by providing exposure to endoscopy, gynecology, urology, orthopedics, and otolaryngology. Another available reference is the American Medical Association Fellowship and Residency Electronic Database (FREIDA). FREIDA allows programs to indicate availability of a rural training scheme. This is an effort to identify programs which demonstrate a commitment to training rural surgeons and evaluate accessibility of this information to medical students.MethodsEach ACGME general surgery residency program in the United States and Canada received an electronic survey. They were queried on commitment to training rural surgeons and their ability to provide 3 to 12 months of subspecialty training.ResultsOf the 261 programs surveyed, 52 (19.9%) responses were obtained; 11 had established rural tracks and 15 were willing to customize a program. We identified 14 additional rural training programs not identified by either the ACS website or FREIDA. In total, 44 programs identified by ACS, FREIDA, and our survey indicate they can accommodate the rural surgical resident.ConclusionsFor a medical student interested in rural surgery, several obstacles must be overcome to find the appropriate residency program. A complete and updated list of established tracks or customizable training schemes does not exist. Review of the ACS website and FREIDA online in addition to our survey has identified 44 of 261 (16.9%) ACGME accredited programs either with an existing rural surgical track or willing to customize their program accommodate a resident. To facilitate the recruitment of medical students into rural surgery, we support the maintenance of a complete and routinely updated list that identifies available training programs.



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A Re-Examination of "Bias" in Human Randomness Perception.

Author: Warren, Paul A.; Gostoli, Umberto; Farmer, George D.; El-Deredy, Wael; Hahn, Ulrike

DOI: 10.1037/xhp0000462

Publication Date: POST AUTHOR CORRECTIONS, 23 October 2017

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International Society for the Study of Vascular Anomalies (ISSVA) Classification of Soft Tissue Vascular Anomalies: Survey-based Assessment of Musculoskeletal Radiologists′ Use in Clinical Practice

Publication date: Available online 16 October 2017
Source:Current Problems in Diagnostic Radiology
Author(s): Shivani Ahlawat, Laura M. Fayad, Daniel J. Durand, Kate Puttgen, Aylin Tekes
AimThere is controversy regarding the diagnosis and classification of vascular anomalies (VA). Since torso and extremities are the second most common body part for presentation of VAs, musculoskeletal (MSK) radiologists play a central role in VA classification. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the awareness and clinical use of the International Society for the Study of Vascular Anomalies (ISSVA) classification by MSK radiologists. Materials and Methods: A Web-based survey was designed and electronically sent to Society of Skeletal Radiology (SSR) members, with three questions on demographics and 7 questions on ISSVA classification use and knowledge. The Z-test for binomial proportions is used to assess for statistical significance between sub-groups. Results: The response rate was 12% (130/1091), comprised of 64% (83/130) academic and 36% (47/130) non-academic MSK radiologists. VAs accounted for only a small (0–5%) proportion of clinical practice in the majority 92% (119/130). Only 17% (22/130) of MSK radiologists used the ISSVA classification in practice. Of all respondents, 74% (94/127) considered hemangioma a type of vascular malformation (VM). There was no significant difference in the response characteristics between academic and non-academic radiologists. A greater proportion of MSK radiologists with >5years′ experience provided responses that were discordant with the ISSVA classification compared with less experienced radiologists (0–5years) in diagnosing hemangiomas in adult patients (p=0.02), and using the presence of phleboliths to diagnose hemangiomas (p = 0.004).ConclusionOur survey results indicate a lack of familiarity with the ISSVA classification by the MSK radiology community.



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Computed tomography coronary angiography for evaluation of children with Kawasaki disease

Publication date: Available online 23 October 2017
Source:Current Problems in Diagnostic Radiology
Author(s): Manphool Singhal, Surjit Singh, Pankaj Gupta, Avinash Sharma, Niranjan Khandelwal, Jane C Burns
ObjectiveWe sought to assess the feasibility of CTCA on a 128-slice, dual source scanner in children with acute and convalescent phase KD.Materials and MethodsA prospective study of 49 children with KD (12 at presentation and 37 in the convalescent phase) was conducted between November 2013 and April 2015. CTCA was performed with either prospective (n=37) or retrospective (n=12) electrocardiographic gating. A radiologist blinded to clinical profile and echocardiogram evaluated each scan.ResultsMedian age (36 boys, 13 girls) was seven years. Median dose-length product (DLP) value and median effective CT radiation dose was 32 mGy.cm (IQR =21–74) and 0.54mSv (IQR= 0.77–3.2) for all scans and 27 mGy.cm (IQR=18.5–33.75) and 0.48mSv (IQR=0.18–1.17) for prospectively triggered scans (n=37). Fourteen subjects (30 coronary segments) showed abnormalities by CTCA including aneurysms (n=27) and stenoses (n=3). In the acute phase (n=12), aneurysms were detected in five children (18 segments).ConclusionCTCA allows comprehensive evaluation of coronary arteries in children with KD.



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Scholar : These new articles for Atmospheric and Oceanic Science Letters are available online

The online platform for Taylor & Francis Online content New for Atmospheric and Oceanic Science Letters and online now on Taylor & Francis Online: Original Articles Impact of two types of La Niña on boreal autumn rainfall around Southeast Asia and Australia | Juan FENG & Xiao-Cong WANG Pages: 1-6 | DOI: 10.1080/16742834.2018.1386538 Browse articles in this special issue on: 'Advancements in Civil and Structural Engineering' To update which email alerts you receive, manage your alerts within the My Account area. You can also unsubscribe from this alert with one click. If you need any further help, please contact us at support@tandfonline.com Please do not reply to this email. To ensure that you receive your alerts and information from Taylor & Francis Online, please add "alerts@tandfonline.com" and "info@tandfonline.com" to your safe senders list. Taylor & Francis, an Informa business. Taylor & Francis is a trading name of Informa UK Limited, registered in England under no. 1072954. Registered office: 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.

