Rethinking livestock encroachment at a protected area boundary.

The presence of livestock inside protected areas, or "livestock encroachment," is a global conservation concern because livestock is broadly thought to negatively affect wildlife. The Maasai Mara National Reserve (MMNR), Kenya, exemplifies this tension as livestock is believed to have resulted in the declining wildlife populations, contributing to the strict and sometimes violent exclusion measures targeting Maasai pastoralists. However, research embedded in the real-world setting that draws insights from the social-ecological contexts is lacking.

Behavioral Assessment With the Coma Recovery Scale-Revised Is Safe and Feasible in Critically Ill Patients With Disorders of Consciousness.

Objectives: Accurate classification of disorders of consciousness (DoC) is key in developing rehabilitation plans after brain injury. The Coma Recovery Scale-Revised (CRS-R) is a sensitive measure of consciousness validated in the rehabilitation phase of care. We tested the feasibility, safety, and impact of CRS-R-guided rehabilitation in the ICU for patients with DoC after acute hemorrhagic stroke.

Do Patients Accurately Recall Pain Levels Following Sacroiliac Joint Steroid Injection? A Cohort Study of Recall Bias in Patient-reported Outcomes.

Background: Sacroiliac joint (SIJ) injections are crucial in the diagnostic toolkit for evaluating SIJ pathology. Recall bias is an important component in patient-reported outcomes that has not been well studied in SIJ injection.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to characterize the accuracy, direction, and magnitude of pain level recall bias following SIJ steroid injection and study the factors that affect patient recollection.

Patient satisfaction with follow-up after spinal fusion.

Background: Postoperative follow-up visits (PFUs) allow providers to track patient recovery but can be costly to patients. With the advent of the novel coronavirus pandemic, virtual/phone visits have been utilized as an alternative to in-person PFUs. Patients were surveyed to elucidate patient satisfaction with postoperative care in the setting of increased virtual follow-up visits.

Intraoperative and Postoperative Management of Incidental Durotomies During Open Degenerative Lumbar Spine Surgery: A Systematic Review.

Summary Of Background Data: Incidental durotomy is a common intraoperative complication of lumbar spine surgery. Intra and postoperative protocols in the management of this common complication vary considerably, with no consensus in the literature.

Objective: To systematically review (1) lumbar dural repair techniques for open degenerative procedures; (2) review described postoperative protocols after lumbar dural repairs.

Do Patients Accurately Recall Their Pain Levels Following Epidural Steroid Injection? A Cohort Study of Recall Bias in Patient-Reported Outcomes.

Background: Although patient-reported outcomes (PROs) have become important in the evaluation of spine surgery patients, the accuracy of patient recall of pre- or post-intervention  symptoms following epidural steroid injection remains unknown.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to: 1) characterize the accuracy of patient recollection of back/leg pain following epidural steroid injection; 2) characterize the direction and magnitude of recall bias; and 3) characterize factors that impact patient recollection.

Study Design: A prospective cohort study.

Lateral mass screw placement in the atlas: description of a novel surgical technique, radiographic parameters, and review of the literature.

Background: Numerous techniques of C1 lateral mass screw placement have been described. We sought to delineate the radiographic angle of safety medially and laterally and describe a novel surgical technique of C1 lateral mass screw placement. We sought to (I) determine the angle of safety medially and laterally of the C1 lateral mass; (II) assess the size available of the lateral mass in the AP and coronal planes; (III) describe novel technique of insertion of a C1 lateral mass screw utilizing navigation and a novel start point.

A Multicenter Evaluation of the Feasibility, Patient/Provider Satisfaction, and Value of Virtual Spine Consultation During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Objective: To assess the feasibility, patient/provider satisfaction, and perceived value of telehealth spine consultation after rapid conversion from traditional in-office visits during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: Data were obtained for patients undergoing telehealth visits with spine surgeons in the first 3 weeks after government restriction of elective surgical care at 4 sites (March 23, 2020, to April 17, 2020). Demographic factors, technique-specific elements of the telehealth experience, provider confidence in diagnostic and therapeutic assessment, patient/surgeon satisfaction, and perceived value were collected.

"Chicken dumping": Motivations and perceptions in shifting poultry production practices.

Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) often implement overseas development aid through intensive small-scale animal agriculture to alleviate food insecurity in low- and middle-income countries. Intensive animal farming can pose unclear outcomes to households engaged in the practice because of the reliance on industrial animal breeds that are reared with antibiotics and raised in higher densities compared to traditional scavenging husbandry systems. As a result, intensive small-scale farming operations that lack proper infrastructure, training, and financial resources could facilitate the spread of antimicrobial resistance and infectious diseases.

Congenital defect of the posterior arch of C1: a case report.

Odontoid fractures are one of the most common injuries to the cervical spine in geriatric patients. Congenital C1 arch absence, however, is a very rare anomaly found in the population. We describe the first reported case of a congenital C1 posterior arch absence and C1 anterior cleft presenting with odontoid fracture.

A systematic metadata harvesting workflow for analysing scientific networks.

One of the disciplines behind the science of science is the study of scientific networks. This work focuses on scientific networks as a social network having different nodes and connections. Nodes can be represented by authors, articles or journals while connections by citation, co-citation or co-authorship.

