Use of the Limbs and Things Hysterectomy Model to Describe the Process for Establishing Validity.

Study Objective: To demonstrate the process for establishing or refuting validity for the Limbs and Things hysterectomy model.

Design: Prospective study using Kane's framework for establishing validity (Canadian Task Force classification: II-2).

Setting: Total laparoscopic hysterectomy (TLH) assessments completed in the operating room (OR) and simulation at 3 academic medical centers.

ABVD Without Radiation for Newly Diagnosed Pediatric and Young Adult Patients With Hodgkin Lymphoma: A Single Center Retrospective Analysis of 28 Consecutive Patients.

Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) is the most common malignancy affecting adolescents and young adults. Treatment with a combination of chemotherapy and radiation results in cure rates of >90%. However, radiation therapy causes significant late effects and avoiding radiation entirely for patients who respond to chemotherapy is an accepted strategy.

Complete mitochondrial genome of (Decapoda, Xanthidae) from the Philippines.

In this study, a complete mitochondrial genome from the red egg crab, was sequenced and analyzed. The mitochondrial genome length is 16,333 bp and is composed of 13 protein-coding, two ribosomal RNA and 22 tRNA genes. The structure and gene orientation of the mitochondrial genome was found to be identical with the other brachyurans.

Complete mitochondrial genome of xanthid crab (Linnaeus, 1767).

The complete mitochondrial genome sequenced from the floral egg crab (Linnaeus, 1767) and the determination of the position of the species in the reconstructed phylogenetic tree of the infraorder Brachyura using the protein coding mitochondrial genes are presented. Results show the mitochondrial genome length of is 16,435 bp with nucleotide distribution as 33.4% A, 20.

Current perspective: Osimertinib-induced QT prolongation: new drugs with new side-effects need careful patient monitoring.

An increasing number of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are available for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). QT prolongation is one of the known, but relatively rare, adverse events of several TKIs (e.g.

Effect of deboning time on the growth of Salmonella, E. coli, aerobic, and lactic acid bacteria during beef sausage processing and storage.

The objective of the current study was to determine the effects of deboning time, three steps of sausage processing (grinding, salting, and batter formulation), and storage time (of raw materials and cooked sausage) on the growth (log CFU/g) of aerobic bacteria, lactic acid bacteria, and inoculated Salmonella and E. coli. Beef deboning time did not influence bacterial counts (P≥0.

Impact of Timing of Antiretroviral Treatment and Birth Weight on Mother-to-Child Human Immunodeficiency Virus Transmission: Findings From an 18-Month Prospective Cohort of a Nationally Representative Sample of Mother-Infant Pairs During the Transition From Option A to Option B+ in Zimbabwe.

Background: Preventing mother-to-child transmission of human immunodeficiency virus transmission (MTCT) depends on early initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART). We report the 18-month MTCT risk during the transition from Option A to Option B+ in Zimbabwe, and assess whether ART preconception could eliminate MTCT in breastfeeding populations.

Methods: In 2013, we consecutively recruited a nationally representative sample of 6051 infants aged 4-12 weeks and their mothers from 151 immunization clinics using a multistage stratified cluster sampling method.

Highly sensitive p-type 4H-SiC van der Pauw sensor.

This paper presents for the first time a p-type 4H silicon carbide (4H-SiC) van der Pauw strain sensor by utilizing the strain induced effect in four-terminal devices. The sensor was fabricated from a 4H-SiC (0001) wafer, using a 1 μm thick p-type epilayer with a concentration of 10 cm. Taking advantage of the four-terminal configuration, the sensor can eliminate the need for resistance-to-voltage conversion which is typically required for two-terminal devices.

Uptake and predictors of early postnatal follow-up care amongst mother-baby pairs in South Africa: Results from three population-based surveys, 2010-2013.

