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The prevalence of multidrug-resistant Gram-negative infections, particularly carbapenem-resistant strains, has become a significant global health concern. Ceftazidime–avibactam (CZA) has emerged as a promising treatment option. However, data on its efficacy and safety in children are scarce, necessitating further investigation. We conducted a descriptive case series at a tertiary hospital in Spain from February 2019 to January 2022. Pediatric patients (<16 years) treated with CZA for confirmed or suspected multidrug-resistant Gram-negative infections were included. The clinical and microbiological characteristics, treatment approaches, and outcomes were examined. Eighteen children received CZA treatment. All had complex chronic conditions, with the most frequent underlying main diseases being liver transplantation (n = 8) and biliary atresia (n = 4). The predominant type of infection for which they received CZA was intra-abdominal infection caused or suspected to be caused by OXA-48-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae. CZA was generally well tolerated. Within the first month of starting CZA therapy, two patients died, with one case directly linked to the infection's fatal outcome. Some patients needed repeated courses of therapy due to recurrent infections, yet no resistance development was noted. In summary, the use of CZA showed effectiveness and safety, while the lack of resistance development highlights CZA's potential as a primary treatment option against OXA-48-producing infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Española de Quimioterapia is the property of Sociedad Espanola de Quimioterapia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The bildungsroman has dominated the Nigerian literary landscape since the 1990s with novels such as Chimamanda N. Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus (2004), Unoma Azuah’s Sky-High Flames (2005), Chika Unigwe’s Night Dancer (2012), and Chinelo Okparanta’s Under the Udala Trees (2015). These coming-of-age stories place a special emphasis on the national evolution of Nigeria. Thus, by delving into such interrelation of the national and personal domains, I propose to theorize Under the Udala Trees as a “bildungsromance,” or novel of affective and romantic development. I use the term “bildungsromance” to describe the growth of Okparanta’s protagonist, Ijeoma, as intrinsically associated with the experiences gathered from her affective attachments both in the public and the private spheres. I will analyze Ijeoma’s sentimental relationships as she discovers and naturalizes her queer identity. For this, I will delve into the negative affects − in the form of fear, shame and guilt (Braidotti 2009, 50) − that influence Ijeoma’s experience as a result of her non-conforming to the dictums of Nigerian customary laws. Ironically, such negative affects will be introduced as tightly associated with “the promise of happiness” (Ahmed 2010, 14). In turn, I shall underline the role of Ijeoma’s intimate and romantic relationships in prompting positive forms of affect such as self-love and pride. These affective experiences allow Ijeoma to acquire a critical perspective towards Nigerian customary laws and their impact on identity formation and on what has been referred to as the “democratisation of the private sphere” (Giddens 1992, 184). Ultimately, I will hinge upon Ijeoma’s awareness of her own affective advancements as a key element in her bildungsromance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Data on the benefits of rapid microbiological testing on antimicrobial consumption (AC) and antimicrobial resistance patterns (ARPs) are scarce. We evaluated the impact of a protocol based on rapid techniques on AC and ARP in intensive care (ICU) patients. Methods: A retrospective pre- (2018) and post-intervention (2019–2021) study was conducted in ICU patients. A rapid diagnostic algorithm was applied starting in 2019 in patients with a lower respiratory tract infection. The incidence of nosocomial infections, ARPs, and AC as DDDs (defined daily doses) were monitored. Results: A total of 3635 patients were included: 987 in the pre-intervention group and 2648 in the post-intervention group. The median age was 60 years, the sample was 64% male, and the average APACHE II and SOFA scores were 19 points and 3 points. The overall ICU mortality was 17.2% without any differences between the groups. An increase in the number of infections was observed in the post-intervention group (44.5% vs. 17.9%, p < 0.01), especially due to an increase in the incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia (44.6% vs. 25%, p < 0.001). AC decreased from 128.7 DDD in 2018 to 66.0 DDD in 2021 (rate ratio = 0.51). An increase in Pseudomonas aeruginosa susceptibility of 23% for Piperacillin/tazobactam and 31% for Meropenem was observed. Conclusion: The implementation of an algorithm based on rapid microbiological diagnostic techniques allowed for a significant reduction in AC and ARPs without affecting the prognosis of critically ill patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To assess the validity, reliability, and responsiveness of the Spanish version of the Expanded Prostate cancer Index Composite (EPIC) with 26 items. Methods: Multicentric longitudinal study of patients diagnosed with localized or locally advanced prostate cancer (any T, any N, M0) treated with active surveillance, surgery, external radiotherapy, or brachytherapy. The EPIC-50 was administered initially to the cohort (n = 324 patients), until it was replaced in November 2019 by the EPIC-26 (n = 543), in both groups before treatment and 12 months after. We assessed confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), reliability with Cronbach's alpha