Psychological Distress and Relational Intimacy following Sexual Violence: A Longitudinal Study.

Increasing evidence shows how distress following sexual violence might spill over to victims' romantic relationship functioning. However, studies investigating the reverse spillover between relationship functioning and psychological distress following sexual violence are lacking. The current study therefore aimed to investigate the bidirectional association between victims' psychological distress (posttraumatic stress, depression, anxiety and stress) and emotional and sexual intimacy using a three-wave yearly survey study of a community sample of sexual violence victims ( = 274, 89% women, 3% men and 8% trans persons, = 32 years, = 10.

Coping with sexual violence as a post-assault formed couple: A dyadic phenomenological interview analysis.

Increasing evidence shows that survivors of sexual violence frequently experience relationship difficulties following their victimization. Little is known regarding how couples which formed post-assault cope with the impact of the prior assault. Hence, the aim of the current study was to gain insight into post-assault formed couples' experiences in coping with the impact of sexual violence.

An ecological approach to understanding the impact of sexual violence: a systematic meta-review.

Aim: A systematic meta-review was conducted to examine (1) the broad range of negative and positive individual and interpersonal changes following adult sexual violence, as well as (2) the risk/protective factors at multiple levels of the social ecology (e.g., individual, assault, and micro/meso/exo/macro/chronosystem factors)-influencing the impact of sexual violence.

The Spread of Plasmidic AmpC in a General Lebanese Hospital Over Nine Consecutive Years and the Relationship With Restricted Isolation Protocols.

The dreaded bacterial infection by extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBL)-producers has always troubled the medical field whether on the public, scientific, or clinical levels. One of the lesser known β-lactamases, which is capable of hydrolyzing broad and extended-spectrum cephalosporins-i.e.

Quadruple-Checkerboard: A Modification of the Three-Dimensional Checkerboard for Studying Drug Combinations.

The concept of drug-combination therapy is becoming very important mainly with the drastic increase in resistance to drugs. The Quadruple checkerboard, also called the Q-checkerboard, aims at maximizing the number of possible combinations that can be obtained between four drugs in one experiment to minimize the time and work needed to accomplish the same results with other protocols. This protocol is based on the simple micro dilution technique where the drugs are diluted and combined together in several 96-well plates.

A Non-Hereditary Case of Hereditary Leiomyomatosis and Renal Cell Carcinoma Syndrome.

Hereditary leiomyomatosis and renal cell carcinoma (HLRCC) syndrome is believed to result from an autosomal dominant mutation in the fumarate hydratase (FH) gene on chromosome 1. It is characterized by leiomyomas, mainly uterine or cutaneous, and renal cell carcinoma (RCC). The most common type of RCC associated with HLRCC is type II papillary RCC although other types are seen.

Higher Sensitivity Provided by the Combination of Two Lateral Flow Immunoassay Tests for the Detection of COVID-19 Immunoglobulins.

SARS-Cov-2 was identified in Wuhan, China in December 2019. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared it a pandemic in March of 2020. COVID-19 has now been reported on every continent.

Over-the-needle trans-septal access using the cryoballoon delivery sheath and dilator in atrial fibrillation ablation.

Background: In the setting of second-generation cryoballoon (CB2) ablation, left atrial (LA) access is generally achieved using a standard sheath (SS) that is exchanged for the 15Fr cryoballoon delivery sheath (CBS) and dilator over a long wire (CBS over-the-wire technique, CBS-W). Our objective was to evaluate the direct use of the CBS to gain LA access, by advancing the latter over the trans-septal needle (CBS over-the-needle technique, CBS-N), under transesophageal echocardiographic (TEE) guidance.

Methods: Consecutive patients who underwent CB2 ablation with the CBS-N technique were evaluated for feasibility of gaining LA access using TEE guidance and fluoroscopy views.

Value of ultrasound for access guidance and detection of subclinical vascular complications in the setting of atrial fibrillation cryoballoon ablation.

Aims: Vascular complications are the most common complications of atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation. Cryoballoon (CB) ablation for AF needs the insertion of a large 15 Fr sheath in the femoral vein. Our aim was to investigate the impact of vascular ultrasound (US) in guiding access and evaluating post-procedural subclinical complications in a large, multi-centre patient cohort that underwent CB ablation.

Atrial fibrillation ablation with the second generation cryoballoon: Multicenter propensity score matched comparison between freezing strategies.

Background: Second generation cryoballoon (CB-A) ablation is highly effective in achieving pulmonary vein (PV) isolation and freedom from atrial fibrillation (AF). However, the ideal freezing strategy is still under debate. Our objective was to investigate the efficacy and outcome between different freezing strategies used with the CB-A in a multicenter, matched population.

Complications of pulmonary vein isolation in atrial fibrillation: predictors and comparison between four different ablation techniques: Results from the MIddelheim PVI-registry.

Aims: To define predictors of complications of pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) and compare safety between different ablation techniques.

Methods And Results: One thousand patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) (age 60 ± 10, 72% males, CHA2DS2-VASc score 1 ± 1) underwent PVI using various techniques: conventional PVI (CPVI) using mapping with irrigated point-per-point RF ablation (n = 576), multi-electrode RF ablation with the pulmonary vein ablation catheter (PVAC) (n = 272) or high density mesh ablator (HDMA) (n = 59) and cryoballoon (CB) ablation (n = 93). A complication was defined as any procedure-related adverse event resulting in permanent injury or death, requiring intervention or treatment, or prolonging/requiring hospitalization for >48 h.

Impact of Length of Residence in the United States on Risk of Diabetes and Hypertension in Resettled Refugees.