Perioperative Corticosteroids Reduce Dysphagia Severity Following Anterior Cervical Spinal Fusion: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Background: The anterior approach to the cervical spine is commonly used to treat cervical pathology. It is, however, associated with high rates of dysphagia, which may be associated with substantial patient morbidity. Perioperative corticosteroid administration has been advocated to decrease dysphagia rates; its efficacy, however, remains uncertain.

Surgical correction of rigid cervicothoracic deformity in a transgender patient: case report.

A number of spinal pathologies result in fusion of the spine, including ankylosing spondylitis, diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH), as well as severe degenerative arthropathies. This fusion of spinal elements may result in spinal deformity affecting any region of the spine. Cervicothoracic deformity resulting in chin on chest deformity is poorly tolerated due to inability to maintain a horizontal gaze.

Stereotactic navigation in anterior cervical spine surgery: surgical setup and technique.

Intraoperative stereotactic navigation in spine surgery is quickly becoming popularized for accurate placement of spinal instrumentation as well as assisting in the verification of anatomic landmarks. Navigation is less commonly utilized in anterior cervical spine surgery due to instrumentation being able to be placed under direct visualization. The utility of navigation in anterior cervical spine surgery is its ability to aid in the verification of anatomic location, particularly when anatomy is distorted or pathology comes close to critical neurovascular structures.

Physical Examination of the Spine Using Telemedicine: A Systematic Review.

Study Design: This is a systematic review.

Objective: To systematically review (1) the reliability of the physical examination of the spine using telehealth as it pertains to spinal pathology and (2) patient satisfaction with the virtual spine physical examination.

Methods: We searched EMBASE, PubMed, Medline Ovid, and SCOPUS databases from inception until April 2020.

Spatial Exposure of Agricultural Antimicrobial Resistance in Relation to Free-Ranging Domestic Chicken Movement Patterns among Agricultural Communities in Ecuador.

The use of antimicrobial growth promoters in chicken farming has been commonly associated with high levels of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in humans. Most of this work, however, has been focused on intensive large-scale operations. Intensive small-scale farming that regularly uses antibiotics is increasing worldwide and has different exposure pathways compared with large-scale farming, most notably the spatial connection between chickens and households.

Three-dimensional Printed Drill Guides Versus Fluoroscopic-guided Freehand Technique for Pedicle Screw Placement: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Radiographic, Operative, and Clinical Outcomes.

Study Design: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: The objective of this study was to compare surgical, clinical, and radiographic outcomes of 3-dimensional printed (3DP) drill guides to the fluoroscopic-guided, freehand placement of pedicle screws in the spine.

Summary Of Background Data: 3DP is a budding technology in spine surgery and has recently been applied to patient-specific drill guides for pedicle screw placement.

Estimation of body fat in Pakistani adult: A comparison of equations based upon skinfold thickness measurements.

Objective: To compare three different body fats estimation equations using skin fold measurements with bioelectrical impedance analysis.

Methods: A total of 130 subjects were included from Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Services Hospital, Lahore from 1 April 2016 to 30 Sep. 2016.

Frequency of Dyslipidemia in patients with Lupus Nephritis.

Objective: To determine the frequency of dyslipidemia in patients with lupus nephritis and its association with the degree of proteinuria.

Methods: This cross-sectional analytic study included 65 patients who fulfilled the ACR (American College of Rheumatology) criteria for SLE and had renal involvement, presenting to the Division of Rheumatology, Fatima Memorial Hospital (FMH), and Lahore from 21 Sep 2016 to 20 Dec 2016. After 12 hours overnight fast their blood samples were assessed for total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high density lipoprotein (HDL) and low density lipoprotein (LDL).

Cognitive dysfunction in patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

Objective: To determine the frequency of cognitive dysfunction in patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus in a Pakistani population, presenting at a tertiary care Rheumatology setting.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at the Division of Rheumatology, Fatima Memorial Hospital, Lahore, from March to June 2016. A total of 43 consecutive patients, who fulfilled the 2012 SLICC (Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics) classification criteria for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), were enrolled.

PTH(1-34) and zoledronic acid have differing longitudinal effects on juvenile mouse femur strength and morphology.

Treatment of secondary pediatric osteoporosis-particularly that due to chronic diseases, immobilization, and necessary medical treatments-is currently limited by a poor understanding of the long-term efficacy and safety of skeletal metabolism modifying drugs. This study aimed to characterize longitudinal effects of representative anabolic (parathyroid hormone, PTH) and anti-catabolic (zoledronic acid, ZA) drugs on skeletal morphology, mechanical strength, and growth in juvenile mice. BALB/cJ mice aged 4 weeks were given PTH(1-34) or vehicle (control) daily for 8 weeks, or 4 weekly doses of ZA, and evaluated at time points 0-26 weeks after treatment initiation.

Q fever risk across a dynamic, heterogeneous landscape in Laikipia County, Kenya.

Two hundred fourteen serosamples were collected from four livestock species across five ranches in Laikipia County, Kenya. Serological analysis for Coxiella burnetii (the causative agent for Q fever) showed a distinct seroprevalence gradient: the lowest in cattle, higher in sheep and goats, and the highest in camels. Laikipia-wide aerial counts show a recent increase in the camel population.