coefficient, criterion validity with the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), and responsiveness by testing a priori hypotheses on deterioration effect size (ES). Results: The CFA confirmed the five-domain structure of the EPIC-26 proposed by the original instrument (comparative fit index = 0.95). The agreement between EPIC-50 (gold standard) and EPIC-26 domains was excellent (ICC > 0.90). Cronbach's alpha was > 0.7 in almost all domains, and the floor effect was near zero, although ceiling effect was higher than 50% in urinary incontinence and bowel domains. Hypothesized changes between before and 12 months after treatment were confirmed: ES > 0.8 in both urinary incontinence and sexual domains among patients who underwent surgery; and ES ranging 0.44–0.48 for bowel and sexual domains in patients treated with external radiotherapy. Conclusion: The Spanish version of the EPIC-26 has demonstrated adequate metric properties, similar to those of the original version, with acceptable goodness-of-fit indices, good criterion validity, reliability, and responsiveness to detect changes after radical prostatectomy or external radiotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay analyzes representations of (anti)romantic relationships and episodes of "forced intimacy" in Chinelo Okparanta's Under the Udala Trees (2015) and Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀'s Stay with Me (2017). I will establish a parallelism between the intimate and romantic relationships described in the novels and the social and political evolution of the Nigerian nation, placing the focus onto the female protagonists and their obligation to conform to preestablished feminine and heterosexual models in agreement with Nigerian traditional practices. Through the analysis of the affective and sociocultural evolution of these women, I aim to prove that there is a direct association between demystified representations of the nation and a disillusionment with the romantic ideals of the couples featured in the novels. I will refer to their evolution as "postromantic" since it transcends the performativity linked to romanticization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: New combinations based on standard therapeutic modalities and immunotherapy require understanding the immunomodulatory properties of traditional treatments. The objective was to evaluate the impact of brachytherapy (BT) on the immune system of cervical cancer and to identify the best modality, High-dose-rate brachytherapy (HDR-BT) vs. Pulsed-dose-rate (PDR-BT), to target it. Methods: Nineteen patients enrolled in a prospective study received chemoradiation (CRT) and subsequently HDR-BT or PDR-BT. Peripheral blood samples were obtained for immunophenotyping analysis by flow-cytometry before CRT, BT, and two and four weeks after BT. The Friedman one-way ANOVA, Conover post hoc test, and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test were used to compare changes in cell populations at different periods, perform multiple pairwise comparisons and assess differences between treatment groups (PDR and HDR). Results: Natural killer cells (NKs) were the best target for BT. Patients receiving HDR-BT achieved significantly higher values ​​and longer time of the CD56dimCD16 + NK cells with greater cytotoxic capacity than the PDR-BT group, which presented their highest elevation of CD56-CD16 + NK cells. Furthermore, both BT modalities were associated with an increase in myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), related to a worse clinical prognosis. However, there was a decrease in the percentage of CD4 + CD25 + Foxp3 + CD45RA + regulatory T cells (Tregs) in patients receiving HDR-BT, although there were no significant differences between BT. Conclusions: Immune biomarkers are important predictive determinants in cervical cancer. Higher cytotoxic NK cells and a trend toward lower values of Tregs might support the use of HDR-BT to the detriment of PDR-BT and help develop effective combinations with immunotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: human adenovirus (hAdV) infection constitutes an important cause of morbidity and mortality in transplant recipients, due to their immune status. Among drugs currently available, cidofovir (CDF) is the most prescribed. Methods: Retrospective study of hAdV infection in paediatric transplant recipients from a tertiary paediatric centre, describing characteristics, management, and outcomes, and focused on the role of CDF. Results: 49 episodes of infection by hAdV were detected during a four-year period: 38 episodes in patients that received allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (77.6%) and 11 in solid organ transplant recipients (22.4%). Twenty-five patients (52.1%) were symptomatic, presenting mainly fever and/or diarrhoea. CDF was prescribed in 24 patients (49%), with modest results. CDF use was associated with the presence of symptoms resulting in lower lymphocyte count, paediatric intensive care unit admission, and high viral load. Other therapeutic measures included administration of intravenous immunoglobulin, reducing immunosuppression, and T-lymphocyte infusion. Despite treatment, 22.9% of patients did not resolve the infection and there were three deaths related to hAdV infection. All-cause mortality was 16.7% (8 episodes) by 30 days, and 32.7% (16 episodes) by 90 days, of which, 3 episodes (3/16, 18.8%) were attributed to hAdV directly. Conclusions: hAdV infection had high morbidity and mortality in our series. CDF use is controversial, and available therapeutic options are limited. Transplant patients with low lymphocyte count are at higher risk of persistent positive viremias, and short-term survival of these patients was influenced by the resolution of hAdV infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work