The relationship between resettlement and development of chronic disease has yet to be elucidated in refugees. We aimed to assess the relationship between length of residence in the US and development of diabetes and hypertension utilizing multivariable logistic regression models in a sample of former refugee patients seeking primary care services. Multivariable logistic regression models adjusting for age, gender, and country of origin showed significantly increasing odds of type 2 diabetes (OR 1.

Diagnosis-to-ablation time as a predictor of success: early choice for pulmonary vein isolation and long-term outcome in atrial fibrillation: results from the Middelheim-PVI Registry.

Aims: The aim of the study is to define long-term outcome of pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) in atrial fibrillation (AF) and to determine whether time window between AF diagnosis and PVI affects outcome.

Methods And Results: Consecutive AF patients undergoing PVI (2006-14) were followed for 5 years. Primary outcome was clinical success, defined as freedom of documented AF without anti-arrhythmic drugs respecting a 1-month blanking period.

Activity of c-Met/ALK Inhibitor Crizotinib and Multi-Kinase VEGF Inhibitor Pazopanib in Metastatic Gastrointestinal Neuroectodermal Tumor Harboring EWSR1-CREB1 Fusion.

Malignant gastrointestinal neuroectodermal tumor (GNET) is an aggressive rare tumor, primarily occurring in young adults with frequent local-regional metastases and recurrence after local control. The tumor is characterized by the presence of EWSR1-ATF1 or EWSR1-CREB1 and immunohistochemical positivity for S-100 protein without melanocytic marker positivity. Due to poor responses to standard sarcoma regimens, GNET has a poor prognosis, and development of effective systemic therapy is desperately needed to treat these patients.

Retrograde access of the left atrium for pulmonary vein isolation using magnetic navigation after closure of an atrial septum defect.

Transseptal puncture is the most commonly used technique to perform electrophysiological procedures in the left atrium. This case report describes a pulmonary vein isolation in a patient with a paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, complicated by the presence of an oversized Amplatzer device (AGA Medical Corp., Golden Valley, MN).

Use of clinical next-generation sequencing to identify melanomas harboring SMARCB1 mutations.

Background: SMARCB1 (INI1/BAF47/SNF5) encodes a part of a multiprotein complex that regulates gene expression through chromatin remodeling. SMARCB1 expression is lost or downregulated in multiple human tumors, including epithelioid sarcoma, meningioma and rhabdoid tumors of the brain, soft tissue and kidney.

Methods: A 46-gene or 50-gene next-generation sequencing AmpliSeq Cancer Panel (Life Technologies; San Francisco, CA, USA) was applied to ∼1400 primary or metastatic melanoma tissues.

Sclerosing epithelioid fibrosarcoma presenting as intraabdominal sarcomatosis with a novel EWSR1-CREB3L1 gene fusion.

We report a case of intraabdominal sclerosing epithelioid fibrosarcoma (SEF) with a t (11;22)(p11.2;q12.2) Ewing sarcoma breakpoint region 1-cAMP-responsive element-binding protein 3-like 1 translocation.

Duty-cycled multi-electrode radiofrequency vs. conventional irrigated point-by-point radiofrequency ablation for recurrent atrial fibrillation: comparative 3-year data.

Aims: Pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) is an accepted treatment to relieve symptoms in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). We studied 3 year outcome after PVI guided by duty-cycled multi-electrode radiofrequency (RF) ablation (pulmonary vein ablation catheter, PVAC) and provided comparative data to outcome after conventional PVI (CPVI) using mapping with irrigated, point-per-point RF ablation.

Methods And Results: One hundred and sixty-one consecutive patients with symptomatic paroxysmal or persistent AF and minimal heart disease underwent PVI (PVAC, n = 79 vs.

ERG and FLI1 protein expression in epithelioid sarcoma.

Epithelioid sarcoma is a rare, aggressive keratin-positive sarcoma that co-expresses CD34 in 50% of cases and may mimic an angiosarcoma. Recently, we have observed one case of epithelioid sarcoma that labeled for ERG, an ETS family regulatory transcription factor, which is considered to be a reliable marker for vascular differentiation. We investigated the prevalence of nuclear expression of ERG and FLI1, a homologous transcription factor, in these tumors.

Verrucous cutaneous sarcoidosis: case report and review of this unusual variant of cutaneous sarcoidosis.

Sarcoidosis is a multisystem disorder of unknown origin, characterized by the accumulation of lymphocytes and mononuclear histiocytes inducing the formation of noncaseating "naked" epithelioid granulomas. The lungs, lymphatic system, and skin are most often affected, but sarcoidosis may affect any organ. Cutaneous involvement of sarcoidosis is often the sentinel sign of the disease, with the skin sometimes being exclusively affected.

Impact of radiofrequency characteristics on acute pulmonary vein reconnection and clinical outcome after PVAC ablation.

Objective: The objective was to study the impact of radiofrequency (RF) characteristics on acute pulmonary vein reconnection (PVR) and outcome after PVAC ablation. PVI with additional ablation of PVR (PVI + PVR) was compared to PVI-only.

Methods: In 40 consecutive patients, after PVAC-guided PVI, adenosine and a 1-hour waiting time were used to unmask and ablate acute PVR (PVI + PVR group).

Malignant gastrointestinal neuroectodermal tumor: clinicopathologic, immunohistochemical, ultrastructural, and molecular analysis of 16 cases with a reappraisal of clear cell sarcoma-like tumors of the gastrointestinal tract.

The clinical, histologic, immunophenotypic, ultrastructural, and molecular features of a distinctive gastrointestinal tumor are described. Sixteen patients, 8 women and 8 men aged 17 to 77 years (mean age, 42 y; 63% less than 40 y) presented with abdominal pain, intestinal obstruction, and an abdominal mass. Mean tumor size was 5.