Scholar : These new articles for Corrections are available online

The online platform for Taylor & Francis Online content New for Corrections and online now on Taylor & Francis Online: Original Articles Validating the Ohio Risk Assessment System Community Supervision Tool with a Diverse Sample from Texas Brian K. Lovins, Edward J. Latessa, Teresa May & Jennifer Lux Pages: 1-17 | DOI: 10.1080/23774657.2017.1361798 The Effects of the Workplace on Jail Staff: The Issue of Perceptions of Pay Fairness Eugene A Paoline III, Eric G Lambert, Nancy L Hogan & Linda D Keena Pages: 1-22 | DOI: 10.1080/23774657.2017.1370400 To update which email alerts you receive, manage your alerts within the My Account area. You can also unsubscribe from this alert with one click. If you need any further help, please contact us at support@tandfonline.com Please do not reply to this email. To ensure that you receive your alerts and information from Taylor & Francis Online, please add "alerts@tandfonline.com" and "info@tandfonline.com" to your safe senders list. Taylor & Francis, an Informa business. Taylor & Francis is a trading name of Informa UK Limited, registered in England under no. 1072954. Registered office: 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.

InSiCal – A tool for calculating calibration factors and activity concentrations in in situ gamma spectrometry

Publication date: Available online 23 October 2017
Source:Journal of Environmental Radioactivity
Author(s): Alexander Mauring, Tim Vidmar, Torbjörn Gäfvert, Jon Drefvelin, Aldo Fazio
In situ gamma spectrometry is a widely applied analysis technique for the determination of radioactivity levels in soil. Compared to traditional laboratory analysis of soil samples, in situ techniques offer a quick and low-cost way of obtaining accurate results from on-site measurements. However, although the technique is well-known, the dependence of in situ gamma spectrometry on complex and time-consuming calibration procedures as well as in-depth knowledge of the geometric distribution of the source in the ground deters many potential users from employing it in their routine work. Aiming to alleviate this issue, a software tool named InSiCal (In Situ gamma spectrometry Calculator) has been developed to make in situ gamma spectrometry more accessible to both experts and non-experts in the field. This is done by simplifying and streamlining both calibration and activity calculation through a simple and intuitive graphical user interface. Testing in real field conditions show that InSiCal is capable of yielding results which are in very good agreement with soil sample analyses, and that the results may be obtained using different detector types (HPGe, NaI, LaBr and CZT). Overall, InSiCal, provides results which are comparable in accuracy to laboratory measurements, indicating that it fulfills its purpose successfully.



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Fe (III), Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II) and Zn(II) complexes of schiff bases based-on glycine and phenylalanine: Synthesis, magnetic/thermal properties and antimicrobial activity

Publication date: 15 February 2018
Source:Journal of Molecular Structure, Volume 1154
Author(s): Fatih Sevgi, Ugur Bagkesici, Ahmed Nuri Kursunlu, Ersin Guler
Zinc (II), copper (II), nickel (II), cobalt (II) and iron (III) complexes of Schiff bases (LG, LP) derived from 2-hydroxynaphthaldehyde with glycine and phenylalanine were reported and characterized by ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, elemental analyses, melting point, FT-IR, magnetic susceptibility and thermal analyses (TGA). TGA data show that iron and cobalt include to the coordinated water and metal:ligand ratio is 1:2 while the complex stoichiometry for Ni (II), Cu (II) and Zn (II) complexes is 1:1. As expected, Ni (II) and Zn (II) complexes are diamagnetic; Cu (II), Co (II) and Fe (III) complexes are paramagnetic character due to a strong ligand of LG and LP.The LG, LP and their metal complexes were screened for their antimicrobial activities against five Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus, Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Bacillus cereus, Streptococcus mutans and Enterococcus faecalis) and three Gram-negative (Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and one fungi (Candida albicans) by using broth microdilution techniques. The activity data show that ligands and their metal complexes exhibited moderate to good activity against Gram-positive bacteria and fungi.

Graphical abstract

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Myxofibrosarcoma of unusual sites

Abstract

Introduction

Myxofibrosarcoma classically presents as a painless mass in the proximal extremities. Cutaneous myxofibrosarcomas arising in the head and neck and distal extremities are extremely uncommon. We present a series of six cases of myxofibrosarcoma presenting in the head and neck and acral locations.

Methods

Archives were searched using the term "myxofibrosarcoma" over a 6-year period (2009–2015). The clinicopathologic features of myxofibrosarcoma were recorded. Cases in the head and neck or acral locations were retrieved. When available, the patient's medical records were reviewed.

Results

Ninety-five cases of myxofibrosarcoma were identified over a 6-year period. Six patients were identified with myxofibrosarcoma arising in the head (n = 4, M:F 3:1), hand (n = 1, F), and foot (n = 1, F). Each had typical features of myxofibrosarcoma. Two of the tumors on the head were high-grade and had multiple recurrences, while the remaining two were intermediate grade. Both acral tumors were intermediate grade and one recurred locally within a year of diagnosis.

Conclusions

Myxofibrosarcoma may rarely involve the head and neck and acral locations, and presentation in these sites is a potential source of diagnostic difficulty. Recognition of the characteristic histologic features of myxofibrosarcoma in conjunction with judicial use of immunohistochemical stains should allow for accurate diagnosis.

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Evaluation of 9 health care organizations' respiratory protection programs and respiratory protective device practices: Implications for adoption of elastomerics

Publication date: Available online 24 October 2017
Source:American Journal of Infection Control
Author(s): Linda Morris Brown, Bonnie Rogers, Kathleen Buckheit, John Pat Curran
Interview, observational, and discussion group data at 9 health care organizations (HCOs) were collected to better understand elastomeric half-facepiece respirators' (EHFRs) use. We found that HCOs do not routinely use EHFRs as a respiratory protection device (RPD) for health care workers; compliance with other respirator types was less than expected. This finding has important training implications for proper use of all RPDs and EHFRs as an alternative RPD stockpiled for use during a respiratory infectious outbreak.