proposes and compare two different approaches for real-time human action recognition (HAR) from raw depth video sequences. Both proposals are based on the convolutional long short-term memory unit, namely ConvLSTM, with differences in the architecture and the long-term learning. The former uses a video-length adaptive input data generator (stateless) whereas the latter explores the stateful ability of general recurrent neural networks but is applied in the particular case of HAR. This stateful property allows the model to accumulate discriminative patterns from previous frames without compromising computer memory. Furthermore, since the proposal uses only depth information, HAR is carried out preserving the privacy of people in the scene, since their identities can not be recognized. Both neural networks have been trained and tested using the large-scale NTU RGB+D dataset. Experimental results show that the proposed models achieve competitive recognition accuracies with lower computational cost compared with state-of-the-art methods and prove that, in the particular case of videos, the rarely-used stateful mode of recurrent neural networks significantly improves the accuracy obtained with the standard mode. The recognition accuracies obtained are 75.26% (CS) and 75.45% (CV) for the stateless model, with an average time consumption per video of 0.21 s, and 80.43% (CS) and 79.91%(CV) with 0.89 s for the stateful one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Complutense Journal of English Studies is the property of Universidad Complutense de Madrid and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Two density-dependent branching processes are considered to model predator–prey populations. For both models, preys are considered to be the main food supply of predators. Moreover, in each generation the number of individuals of each species is distributed according to a binomial distribution with size given by the species population size and probability of success depending on the density of preys per predator at the current generation. The difference between the two proposed processes lies in the food supply of preys. In the first one, we consider that preys have all the food they need at their disposal while in the second one, we assume that the natural resources of the environment are limited and therefore there exists a competition among preys for food supplies. Results on the fixation and extinction of both species as well as conditions for the coexistence are provided for the first model. On the event of coexistence of both populations and on the prey fixation event, the limiting growth rates are obtained. For the second model, we prove that the extinction of the entire system occurs almost surely. Finally, the evolution of both models over the generations and our analytical findings are illustrated by simulated examples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The proper sizing of the electronic target to implement complex controllers is barely tackled at engineering schools. An incorrect selection leads, at best, to inefficient use of resources and unnecessarily high costs. In this work, the criteria to implement the electronic Lyapunovbased controller for non-linear trajectory tracking of a P3-DX robot is focused on. After comparing pros and cons of the four alternatives, test results are shown with two of them: NUC8i5INH microcomputer and STM32F767 single chip board. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The proper sizing of the electronic target to implement complex controllers is barely tackled at engineering schools. An incorrect selection leads, at best, to inefficient use of resources and unnecessarily high costs. In this work, the criteria to implement the electronic Lyapunov‐based controller for non‐linear trajectory tracking of a P3‐DX robot is focused on. After comparing pros and cons of the four alternatives, test results are shown with two of them: NUC8i5INH microcomputer and STM32F767 single chip board.In this work, the criteria to implement the electronic Lyapunov‐based controller for non‐linear trajectory tracking of a P3‐DX robot is focused on. Incorrect sizing of the electronic target leads, at best, to inefficient use of resources and unnecessarily high costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of TECHNO Review is the property of Eurasia Academic Publishing Group and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

To compare the effectiveness at ten years of follow-up of radical prostatectomy, brachytherapy and external radiotherapy, in terms of overall survival, prostate cancer-specific mortality and biochemical recurrence. Cohort of men diagnosed with localized prostate cancer (T1/T2 and low/intermediate risk) from ten Spanish hospitals, followed for 10 years. The treatment selection was decided jointly by patients and physicians. Of 704 participants, 192 were treated with open radical retropubic prostatectomy, 317 with 125I brachytherapy alone, and 195 with 3D external beam radiation. We evaluated overall survival, prostate cancer-specific mortality, and biochemical recurrence. Kaplan–Meier estimators were plotted, and Cox proportional-hazards regression models were constructed to estimate hazard ratios (HR), adjusted by propensity scores. Of the 704 participants, 542 patients were alive ten years after treatment, and a total of 13 patients have been lost during follow-up. After adjusting by propensity score and Gleason score, brachytherapy and external radiotherapy were not associated with decreased 10-year overall survival (aHR = 1.36, p = 0.292 and aHR = 1.44, p = 0.222), but presented higher biochemical recurrence (aHR = 1.93, p = 0.004 and aHR = 2.56, p < 0.001) than radical prostatectomy at ten years of follow-up. Higher prostate cancer-specific mortality was also observed in external radiotherapy (aHR = 9.37, p = 0.015). Novel long-term results are provided on the effectiveness of brachytherapy to control localized prostate cancer ten years after treatment, compared to radical prostatectomy and external radiotherapy, presenting high overall survival, similarly to radical prostatectomy, but higher risk of biochemical progression. These findings provide valuable information to facilitate shared clinical decision-making. Study identifier at ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01492751. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work describes an end-to-end approach for real-time human action recognition from raw depth image-sequences. The proposal is based on a 3D fully convolutional neural network, named 3DFCNN, which automatically encodes spatio-temporal patterns from raw depth sequences. The described 3D-CNN allows actions classification from the spatial and temporal encoded information of depth sequences. The use of depth data ensures that action recognition is carried out protecting people's privacy, since their identities can not be recognized from these data. The proposed 3DFCNN has been optimized to reach a good performance in terms of accuracy while working in real-time. Then, it has been evaluated and compared with other state-of-the-art systems in three widely used public datasets with different characteristics, demonstrating that 3DFCNN outperforms all the non-DNN-based state-of-the-art methods with a maximum accuracy of 83.6% and obtains results that are comparable to the DNN-based approaches, while maintaining a much lower computational cost of 1.09 seconds, what significantly increases its applicability in real-world environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To analyse ocular and systemic findings of patients presenting with systemic metastasis. Methods and analysis It is an international, multicentre, internet-enabled, registry-based retrospective data analysis. Patients were diagnosed between 2001 and 2011. Data included: primary tumour dimensions, extrascleral extension, ciliary body involvement, American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC)-tumour, node, metastasis staging, characteristics of metastases. Results Of 3610 patients with uveal melanoma, 69 (1.9%; 95% CI 1.5 to 2.4) presented with clinical metastasis (stage IV). These melanomas originated in the iris, ciliary body and choroid in 4%, 16% and 80% of eyes, respectively. Using eighth edition AJCC, 8 (11%), 20 (29%), 24 (35%), and 17 (25%) belonged to AJCC T-categories T1-T4. Risk of synchronous metastases increased from 0.7% (T1) to 1.5% (T2), 2.6% (T3) and 7.9% (T4). Regional lymph node metastases (N1a) were detected in 9 (13%) patients of whom 6 (67%) had extrascleral extension. Stage of systemic metastases (known for 40 (59%) stage IV patients) revealed 14 (35%), 25 (63%) and 1 (2%) had small (M1a), medium-sized (M1b) and large-sized (M1c) metastases, respectively. Location of metastases in stage IV patients were liver (91%), lung (16%), bone (9%), brain (6%), subcutaneous tissue (4%) and others (5%). Multiple sites of metastases were noted in 24%. Compared with the 98.1% of patients who did not present with metastases, those with synchronous metastases had larger intraocular tumours, more frequent extrascleral extension, ciliary body involvement and thus a higher AJCC T-category. Conclusions Though higher AJCC T-stage was associated with risk for metastases at diagnosis, even small T1 tumours were stage IV at initial presentation. The liver was the most common site of metastases; however, frequent multiorgan involvement supports initial whole-body staging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of TECHNO Review is the property of Eurasia Academic Publishing Group and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revista Española de Orientación y Psicopedagogía (REOP) is the property of Revista Espanola de Orientacion y Psicopedagogia (REOP) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: The main objective was to describe metastatic and survival rates in patients with small choroidal melanocytic lesions initially managed by observation. Methods: Retrospective, observational study of consecutive cases recruited from 2001 through 2018, followed for a median (mean, range) of 81.0 (89.3, 10‐204) months in a tertiary referral centre for ocular oncology. Seventy‐five consecutive patients diagnosed with small choroidal melanocytic lesions with risk factors for growth initially observed and who showed progression during follow‐up. Treatment was performed (plaque radiotherapy or enucleation in 96% and 4% of cases, respectively) at detection of tumour growth. Results: Median (mean, range) tumour thickness was 2.2 (2.23, 1.08‐3.40) mm, and median maximum basal diameter was 8.5 (8.16, 4‐12) mm. At diagnosis, a median (mean, range) of 5 (5.48, 1‐8) risk factors for progression were present. Lesions grew at a median (mean, range) rate of 0.42 mm/y (1.12, 0‐7.68) in thickness and 1.05 mm/y (3.14, 0‐4.8) in maximum diameter. Median (mean, range) time until growth was 17.00 (32.6, 1‐161) months post‐diagnosis, at which time tumours were treated. Five patients developed local recurrence after brachytherapy requiring enucleation. Four patients developed hepatic metastasis. Melanoma‐specific survival was 98% at 5 years (95% CI, 94.2‐100%) and 91.6% (95% CI, 82‐100%) at 10 and 15 years. Conclusion: In small melanocytic lesions with risk factors for growth, initial observation until detection of tumour growth results in a seemingly low risk of metastasis, suggesting that this may be an initial approach to consider in tumours with indeterminate malignant potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of our study was to analyse the short-term