Background: Achieving World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations for postnatal care (PNC) within the first few weeks of life is vital to eliminating early mother-to-child transmission of HIV (MTCT) and improving infant health. Almost half of the annual global deaths among children under five occur during the first six weeks of life. This study aims to identify uptake of three PNC visits within the first six weeks of life as recommended by WHO among South African mother-infant pairs, and factors associated with uptake.

Investigation of Dental Implant Referral Patterns Among General Dentists and Dental Specialists: A Survey Approach.

A historical area of referral involves the placement of dental implants. Because there is a high demand for dental implant therapy and relatively few general dentists participating in the surgical aspect, it is important to investigate referral characteristics to specialists. The authors conducted a study in which 6,769 general dentists and specialists were emailed an anonymous online survey.

Adolescent Access to Care and Risk of Early Mother-to-Child HIV Transmission.

Purpose: Adolescent females aged 15-19 account for 62% of new HIV infections and give birth to 16 million infants annually. We quantify the risk of early mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV among adolescents enrolled in nationally representative MTCT surveillance studies in South Africa.

Methods: Data from 4,814 adolescent (≤19 years) and 25,453 adult (≥20 years) mothers and their infants aged 4-8 weeks were analyzed.

Evaluation of Loopamp™MTBC detection kit for diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis at a peripheral laboratory in a high burden setting.

The Loopamp™MTBC detection kit (TB-LAMP) was designed to replace the sputum smear microscopy for the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis. We evaluated its performance at a peripheral laboratory in Vietnam. The sensitivity of TB-LAMP was 45.

Risk stratification in pediatric perforated appendicitis: Prospective correlation with outcomes and resource utilization.

Purpose: Despite a wide spectrum of severity, perforated appendicitis in children is typically considered a single entity in outcomes studies. We performed a prospective cohort study to define a risk stratification system that correlates with outcomes and resource utilization.

Methods: A prospective study was conducted of all children operated for perforated appendicitis between May 2015 and December 2016 at a tertiary free-standing university children's hospital.

Influence of Stress and Antibiotic Resistance on Cell-Length Distribution in Clinical Isolates.

Mycobacterial cellular variations in growth and division increase heterogeneity in cell length, possibly contributing to cell-to-cell variation in host and antibiotic stress tolerance. This may be one of the factors influencing persistence to antibiotics. Tuberculosis (TB) is a major public health problem in developing countries, antibiotic persistence, and emergence of antibiotic resistance further complicates this problem.

Superior Robust Ultrathin Single-Crystalline Silicon Carbide Membrane as a Versatile Platform for Biological Applications.

Micromachined membranes are promising platforms for cell culture thanks to their miniaturization and integration capabilities. Possessing chemical inertness, biocompatibility, and integration, silicon carbide (SiC) membranes have attracted great interest toward biological applications. In this paper, we present the batch fabrication, mechanical characterizations, and cell culture demonstration of robust ultrathin epitaxial deposited SiC membranes.

Effects of body condition score (BCS) on steroid- and eicosanoid-metabolizing enzyme activity in various mare tissues during winter anoestrus.

The objective of this study was to determine the activity of steroid- and eicosanoid-metabolizing enzymes in horses with varying BCSs. The BCSs of twenty non-pregnant, anoestrous mares were determined prior to euthanasia, and tissue samples were collected from the liver, kidney, adrenal gland, ovary and endometrium. Cytochrome P450 1A (CYP1A), 2C (CYP2C), 3A (CYP3A) and uridine 5'-diphospho-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) activities were determined using luminogenic substrates.

A Preliminary Observational Study of Anovulatory Uterine Bleeding After Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage.

Introduction: It was observed that women with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) tended to have earlier menses than a typical 21- to 28-day cycle. The goal was to determine whether there is an association between aSAH and early onset of menses.

Methods: All cases of aSAH in women aged 18 to 55 years who were admitted to our facility's neuroscience intensive care unit from June 1, 2011, to June 30, 2012, were reviewed.