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Revisiting the Role of Bevacizumab in the Treatment of Breast Cancer

Publication date: Available online 24 October 2017
Source:Seminars in Oncology
Author(s): Leticia Varella, Jame Abraham, Megan Kruse




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Art, the Visual Imagination and Neuroscience: the Chauvet Cave, Mona Lisa’s smile and Michelangelo’s terribilitá

Publication date: Available online 23 October 2017
Source:Cortex
Author(s): John Onians
This paper considers several types of imagination relevant to art historical enquiry. These are exemplified in artistic expressions ranging from palaeolithic paintings in the Chauvet Cave, to drawings, sculptures and buildings designed by Michelangelo and drawings and paintings by Leonardo, and are related to recent neuroscientific discoveries. From this it emerges that important types of imagination cannot be understood without an appreciation of the neural processes that underlie them and especially without an acknowledgement of the importance of neurochemistry.



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Pure word deafness following left temporal damage: behavioral and neuroanatomical evidence from a new case

Publication date: Available online 23 October 2017
Source:Cortex
Author(s): Chiara Maffei, Rita Capasso, Giulia Cazzolli, Cesare Colosimo, Flavio Dell'Acqua, Francesca Piludu, Marco Catani, Gabriele Miceli
Pure Word Deafness (PWD) is a rare disorder, characterized byselective loss of speech input processing. Its most common cause is temporal damage to the primary auditory cortex of both hemispheres, but it has been reported also following unilateral lesions. In unilateral cases, PWD has been attributed to the disconnection of Wernicke's area from both right and left primary auditory cortex. Here we report behavioral and neuroimaging evidence from a new case of left unilateral PWD with both cortical and white matter damage due to a relatively small stroke lesion in the left temporal gyrus. Selective impairment in auditory language processing was accompanied by intact processing of nonspeech sounds and normal speech, reading and writing. Performance on dichotic listening was characterized by a reversal of the right-ear advantage typically observed in healthy subjects. Cortical thickness and gyral volume were severely reduced in the left superior temporal gyrus (STG), although abnormalities were not uniformly distributed and residual intact cortical areas were detected, for example in the medial portion of the Heschl's gyrus. Diffusion tractography documented partial damage to the acoustic radiations, callosal temporal connections and intralobar tracts dedicated to single words comprehension. Behavioral and neuroimaging results in this case are difficult to integrate in a pure cortical or disconnection framework, as damage to primary auditory cortex in the left STG was only partial and Wernicke's area was not completely isolated from left or right-hemisphere input. On the basis of our findings we suggest that in this case of PWD, concurrent partial topological (cortical) and disconnection mechanisms have contributed to a selective impairment of speech sounds. The discrepancy between speech and non-speech sounds suggests selective damage to a language-specific left lateralized network involved in phoneme processing.



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Testing the Effectiveness of Cognitive Interventions in Alleviating Accelerated Long Term Forgetting (ALF)

Publication date: Available online 23 October 2017
Source:Cortex
Author(s): Monica Ricci, Toh Wong, Armin Nikpour, Laurie A. Miller
It is well established that when retrieval or other forms of testing follow shortly after the acquisition of new information, long-term memory is improved in healthy subjects (Roediger & Karpicke, 2006). It is not known whether such early interventions would alleviate ALF, a condition in which early retention is normal, but there is a steep decline over longer intervals. A different behavioral intervention (i.e., an interposed recall of a story after a longer delay) was found to prevent subsequent memory loss in a single case with ALF (Jansari, Davis, McGibbon, Firminger, & Kapur, 2010; McGibbon & Jansari, 2013), but this has yet to be replicated. In the present study, we sought to test the effectiveness of early rehearsal as well as a later interposed recall on long term memory. Three men with ALF and 10 matched, healthy males (mean age= 67yr; mean education = 15yr) were compared for story recall following 3 early intervention conditions. There were two early rehearsal conditions: Repeated-Recall (2 additional recalls were requested in the initial 30 min interval) and Repeated Recall With Discussion (2 additional recalls plus discussion occurred in the initial 30 min interval) as well as a Control condition, in which there was no additional rehearsal in the first 30 min. Memory for 6 stories (2 in each condition) was tested at 0 min, 30 min, 1 day, 1 week and 4 weeks. In addition, to evaluate the possible sustaining effect of an additional retrieval ("booster recall") between 1 wk and 4 wk delays, 1 story from each of the early intervention conditions was recalled at 2 weeks' delay. Consistent with the profile characteristic of ALF, nonparametric statistics revealed no group differences at 0 or 30 min recalls. For Control stories, the ALF group's recall was impaired by 24 hr delay. For stories in either of the early rehearsal conditions, the patients showed better retention, performing within normal limits until the 4 week recall. The "booster recall" session at 2 weeks benefitted the patients' retention at 4 weeks, with patients' mean recall remaining within normal limits only for those stories recalled at 2 weeks. These results indicate that behavioral interventions including early rehearsal in the first several min and a booster recall at a much later time point help to prevent ALF. Confirmation of the usefulness of these interventions in other cases and investigating whether these cognitive techniques can be extended to "real world" applications are the logical next steps.



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The Sander parallelogram illusion dissociates action and perception despite control for the litany of past confounds

Publication date: Available online 5 October 2017
Source:Cortex
Author(s): Robert L. Whitwell, Melvyn A. Goodale, Kate E. Merritt, James T. Enns
The two visual systems hypothesis proposes that human vision is supported by a occipito-temporal network for the conscious visual perception of the world, and a fronto-parietal network for visually-guided, object-directed actions. Two specific claims about the fronto-parietal network's role in sensorimotor control have generated much data and controversy: (1) the network relies primarily on the absolute metrics of target objects, which it rapidly transforms into effector-specific frames of reference to guide the fingers, hands, and limbs, and (2) the network is largely unaffected by scene-based information extracted by the occipito-temporal network for those same targets. These two claims lead to the counter-intuitive prediction that in-flight anticipatory configuration of the fingers during object-directed grasping will resist the influence of pictorial illusions. The research confirming this prediction has been criticized for confounding the difference between grasping and explicit estimates of object size with differences in attention, sensory feedback, obstacle avoidance, metric sensitivity, and priming. Here, we address and eliminate each of these confounds. We asked participants to reach out and pick up 3D target bars resting on a picture of the Sander's Parallelogram illusion and to make explicit estimates of the length of those bars. Participants performed their grasps without visual feedback, and were permitted to grasp the targets after making their size-estimates to afford them an opportunity to reduce illusory error with haptic feedback. The results show unequivocally that the effect of the illusion is far stronger on perceptual judgments than on grasping. Our findings from the normally-sighted population provide strong support for the proposal that human vision is comprised of functionally and anatomically dissociable systems.