prognostic value of different biomarkers in patients with COVID-19. We included patients admitted to emergency department with COVID-19 and available concentrations of cardiac troponin I (cTnI), D-dimer, C-reactive protein (CRP) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). Patients were classified for each biomarker into two groups (low vs. high concentrations) according to their best cut-off point, and 30-day all-cause death was evaluated. After multivariate adjustment, cTnI ≥21 ng/L, D-dimer ≥1112 ng/mL, CRP ≥10 mg/dL and LDH ≥334 U/L at admission were associated with an increased risk of 30-day all-cause death (hazard ratio (HR) 4.30; 95% CI 1.74–10.58; p = 0.002; HR 3.35; 95% CI 1.58–7.13; p = 0.002; HR 2.25; 95% CI 1.13–4.50; p = 0.021; HR 2.00; 95% CI 1.04–3.84; p = 0.039, respectively). The area under the curve for cTnI was 0.825 (95% CI 0.759–0.892) and, in comparison, was significantly better than CRP (0.685; 95% CI 0.600–0.770; p = 0.009) and LDH (0.643; 95% CI 0.534–0.753; p = 0.006) but non-significantly better than D-dimer (0.756; 95% CI 0.674–0.837; p = 0.115). In patients with COVID-19, increased concentrations of cTnI, D-dimer, CRP and LDH are associated with short-term mortality. Of these, cTnI provides better mortality risk prediction. However, differences with D-dimer were non-significant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As one of the most prominent voices of the so-called third generation of Nigerian authors, Chika Unigwe has engaged in the representation of female characters who embody alternative forms of feminism(s) in Nigeria and its diaspora. This article explores Unigwe's novel Night Dancer (2012) as a distinctive third-generation novel advocating self-emancipation through the appropriation and reversal of patriarchal nationalist discourses which objectify and sexualize female bodies. The evolution of Ezi, Night Dancer 's main character, is examined in relation to Unigwe's discussion of a lack of solidarity between women and the significance of intergenerational teaching. Against this background, I argue that the novel depicts Unigwe's rejection of the mind/body dichotomy by relating it to Ezi's commodification of her body, and to her engagement with and refusal of intergenerational discourses inscribing female bodies within epistemological nationalist discourses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Educa UMCH is the property of Universidad Marcelino Champagnat and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Tukey's studentized range post-hoc comparisons: *p < 0.05 for external-beam radiotherapy (grey) vs. external-beam radiotherapy combined with HDR brachytherapy boost (black) 100 80 60 40 100 80 60 40 0 1 3 6 12 24 36 48 60 Month EBRT EBRT-HDR 0 1 3 6 12 24* 36 48 60 Month EBRT EBRT-HDR A B FACT general FACT prostate 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 0 1 3 6 12 24 36 48 60 Month EBRT EBRT-HDR 0 1 3 6 12 24 36 48 60 Month EBRT EBRT-HDR E F FACT emotional well-being FACT functional well-being 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 0 1 3 6 12 24 36 48 60 Month EBRT EBRT-HDR 0 1 3 6 12 24 36 48 60 Month EBRT EBRT-HDR C D FACT physical well-being FACT social well-being HRQL in patients with high-risk localized PCa over 5-year follow-up. Health-related quality of life 2 years after treatment with radical prostatectomy, prostate brachytherapy, or external beam radiotherapy in patients with clinically localized prostate cancer. Several randomized trials have demonstrated that dose-escalated radiotherapy-external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) or EBRT plus high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy (BT) boost, improve both local and biochemical control in intermediate- and high-risk PCa [3,4,5,6], despite an increased risk of late genitourinary and gastrointestinal toxicities. [Extracted from the article]

Copyright of Colombian Journal of Anesthesiology / Revista Colombiana de Anestesiología is the property of Sociedad Colombiana de Anestesiologia y Reanimacion and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Social Compass is the property of Sage Publications, Ltd. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Objective: To evaluate the 9-year incidence of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 or worse (CIN2+) and cumulative adherence to perform a next test in a cohort of women aged 40+ years with no cervical screening cytology within a window of 5 years (underscreened women), after baseline cervical cytology and HPV tests. Methods: In Catalonia, Spain, co-testing with cytology and HPV test has been recommended in the Public Health system since 2006 for underscreened women. In 2007, 1,594 women with underscreened criteria were identified and followed through medical records form Pathological Department. 9-year cumulative incidence of histologically confirmed CIN2+ and cumulative adherence to perform a next test were estimated using Kaplan-Meier statistics. Results: Follow-up was available for 1,009 women (63.3%) resulting in 23 women with. CIN2+ (2.3%). Of them, 4 women (17%) had both tests negative at baseline (3CIN2 and 1CIN3) with cumulative incidence of CIN2+ of 0.4% (95% CI: 0.1–1.4) at 5-years and 1.3% (95% CI: 0.4–3.7) at 9-years. During the first year, the prevalence among women with both tests positive was 27.0% (95% CI: 13.0–50.6) for CIN2+. Lost to follow-up was higher among women with both tests negative compared to those with both positive tests (38.7% vs 4.2%, p-value <0.001). 