Body fat of stock-type horses predicted by rump fat thickness and deuterium oxide dilution and validated by near-infrared spectroscopy of dissected tissues.

Body condition score and percent body fat (BF; %) of horses are positively correlated with reproductive efficiency and are indicative of metabolic issues. However, BF in horses may be poorly predicted because current procedures are either subjective or dependent on one anatomical location. Therefore, the objectives of the current study were to compare 2 methods of predicting BF using rump fat thickness (RFT) and deuterium oxide (DO) dilution with actual tissue fat analysis by near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) in stock-type horses and to identify the relationship between BF and BCS.

Pushing the Limits of Piezoresistive Effect by Optomechanical Coupling in 3C-SiC/Si Heterostructure.

This letter reports a giant opto-piezoresistive effect in p-3C-SiC/p-Si heterostructure under visible-light illumination. The p-3C-SiC/p-Si heterostructure has been fabricated by growing a 390 nm p-type 3C-SiC on a p-type Si substrate using the low pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) technique. The gauge factor of the heterostructure was found to be 28 under a dark condition; however, it significantly increased to about -455 under illumination of 635 nm wavelength at 3.

Early predictors of Guillain-Barré syndrome in the life course of women.

Background: We sought to determine if immune disorders early in life were associated with the later risk of Guillain-Barré syndrome, a neurological disorder thought to be infection-related.

Methods: We conducted a longitudinal cohort study with 16 108 819 person-years of follow-up for a population of 1 108 541 parous women in Quebec, Canada (1989-2014). The outcome was Guillain-Barré syndrome.

Melanotic Macule in Conjunction with a Giant Cell Fibroma.

Introduction: The aim of this study is to describe a case of a melanotic macule found in conjunction with a giant cell fibroma (GCF). For oral pigmented lesions without an identifiable etiologic factor, critical factors in determining the differential diagnosis are clinical history, symmetry, and uniformity of the lesions. Potential differential diagnosis includes racial pigmentation, endocrine disturbance, Peutz-Jeghers syndrome, trauma, hemochromatosis, oral malignant melanoma, or idiopathic etiology and melanotic macules.

Sparse Covariance Matrix Estimation by DCA-Based Algorithms.

This letter proposes a novel approach using the [Formula: see text]-norm regularization for the sparse covariance matrix estimation (SCME) problem. The objective function of SCME problem is composed of a nonconvex part and the [Formula: see text] term, which is discontinuous and difficult to tackle. Appropriate DC (difference of convex functions) approximations of [Formula: see text]-norm are used that result in approximation SCME problems that are still nonconvex.

Enhanced sensitivity and responses to viologens from a whole-cell bacterial bioreporter treated with branched polyethyleneimines.

Aims: Evaluate the use of polyethyleneimines (PEIs) as membrane permeabilizers to improve the responses and sensitivity of a bacterial bioreporter strain to viologens.

Methods And Results: The responses from E. coli str.

A Mucosal and Cutaneous Chemokine Ligand for the Lymphocyte Chemoattractant Receptor GPR15.

Chemoattractants control lymphocyte recruitment from the blood, contributing to the systemic organization of the immune system. The G protein-linked receptor GPR15 mediates lymphocyte homing to the large intestines and skin. Here we show that the 9 kDa CC-motif containing cationic polypeptide AP57/colon-derived sushi containing domain-2 binding factor (CSBF), encoded by in the human and in the mouse, functions as a chemokine ligand for GPR15 (GPR15L).

Standardization of care for pediatric perforated appendicitis improves outcomes.

Background: The treatment of perforated appendicitis in children is characterized by significant variability in care, morbidity, resource utilization, and outcomes. We prospectively studied how minimization of care variability affects outcomes.

Methods: A clinical pathway for perforated appendicitis, in use for three decades, was further standardized in May 2015 by initiation of a disease severity classification, refinement of discharge criteria, standardization of the operation, and establishment of criteria for use of postoperative total parenteral nutrition, imaging, and invasive procedures.