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Task-based and resting-state fMRI reveal compensatory network changes following damage to left inferior frontal gyrus

Publication date: Available online 17 October 2017
Source:Cortex
Author(s): Glyn P. Hallam, Hannah E. Thompson, Mark Hymers, Rebecca E. Millman, Jennifer M. Rodd, Matthew A. Lambon Ralph, Jonathan Smallwood, Elizabeth Jefferies
Damage to left inferior prefrontal cortex in stroke aphasia is associated with semantic deficits reflecting poor control over conceptual retrieval, as opposed to loss of knowledge. However, little is known about how functional recruitment within the semantic network changes in patients with executive-semantic deficits. The current study acquired fMRI data from 14 patients with semantic aphasia, who had difficulty with flexible semantic retrieval following left prefrontal damage, and 16 healthy age-matched controls, allowing us to examine activation and connectivity in the semantic network. We examined neural activity while participants listened to spoken sentences that varied in their levels of lexical ambiguity and during rest. We found group differences in two regions thought to be good candidates for functional compensation: ventral anterior temporal lobe (vATL), which is strongly implicated in comprehension, and posterior middle temporal gyrus (pMTG), which is hypothesized to work together with left inferior prefrontal cortex to support controlled aspects of semantic retrieval. The patients recruited both of these sites more than controls in response to meaningful sentences. Subsequent analysis identified that, in control participants, the recruitment of pMTG to ambiguous sentences was inversely related to functional coupling between pMTG and anterior superior temporal gyrus (aSTG) at rest, while the patients showed the opposite pattern. Moreover, stronger connectivity between pMTG and aSTG in patients was associated with better performance on a test of verbal semantic association, suggesting that this temporal lobe connection supports comprehension in the face of damage to left inferior prefrontal cortex. These results characterize network changes in patients with executive-semantic deficits and converge with studies of healthy participants in providing evidence for a distributed system underpinning semantic control that includes pMTG in addition to left inferior prefrontal cortex.



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Role of the right inferior parietal cortex in auditory selective attention: an rTMS study

Publication date: Available online 16 October 2017
Source:Cortex
Author(s): Corinne A. Bareham, Stanimira D. Georgieva, Marc R. Kamke, David Lloyd, Tristan A. Bekinschtein, Jason B. Mattingley
Selective attention is the process of directing limited capacity resources to behaviourally relevant stimuli while ignoring competing stimuli that are currently irrelevant. Studies in healthy human participants and in individuals with focal brain lesions have suggested that the right parietal cortex is crucial for resolving competition for attention. Following right-hemisphere damage, for example, patients may have difficulty reporting a brief, left-sided stimulus if it occurs with a competitor on the right, even though the same left stimulus is reported normally when it occurs alone. Such "extinction" of contralesional stimuli has been documented for all the major sense modalities, but it remains unclear whether its occurrence reflects involvement of one or more specific subregions of the temporo-parietal cortex. Here we employed repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) over the right hemisphere to examine the effect of disruption of two candidate regions – the supramarginal gyrus (SMG) and the superior temporal gyrus (STG) – on auditory selective attention. Eighteen neurologically normal, right-handed participants performed an auditory task, in which they had to detect target digits presented within simultaneous dichotic streams of spoken distractor letters in the left and right channels, both before and after 20 minutes of 1Hz rTMS over the SMG, STG or a somatosensory control site (S1). Across blocks, participants were asked to report on auditory streams in the left, right, or both channels, which yielded focused and divided attention conditions. Performance was unchanged for the two focused attention conditions, regardless of stimulation site, but was selectively impaired for contralateral left-sided targets in the divided attention condition following stimulation of the right SMG, but not the STG or S1. Our findings suggest a causal role for the right inferior parietal cortex in auditory selective attention.



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Sleep Preserves Original and Distorted Memory Traces

Publication date: Available online 16 October 2017
Source:Cortex
Author(s): Scott A. Cairney, Shane Lindsay, Ken A. Paller, M. Gareth Gaskell
Retrieval facilitates the long-term retention of memories, but may also enable stored representations to be updated with new information that is available at the time of retrieval. However, if information integrated during retrieval is erroneous, future recall can be impaired: a phenomenon known as retrieval-induced distortion (RID). Whether RID causes an "overwriting" of existing memory traces or leads to the co-existence of original and distorted memory traces is unknown. Because sleep enhances memory consolidation, the effects of sleep after RID can provide novel insights into the structure of updated memories. As such, we investigated the effects of sleep on memory consolidation following RID. Participants encoded word locations and were then tested before (T1) and after (T2) an interval of sleep or wakefulness. At T2, the majority of words were placed closer to the locations retrieved at T1 than to the studied locations, consistent with RID. After sleep compared with after wake, the T2-retrieved locations were closer to both the studied locations and the T1-retrieved locations. These findings suggest that RID leads to the formation of an additional memory trace that corresponds to a distorted variant of the same encoding event, which is strengthened alongside the original trace during sleep. More broadly, these data provide evidence for the importance of sleep in the preservation and adaptive updating of memories.