40.5% of the women HPV-/cyto- had a re-screening test during the 4 years following the baseline, increasing until 53.5% during the 6 years of follow-up. Conclusions: HPV detection shows a high longitudinal predictive value at 9-year to identify women at risk to develop CIN2+. The data validate a safe extension of the 3-year screening intervals (current screening interval) to 5-year intervals in underscreened women that had negative HPV result at baseline. It is necessary to establish mechanisms to ensure screening participation and adequate follow-up for these women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hair is an essential element in Black women's socialization. Too frequently, featuring natural hair undermines Black women's possibilities of occupying high-paying professions. The result has been the naturalization of weaves and relaxers, while natural hair stands of a symbol of revolution, a reason for being marginalized or not taken seriously. In this context, Butler's theory of performative femininity is linked to urban spaces, for relaxing one's hair is read as a way of performing the urban and assimilating into mainstream urban social patterns of style and behaviour. This paper explores Michelle Obama's hairstyling decisions becoming literally political in a context in which she is collectively imagined as an embodiment of aspirational Black urban femininity. The focus is on representations of M. Obama's hair, and of her embodying Black womanhood. I analyse Obama being granted political influence and her burden of representing and performing Black urban femininity. The analysis is based on fashion magazine articles discussing M. Obama's hairstyles. Such articles underline the idea that the Obamas would not be politically trusted if M. Obama featured natural hairstyles. Hence, relaxed hair is read as a performative strategy fulfiling social expectations and contributing to achieve political goals as the US First Lady. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cost of treating Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) in Spain is substantial. Findings from the randomised, controlled, open-label, phase 3b/4 EXTEND study showed that an extended-pulsed fidaxomicin (EPFX) regimen was associated with improved sustained clinical cure and reduced recurrence of CDI versus vancomycin in patients aged 60 years and older. We assessed the cost-effectiveness of EPFX versus vancomycin for the treatment of CDI in patients aged 60 years and older from the perspective of the National Health System (NHS) in Spain. We used a Markov model with six health states and 1-year time horizon. Health resources, their unit costs and utilities were based on published sources. Key efficacy data and transition probabilities were obtained from the EXTEND study and published sources. A panel of Spanish clinical experts validated all model assumptions. In the analysis, 0.638 and 0.594 quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) per patient were obtained with EPFX and vancomycin, respectively, with a gain of 0.044 QALYs with EPFX. The cost per patient treated with EPFX and vancomycin was estimated to be €10,046 and €10,693, respectively, with a saving of €647 per patient treated with EPFX. For willingness-to-pay thresholds of €20,000, €25,000 and €30,000 per QALY gained, the probability that EPFX was the most cost-effective treatment was 99.3%, 99.5% and 99.9%, respectively. According to our economic model and the assumptions based on the Spanish NHS, EPFX is cost-effective compared with vancomycin for the first-line treatment of CDI in patients aged 60 years and older. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To determine the clinical factors that influence survival in patients with metastatic uveal melanoma.Study design: Single-center, retrospective review of patients' medical records.Methods: The following data of ninety-nine consecutive patients (49 men, 50 women) with metastatic uveal melanoma were registered: patient demographics; primary tumor characteristics; features of first melanoma-related metastasis; symptoms and patient status at distant disease debut and metastasis treatment. Overall survival was analyzed by Kaplan-Meier estimates. A Cox proportional hazards regression model was applied to identify independent predictors associated with survival.Results: Mean patient age at metastatic diagnosis was 60.7 years (standard deviation, 12.8). The liver was the first metastatic site in most (92.9%) cases. The median disease-free interval was 26 months (interquartile range, 34). Median overall survival after detection of the first metastasis was 8 months (interquartile range, 14). The baseline characteristics of the primary uveal melanoma were not associated with survival in patients with stage IV disease. In the multivariate analysis, the following factors at first metastatic diagnosis were associated with improved overall survival: disease-free interval > 36 months; better performance status; and normal serum lactate dehydrogenase and gamma glutamyl transpeptidase levels. Overall survival was not influenced by specific metastatic treatment.Conclusion: Although metastatic uveal melanoma has a poor prognosis, this study reveals the existence of several independent prognostic factors for prolonged overall survival. These findings may help improve survival estimates in patients with advanced disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article studies the way hair politics are explored in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Americanah (2013) and the novel's representativeness within the "third wave" of the hair movements. The focus is on the reconfiguration of counter-discursive "safe spaces" as defined by Patricia Collins. The article argues that modern and traditional models of self-perception and -representation are paramount when contrasting the hair salon, a traditional cultural institution for Black women, with online natural hair communities as spaces that enable features of a more "participatory culture". Both spaces are analyzed here in relation to the personal development of Ifemelu, Americanah's main character, and her "hairstory". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista de Lengua para Fines Específicos is the property of Revista de Lengua para Fines Especificos and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Dirichlet-process-based non-parametric Bayesian inference is developed for a Y-linked two-sex branching process with blind choice. This stochastic model is suitable for analysing the evolution of the number of carriers of two alleles of a Y-linked gene in a two-sex monogamous population where each female chooses her partner from among the male population without caring about his type (i.e. the allele he carries). The only data assumed to be available are the total number of females and males (regardless of their types) up to some generation and the numbers of each type of male in the last generation. A simulation method which is based on a Dirichlet process and a Gibbs sampler is developed to estimate the posterior distributions of the model's main parameters. Finally, the computational efficiency of the algorithm is illustrated with example simulations and an application to real data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the existence of a bimodal survival pattern in metastatic uveal melanoma. Secondary aims were to identify the characteristics and prognostic factors associated with long-term survival and to develop a clinical decision tree. Materials and Methods The medical records of 99 metastatic uveal melanoma patients were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were classified as either short (P 12 months) or long-term survivors (≥ 12 months) based on a graphical interpretation of the survival curve after diagnosis of the first metastatic lesion. Ophthalmic and oncological characteristics were assessed in both groups. Results Of the 99 patients, 62 (62.6%) were classified as short-term survivors, and 37 (37.4%) as long-term survivors. The multivariate analysis identified the following predictors of long-term survival: age P 65 years (p=0.012) and unaltered serum lactate dehydrogenase levels (p=0.018); additionally, the size (smaller vs. larger) of the largest liver metastasis showed a trend towards significance (p=0.063). Based on the variables significantly associated with long-term survival, we developed a decision tree to facilitate clinical decision-making. Conclusion The findings of this study demonstrate the existence of a bimodal survival pattern in patients with metastatic uveal melanoma. The presence of certain clinical characteristics at diagnosis of distant disease is associated with long-term survival. A decision tree was developed to facilitate clinical decision-making and to counsel patients about the expected course of disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has become a useful tool for the diagnosis of Trypanosoma cruzi infection. The development of automated DNA extraction methodologies and PCR systems is an important step toward the standardization of protocols in routine diagnosis. To date, there are only two commercially available Real-Time PCR assays for the routine laboratory detection of T. cruzi DNA in clinical samples: TCRUZIDNA.CE (Diagnostic Bioprobes Srl) and RealCycler CHAG (Progenie Molecular). Our aim was to evaluate the RealCycler CHAG assay taking into account the whole process. Methodology/Principal findings: We assessed the usefulness of an automated DNA extraction system based on magnetic particles (EZ1 Virus Mini Kit v2.0, Qiagen) combined with a commercially available Real-Time PCR assay targeting satellite DNA (SatDNA) of T. cruzi (RealCycler CHAG), a methodology used for routine diagnosis in our hospital. It was compared with a well-known strategy combining a commercial DNA isolation kit based on silica columns (High Pure PCR Template Preparation Kit, Roche Diagnostics) with an in-house Real-Time PCR targeting SatDNA. The results of the two methodologies were in almost perfect agreement, indicating they can be used interchangeably. However, when variations in protocol factors were applied (sample treatment, extraction method and Real-Time PCR), the results were less convincing. A comprehensive fine-tuning of the whole procedure is the key to successful results. Guanidine EDTA-blood (GEB) samples are not suitable for DNA extraction based on magnetic particles due to inhibition, at least when samples are not processed immediately. Conclusions/Significance: This is the first study to evaluate the RealCycler CHAG assay taking into account the overall process, including three variables (sample treatment, extraction method and Real-Time PCR). Our findings may contribute to the harmonization of protocols between laboratories and to a wider application of Real-Time PCR in molecular diagnostic laboratories associated with health centers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, indoor localization systems have been the object of significant research activity and of growing interest for their great expected social impact and their impressive business potential. Application areas include tracking and navigation, activity monitoring, personalized advertising, Active and Assisted Living (AAL), traceability, Internet of Things (IoT) networks, and Home-land Security. In spite of the numerous research advances and the great industrial interest, no canned solutions have yet been defined. The diversity and heterogeneity of applications, scenarios, sensor and user requirements, make it difficult to create uniform solutions. From that diverse reality, a main problem is derived that consists in the lack of a consensus both in terms of the metrics and the procedures used to measure the performance of the different indoor localization and navigation proposals. This paper introduces the general lines of the EvAAL benchmarking framework, which