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Scholar : These new articles for Voice and Speech Review are available online

The online platform for Taylor & Francis Online content New for Voice and Speech Review and online now on Taylor & Francis Online: Original Articles Singing in Yiddish Carrie Schuster-Wachsberger Pages: 1-20 | DOI: 10.1080/23268263.2017.1383558 Browse this free access collection on Communication, Media and Culture in Asia: http://bit.ly/cmc-in-asia To update which email alerts you receive, manage your alerts within the My Account area. You can also unsubscribe from this alert with one click. If you need any further help, please contact us at support@tandfonline.com Please do not reply to this email. To ensure that you receive your alerts and information from Taylor & Francis Online, please add "alerts@tandfonline.com" and "info@tandfonline.com" to your safe senders list. Taylor & Francis, an Informa business. Taylor & Francis is a trading name of Informa UK Limited, registered in England under no. 1072954. Registered office: 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.

Microsurgical therapy of pituitary adenomas

Abstract

Purpose

We report the efficacy and safety of transsphenoidal microsurgery in a large and homogeneous cohort of patients with pituitary adenomas (PAs) treated at a single Institute by a single neurosurgeon.

Methods

A total of 2145 consecutive patients undergoing first surgery for a PA were included: 795 (37.1%) had a nonfunctioning pituitary adenoma (NFPA), 595 (27.7%) acromegaly, 496 (23.1%) Cushing's disease, 208 (9.7%) a PRL-secreting adenoma, and 51 patients (2.4%) a TSH-secreting adenoma. Remission was achieved when strict hormonal and radiological criteria were met.

Results

Early surgical remission was achieved in 66% of acromegalic patients, 79.6% of patients with Cushing's disease, 64.4% of prolactinomas, 74.5% of patients with a TSH-secreting adenoma, and 66.9% of NFPAs. The mean (±SE) follow-up was 60.1 ± 1.3 months. The recurrence-free survival at 10 years was 78.2% in acromegalic patients, 68.1% in prolactinomas, 74.3% in Cushing's disease, 70.3% in TSH-secreting adenomas, and 75.3% in NFPAs. Preoperative hypoadrenalism recovered in 35.3%, hypogonadism in 43.3% and hypothyroidism in 37.4% of patients with impaired function before surgery. The mortality rate was 0.2% and major morbidity 2.1%. New onset hypoadrenalism occurred after surgery in 2.5% of patients at risk, hypogonadism in 4.1%, and hypothyroidism in 1.8%. Permanent diabetes insipidus (DI) occurred in 0.9% of patients.

Conclusions

In experienced hands, transsphenoidal microsurgery for PAs achieves remission in most patients with a low complication rate. Pituitary function is preserved in most cases and can recover in more than one-third of patients with preoperative hypopituitarism.

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Editorial Board

Publication date: October 2017
Source:Current Opinion in Neurobiology, Volume 46





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Contents page

Publication date: October 2017
Source:Current Opinion in Neurobiology, Volume 46





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Scholar : These new articles for Applied Neuropsychology: Child are available online

The online platform for Taylor & Francis Online content New for Applied Neuropsychology: Child and online now on Taylor & Francis Online: Original Articles Preliminary validation study of the Sydney Post-Traumatic Amnesia Scale (SYPTAS) in children with traumatic brain injury aged 4 to 7 years Suncica Lah, Pamela David, Adrienne Epps, Robyn Tate & Naomi Brookes Pages: 1-9 | DOI: 10.1080/21622965.2017.1381100 Utility of matrix reasoning as an embedded performance validity indicator in pediatric mild traumatic brain injury Zachary W. Sussman, Robin L. Peterson, Amy K. Connery, David A. Baker & Michael W. Kirkwood Pages: 1-6 | DOI: 10.1080/21622965.2017.1382359 Clinical and demographic predictors of concussion resolution in adolescents: A retrospective study Seema S. Aggarwal , Summer D. Ott, Nikhil S. Padhye , Janet C. Meininger & Terri S. Armstrong Pages: 1-11 | DOI: 10.1080/21622965.2017.1381099 Executive and nonexecutive demands of constructional measures within a children's psychiatric inpatient setting Jane Studeny, Elyssa Weber, Brian C. Kavanaugh, Jennifer A. Dupont-Frechette, Perrin P. Tellock, Isolde D. Maher, Lauren D. Haisley, Kyle McCurdy & Karen A. Holler Pages: 1-10 | DOI: 10.1080/21622965.2017.1381098 2018 Future Directions Forum JOIN US at the 2018 Future Directions Forum for Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology - June 15-16, 2018 To update which email alerts you receive, manage your alerts within the My Account area. You can also unsubscribe from this alert with one click. If you need any further help, please contact us at support@tandfonline.com Please do not reply to this email. To ensure that you receive your alerts and information from Taylor & Francis Online, please add "alerts@tandfonline.com" and "info@tandfonline.com" to your safe senders list. Taylor & Francis, an Informa business. Taylor & Francis is a trading name of Informa UK Limited, registered in England under no. 1072954. Registered office: 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.

The American Brachytherapy Society consensus statement for accelerated partial-breast irradiation

Publication date: Available online 23 October 2017
Source:Brachytherapy
Author(s): Chirag Shah, Frank Vicini, Simona F. Shaitelman, Jaroslaw Hepel, Martin Keisch, Douglas Arthur, Atif J. Khan, Robert Kuske, Rakesh Patel, David E. Wazer
PurposeAdjuvant radiation after breast-conserving surgery remains the standard-of-care treatment for patients with ductal carcinoma in situ and early-stage invasive breast cancer. Multiple alternatives to standard whole-breast irradiation exist including accelerated partial-breast irradiation (APBI). Therefore, the purpose of this APBI guideline is to provide updated data for clinicians as well as recommendations regarding appropriate patient selection and techniques to deliver APBI.MethodsMembers of the American Brachytherapy Society with expertise in breast cancer and breast brachytherapy in particular created an updated guideline for appropriate patient selection based on an extensive literature search and clinical experience. In addition, data were evaluated with respect to APBI techniques and recommendations presented.ResultsAppropriate candidates for APBI include patients aged 45 years or older, all invasive histologies and ductal carcinoma in situ, tumors 3 cm or less, node negative, estrogen receptor positive/negative, no lymphovascular space invasion, and negative margins. With respect to techniques, the strongest evidence is for interstitial brachytherapy and intensity-modulated radiation therapy APBI with moderate evidence to support applicator brachytherapy or three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy APBI. Intraoperative radiation therapy and electronic brachytherapy should not be offered regardless of technique outside of clinical trial.ConclusionsThe updated guidelines presented offer clinicians with a summary of data supporting APBI and guidelines for the appropriate and safe utilization of the technique.



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Scholar : These new articles for Journal of Crime and Justice are available online

The online platform for Taylor & Francis Online content New for Journal of Crime and Justice and online now on Taylor & Francis Online: Original Articles Fear of crime among residents of rural counties: an analysis by gender Breanne Pleggenkuhle & Joseph A. Schafer Pages: 1-16 | DOI: 10.1080/0735648X.2017.1391109 To update which email alerts you receive, manage your alerts within the My Account area. You can also unsubscribe from this alert with one click. If you need any further help, please contact us at support@tandfonline.com Please do not reply to this email. To ensure that you receive your alerts and information from Taylor & Francis Online, please add "alerts@tandfonline.com" and "info@tandfonline.com" to your safe senders list. Taylor & Francis, an Informa business. Taylor & Francis is a trading name of Informa UK Limited, registered in England under no. 1072954. Registered office: 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.

Microsurgical therapy of pituitary adenomas

Abstract

Purpose

We report the efficacy and safety of transsphenoidal microsurgery in a large and homogeneous cohort of patients with pituitary adenomas (PAs) treated at a single Institute by a single neurosurgeon.

Methods

A total of 2145 consecutive patients undergoing first surgery for a PA were included: 795 (37.1%) had a nonfunctioning pituitary adenoma (NFPA), 595 (27.7%) acromegaly, 496 (23.1%) Cushing's disease, 208 (9.7%) a PRL-secreting adenoma, and 51 patients (2.4%) a TSH-secreting adenoma. Remission was achieved when strict hormonal and radiological criteria were met.

Results

Early surgical remission was achieved in 66% of acromegalic patients, 79.6% of patients with Cushing's disease, 64.4% of prolactinomas, 74.5% of patients with a TSH-secreting adenoma, and 66.9% of NFPAs. The mean (±SE) follow-up was 60.1 ± 1.3 months. The recurrence-free survival at 10 years was 78.2% in acromegalic patients, 68.1% in prolactinomas, 74.3% in Cushing's disease, 70.3% in TSH-secreting adenomas, and 75.3% in NFPAs. Preoperative hypoadrenalism recovered in 35.3%, hypogonadism in 43.3% and hypothyroidism in 37.4% of patients with impaired function before surgery. The mortality rate was 0.2% and major morbidity 2.1%. New onset hypoadrenalism occurred after surgery in 2.5% of patients at risk, hypogonadism in 4.1%, and hypothyroidism in 1.8%. Permanent diabetes insipidus (DI) occurred in 0.9% of patients.

Conclusions

In experienced hands, transsphenoidal microsurgery for PAs achieves remission in most patients with a low complication rate. Pituitary function is preserved in most cases and can recover in more than one-third of patients with preoperative hypopituitarism.

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Physiological serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations are associated with improved thyroid function—observations from a community-based program

Abstract

Purpose

Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with an increased risk of hypothyroidism and autoimmune thyroid disease. Our aim was to investigate the influence of vitamin D supplementation on thyroid function and anti-thyroid antibody levels.

Methods

We constructed a database that included 11,017 participants in a health and wellness program that provided vitamin D supplementation to target physiological serum 25-hydroxyvitmain D [25(OH)D] concentrations (>100 nmol/L). Participant measures were compared between entry to the program (baseline) and follow-up (12 ± 3 months later) using an intent-to-treat analysis. Further, a nested case-control design was utilized to examine differences in thyroid function over 1 year in hypothyroid individuals and euthyroid controls.

Results

More than 72% of participants achieved serum 25(OH)D concentrations >100 nmol/L at follow-up, with 20% above 125 nmol/L. Hypothyroidism was detected in 2% (23% including subclinical hypothyroidism) of participants at baseline and 0.4% (or 6% with subclinical) at follow-up. Serum 25(OH)D concentrations ≥125 nmol/L were associated with a 30% reduced risk of hypothyroidism and a 32% reduced risk of elevated anti-thyroid antibodies. Hypothyroid cases were found to have higher mean serum 25(OH)D concentrations at follow-up, which was a significant positive predictor of improved thyroid function.

Conclusion

The results of the current study suggest that optimal thyroid function might require serum 25(OH)D concentrations above 125 nmol/L. Vitamin D supplementation may offer a safe and economical approach to improve thyroid function and may provide protection from developing thyroid disease.

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Data on the regulation of moesin and merlin by the urokinase receptor (uPAR): Model explaining distal activation of integrins by uPAR

Publication date: December 2017
Source:Data in Brief, Volume 15
Author(s): Bernard Degryse, Mishan Britto, Chun Xu Shan, Robert G. Wallace, Keith D. Rochfort, Philip M. Cummins, Gerardene Meade, Ronan P. Murphy
The data presented herein are connected to our research article (doi: 10.1016/j.biocel.2017.04.012) [1], in which we investigated the functional connections between the urokinase receptor (uPAR), and the ezrin/radixin/moesin (ERM) proteins, moesin and merlin [1]. Firstly, a model of action is proposed that enlightens how uPAR regulates distal integrins. In addition, data show the effects of expressing wild-type moesin or permanently active T558D mutant of moesin on angiogenesis and morphology of human aortic endothelial cells (HAEC). Additional data compare the effects of urokinase (uPA, the main ligand of uPAR) on the same cells. Lastly, we provide technical data demonstrating the effects of specific siRNA for moesin and merlin on moesin and merlin expression, respectively.