is aimed at a fair comparison of indoor positioning systems through a challenging competition under complex, realistic conditions. To evaluate the framework capabilities, we show how it was used in the 2016 Indoor Positioning and Indoor Navigation (IPIN) Competition. The 2016 IPIN competition considered three different scenario dimensions, with a variety of use cases: (1) pedestrian versus robotic navigation, (2) smartphones versus custom hardware usage and (3) real-time positioning versus off-line post-processing. A total of four competition tracks were evaluated under the same EvAAL benchmark framework in order to validate its potential to become a standard for evaluating indoor localization solutions. The experience gained during the competition and feedback from track organizers and competitors showed that the EvAAL framework is flexible enough to successfully fit the very different tracks and appears adequate to compare indoor positioning systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ulcerative colitis (UC) treatment is focused to achieve mucosal healing, avoiding disease progression. The study aimed to evaluate the real-world effectiveness of adalimumab (ADA) in UC and to identify predictors of remission to ADA.Methods: This cohort study used data from the ENEIDA registry. Clinical response, clinical remission, endoscopic remission, adverse events (AE), colectomy, and hospitalisations were evaluated; baseline characteristics and biological parameters were compared to determine predictors of response.Results: We included 263 patients (87 naïve and 176 previously exposed to anti-tumour necrosis factor alpha, TNF). After 12 weeks, clinical response, clinical remission, and endoscopic remission rates were 51, 26, and 14 %, respectively. The naïve group demonstrated better response to treatment than the anti-TNF-exposed group at short-term. Clinical and endoscopic remission within 1 year of treatment was better in the naïve group (65 vs. 49 and 50 vs. 35 %, respectively). The rates of AE, dose-escalation, hospitalisations, and colectomy during the first year were higher in anti-TNF-exposed patients (40, 43, and 27 % vs. 26, 21, and 11 %, respectively). Patients with primary failure and intolerance to the first anti-TNF and severe disease were associated with worse clinical response. Primary non-response to prior anti-TNF treatment and severe disease were predictive of poorer clinical remission. Low levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) and faecal calprotectin (FC) at baseline were predictors of clinical remission.Conclusions: In clinical practice, ADA was effective in UC, especially in anti-TNF naïve patients. FC and CRP could be predictors of treatment effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Cientifica de la Facultade de Veterinaria is the property of Universidad del Zulia, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The recycling of polystyrene wastes by precipitation from limonene solutions using CO2as antisolvent is an alternative and original environmentally friendly route to recover high quality wastes. The most suitable working conditions to conduct the process are selected based on the accurate knowledge of the phase equilibrium for the ternary mixture. To maximize the recycling of polymeric wastes while the consumption of CO2and limonene is minimized, high values of pressure (≥100 bar), low values of temperature (≤30°C) and moderated concentrations of polymer (≤0.4 g PS/ml limonene) are required. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In Mexico, herbal products are commonly used as therapeutic tools. The analysis of several publications reveals that there are dozens of different herbs and herbal products used for different reasons, some of which have been implicated in causing toxic liver disease. However, methodological aspects limit the attribution of causality, and the precise incidence and clinical manifestations of herb-induced liver injury have not been well characterized. This review outlines the history of traditional herbal medicine in Mexico, critically summarizes the mechanisms and adverse effects of commonly used herbal plants, and examines the regulatory issues regarding the legal use of these products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatitis C infection is a worldwide problem. The global prevalence of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) averages 3%. Moreover, its prevalence among patients undergoing haemodialysis (HD) varies worldwide, ranging from as low as 1% to up to 70%. There are few data on its prevalence in developing countries, and even less information is available on HD patients. A literature review revealed that the prevalence of HCV infection among patients undergoing HD in Latin America ranges from 4.2 to 83.9%, with most data stemming from Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Peru, Chile, Venezuela and Cuba. The most common genotype was genotype 1, and subtype 1b was the most frequent. The risk factors associated with this condition were the duration of the HD treatment and blood transfusion before hepatitis C screening. In addition, HCV RNA detection by polymerase chain reaction is crucial for the diagnosis of HCV infection in HD patients. Trials using combinations of new oral antiviral drugs, such as sofosbuvir and combo (ombitasvir, paritaprevir, ritonavir and dasabuvir), should be the next step in the improvement of care among HD patients with HCV, because these therapeutic agents apparently do not require dose adjustment according to renal function. Finally, information on this subgroup of patients remains unavailable in some countries; therefore, additional studies are needed to determine the prevalence trend of HCV infection in these populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]