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Scholar : These new articles for Alcheringa: An Australasian Journal of Palaeontology are available online

The online platform for Taylor & Francis Online content New for Alcheringa: An Australasian Journal of Palaeontology and online now on Taylor & Francis Online: Original Articles A probable ankylosaurian (Dinosauria, Thyreophora) from the Early Cretaceous of New South Wales, Australia Phil R. Bell, Michael E. Burns & Elizabeth T. Smith Pages: 1-5 | DOI: 10.1080/03115518.2017.1384851 Hoping to have your article read by anyone, anywhere and at any time? Find out more about publishing open access with Ecosystem Health and Sustainability. To update which email alerts you receive, manage your alerts within the My Account area. You can also unsubscribe from this alert with one click. If you need any further help, please contact us at support@tandfonline.com Please do not reply to this email. To ensure that you receive your alerts and information from Taylor & Francis Online, please add "alerts@tandfonline.com" and "info@tandfonline.com" to your safe senders list. Taylor & Francis, an Informa business. Taylor & Francis is a trading name of Informa UK Limited, registered in England under no. 1072954. Registered office: 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.

Oxytocin receptors (OXTR) and early parental care: An interaction that modulates psychiatric disorders

Publication date: Available online 21 October 2017
Source:Research in Developmental Disabilities
Author(s): Ilaria Cataldo, Atiqah Azhari, Bruno Lepri, Gianluca Esposito
Oxytocin plays an important role in the modulation of social behavior in both typical and atypical contexts. Also, the quality of early parental care sets the foundation for long-term psychosocial development. Here, we review studies that investigated how oxytocin receptor (OXTR) interacts with early parental care experiences to influence the development of psychiatric disorders. Using Pubmed, Scopus and PsycInfo databases, we utilized the keyword "OXTR" before subsequently searching for specific OXTR single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), generating a list of 598 studies in total. The papers were catalogued in a database and filtered for gene-environment interaction, psychiatric disorders and involvement of parental care. In particular, rs53576 and rs2254298 were found to be significantly involved in gene-environment interactions that modulated risk for psychopathology and the following psychiatric disorders: disruptive behavior, depression, anxiety, eating disorder and borderline personality disorder. These results illustrate the importance of OXTR in mediating the impact of parental care on the emergence of psychopathology.



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Six factors of adult dyslexia assessed by cognitive tests and self-report questions: Very high predictive validity

Publication date: December 2017
Source:Research in Developmental Disabilities, Volume 71
Author(s): Peter Tamboer, Harrie C.M. Vorst, Peter F. de Jong
The Multiple Diagnostic Digital Dyslexia Test for Adults (MDDDT-A) consists of 12 newly developed tests and self-report questions in the Dutch language. Predictive validity and construct validity were investigated and compared with validity of a standard test battery of dyslexia (STB) in a sample of 154 students.There are three main results. First, various analyses of principal components showed that six or more factors of dyslexia can be distinguished (rapid naming, spelling, reading, short-term memory, confusion, phonology, attention, complexity). All factors are represented by the MDDDT-A. Second, various discriminant analyses showed good predictive validity for both the tests of the MDDDT-A (90%) and the STB (90%). However, predictive validity of the questionnaire was highest (97%). Third, we analysed the best predictors of dyslexia and found that predictive validity is higher when construct validity is high, that is when a set of predictors represents many characteristics of dyslexia.The main conclusion is that a digital test battery can be a reliable screening instrument for dyslexia in students, especially when it is accompanied by self-report questions. A theoretical conclusion is that dyslexia is characterized by at least six cognitive impairments in a complex way. In students, this structure may be modulated by high intelligence and good schooling through various compensation strategies. It is therefore recommended to include assessments of all characteristics of dyslexia to achieve the most reliable diagnoses in different samples and in different countries.



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Early social communication in infants with fragile X syndrome and infant siblings of children with autism spectrum disorder

Publication date: December 2017
Source:Research in Developmental Disabilities, Volume 71
Author(s): Laura J. Hahn, Nancy C. Brady, Lindsay McCary, Lisa Rague, Jane E. Roberts
BackgroundLittle research in fragile X syndrome (FXS) has prospectively examined early social communication.AimsTo compare early social communication in infants with FXS, infant siblings of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASIBs), and typically developing (TD) infants.Methods and proceduresParticipants were 18 infants with FXS, 21 ASIBs, and 22 TD infants between 7.5–14.5 months. Social communication was coded using the Communication Complexity Scale during the administration of Autism Observation Scale for Infants.Outcomes and resultsDescriptively different patterns were seen across the three groups. Overall infants with FXS had lower social communication than ASIBs or TD infants when controlling for nonverbal cognitive abilities. However, infants with FXS had similar levels of social communication as ASIBs or TD infants during peek-a-boo. No differences were observed between ASIBs and TD infants. For all infants, higher social communication was related to lower ASD risk.Conclusions and implicationsFindings provide insight into the developmental course of social communication in FXS. The dynamic nature of social games may help to stimulate communication in infants with FXS. Language interventions with a strong social component may be particularly effective for promoting language development in FXS.



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The natural number bias and its role in rational number understanding in children with dyscalculia. Delay or deficit?

Publication date: December 2017
Source:Research in Developmental Disabilities, Volume 71
Author(s): Jo Van Hoof, Lieven Verschaffel, Pol Ghesquière, Wim Van Dooren
BackgroundPrevious research indicated that in several cases learners' errors on rational number tasks can be attributed to learners' tendency to (wrongly) apply natural number properties. There exists a large body of literature both on learners' struggle with understanding the rational number system and on the role of the natural number bias in this struggle. However, little is known about this phenomenon in learners with dyscalculia.AimsWe investigated the rational number understanding of learners with dyscalculia and compared it with the rational number understanding of learners without dyscalculia.MethodThree groups of learners were included: sixth graders with dyscalculia, a chronological age match group, and an ability match group.ResultsThe results showed that the rational number understanding of learners with dyscalculia is significantly lower than that of typically developing peers, but not significantly different from younger learners, even after statistically controlling for mathematics achievement.ConclusionNext to a delay in their mathematics achievement, learners with dyscalculia seem to have an extra delay in their rational number understanding, compared with peers. This is especially the case in those rational number tasks where one has to inhibit natural number knowledge to come to the right answer.



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Charting the territory: Describing the functional abilities of children with progressive neurological conditions

Publication date: December 2017
Source:Research in Developmental Disabilities, Volume 71
Author(s): Sandy K. Tatla, Liisa Holsti, Gail Stephanie Andrews, Leanne Feichtinger, Rose Steele, Harold Siden
AimsLittle is known about the functional abilities of children with progressive genetic, metabolic, or neurological conditions (PNCs). In this study, children with PNCs were followed over a 2-year period to assess their functional abilities over time. Specific aims were to: 1) describe the changes in functional skills and the effects of age for children with PNCs, 2) assess changes in these children's need for caregiver assistance over time, and 3) examine relationships between these children's functional skills and need for caregiver assistance.MethodsThis study involved a longitudinal, descriptive design with three assessments occurring at Baseline, Year 1, Year 2. Functional skills and caregiver assistance were assessed by the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI). The PEDI questionnaire was completed at baseline and then yearly by parents, along with the assistance of a trained research assistant (RA).ResultsThe study was completed with 83 children (mean age at Baseline=7.1yrs, SD=4.6). Mean Functional skills scores were in the low ranges at Baseline and did not change significantly across time points (F(2, 71)=0.437, p=0.58). Time point had no effect on caregiver assistance ratings (p<0.2); however, children required greater amounts of help with self-care at later time points than for other functional domains. Statistically significant correlations were found between PEDI-Functional skills and caregiver assistance ratings (r=0.80-0.90, p<0.01).ConclusionsFunctional skills were low for these children overall, irrespective of age. In children with PNCs: 1) mean functional skills did not change significantly over time; 2) caregiver assistance scores remained stable and 3) functional skills and levels of caregiver assistance were strongly positively correlated. Further research to explore the long-term functional trajectory in children with a PNC is recommended.



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Social skills plus relaxation training with a child with ASD in the schools

Publication date: December 2017
Source:Research in Developmental Disabilities, Volume 71
Author(s): Margaret T. Floress, Kim Zoder-Martell, Rachel Schaub
A social skills plus relaxation training (SSRT) program was developed using direct training, relaxation training, and reinforcement principles. The aim was to examine the effectiveness of SSRT on increasing the frequency of three target behaviors for one 8-year-old, student classified with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). A multiple-baseline across behaviors design was used to evaluate the effects of SSRT. During baseline, intervention, and maintenance sessions the student's responses were videotaped and then subsequently viewed and coded after the session. During intervention, the student's correct responses for the targeted social skills increased and were maintained 17 weeks after SSRT ended. This study adds support for the use of this SSRT program in a school setting with children who have ASD.



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Comparing parent and child reports of health-related quality of life and their relationship with leisure participation in children and adolescents with Cerebral Palsy

Publication date: December 2017
Source:Research in Developmental Disabilities, Volume 71
Author(s): Egmar Longo, Marta Badia, M. Begoña Orgaz, María Gómez-Vela
The aim of this study was to examine the level of agreement between reports of health-related quality of life (HR-QoL) obtained from children and adolescents with cerebral palsy (CP) and their parents. We also examined the relationships between child and parent perception of the different domains of HR-QoL and participation dimensions. Sixty-nine children and adolescents with CP and their parents separately completed parallel forms of the KIDSCREEN questionnaire. The Spanish version of the Children's Assessment of Participation and Enjoyment (CAPE) was completed by the child/adolescent. Concordance between the children's and the parents' HR-QoL scores was analyzed via Pearson and intraclass correlations. Differences in means were tested using paired Student's t-tests. Chi-square tests were using to assess the incidence of personal variables in the agreement and disagreement of children-parents' responses. The relationships between HR-QoL and leisure participation was confirmed with Pearson's correlation coefficients. Correlations between child and parent HR-QoL scores were small in 7 domains, medium in 2 and large in the Social Support & Peers domain.Children reported significantly better HR-QoL than their parents did. Participation was positively associated with specific domains of HR-QoL, but only weakly, and there were discrepancies between parent and child reports of HR-QoL. These findings provide interesting information about the importance of hearing the voices of children and adolescents with CP to promote HR-QoL and leisure participation.



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The efficacy of two activity-based interventions in adolescents with Developmental Coordination Disorder

Publication date: December 2017
Source:Research in Developmental Disabilities, Volume 71
Author(s): Emmanuel Bonney, Gillian Ferguson, Bouwien Smits-Engelsman
BackgroundAdolescents with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) usually experience psychomotor difficulties that affect their participation in everyday tasks and sports. Without effective intervention, adolescents show persistent motor deficits through adulthood. It is therefore critical to develop interventions to address the specific needs of this population. Studies evaluating the impact of motor interventions among adolescents with DCD are limited.AimThe study evaluated the efficacy of two activity-based motor interventions in female adolescents with DCD.Methods and proceduresForty-three female participants (Mean±SD: 14.3±1.1years) were identified as having DCD using the DSM-5 criteria. They were randomly assigned to either Task-oriented Functional Training (TFT) or Wii training. Both groups received 45min training per week for 14 weeks. Outcome measures included isometric muscular strength, motor proficiency, functional performance and participation in activities of daily living (ADL).Outcomes and resultsAt the conclusion of the intervention, the two groups had significant improvement in muscular strength, motor proficiency, running and agility, predilection for physical activity and generalized self-efficacy. However, there was no difference in outcomes for the two interventions.Conclusions and implicationsThe findings highlight the potential benefits of activity-based motor interventions in reducing impairments, improving functional performance, and enhancing participation. These results support previous findings on the efficacy of task-oriented interventions and demonstrate the value of these approaches at all levels of functioning.



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