CA 15.3 measurements for separating FDG PET/CT positive from negative findings in breast carcinoma recurrence

In breast cancer CA 15.3 is considered the tumour marker of choice. CA 15.3 is directly related to the disease extent and to hormone status (estrogen receptor ER+/ ER-, progesterone receptor PR+/PR-). This study was designed to assess the impact of disease extent, hormone receptor and HER2-status, and circulating blood volume on the area-under the ROC-curve of CA 15.3 to separate FDG PET positive from negative findings. Patients, methods: We retrospectively evaluated 379 FDG PET/CT examinations performed in 80 patients with breast cancer. Blood volumes were derived using the formulas by Nadler and multiplied by their corresponding CA 15.3 measurement. Results: ROC-curve analysis revealed an AUC of 0.695 (p = 0.0001) for CA 15.3 to separate FDG PET positive from negative findings. AUC measurements to separate normal scan findings from loco-regional disease and metastatic disease were 0.527 (p = 0.587) and 0.732 (p = 0.0001), respectively. AUC measurements for CA 15.3 to separate positive from negative FDG PET findings, in ER+ and ER-patients, were respectively 0.772 (p = 0.0001) and 0.596 (p = 0.143). AUC measurements for CA 15.3 to separate positive from negative FDG PET findings, in PR+ and PR-patients, were respectively 0.675 (p = 0.0001) and 0.694 (p = 0.0001). In HER2-positive and -negative patients, the AUC measurements were respectively 0.594 (p = 0.178) and 0.701 (p = 0.0001) to separate positive from negative FDG PET findings. Conclusion: The AUC for CA 15.3 measurements to separate FDG PET positive from negative findings in breast cancer patients with suspected recurrence proved to be directly related to the extent of the recurrent disease and hormone receptor status and inversely related to HER2-status. Correcting CA 15.3 measurements for blood volumes did not impact the AUC

Improving institutional memory on challenges and methods for estimation of pig herd antimicrobial exposure based on data from the Danish Veterinary Medicines Statistics Program (VetStat)

With the increasing occurrence of antimicrobial resistance, more attention has been directed towards surveillance of both human and veterinary antimicrobial use. Since the early 2000s, several research papers on Danish pig antimicrobial usage have been published, based on data from the Danish Veterinary Medicines Statistics Program (VetStat). VetStat was established in 2000, as a national database containing detailed information on purchases of veterinary medicine. This paper presents a critical set of challenges originating from static system features, which researchers must address when estimating antimicrobial exposure in Danish pig herds. Most challenges presented are followed by at least one robust solution. A set of challenges requiring awareness from the researcher, but for which no immediate solution was available, were also presented. The selection of challenges and solutions was based on a consensus by a cross-institutional group of researchers working in projects using VetStat data. No quantitative data quality evaluations were performed, as the frequency of errors and inconsistencies in a dataset will vary, depending on the period covered in the data. Instead, this paper focuses on clarifying how VetStat data may be translated to an estimation of the antimicrobial exposure at herd level, by suggesting uniform methods of extracting and editing data, in order to obtain reliable and comparable estimates on pig antimicrobial consumption for research purposes.Comment: 25 pages, including two Appendices (pages not numbered). Title page, including abstract, is on page 1. Body of text, including references, abbreviation list and disclaimers for conflict of interest and funding, are on pages 2-18. Two figures embedded in the text on pages 3 and 5. Appendix 1 starts on page 19, and Appendix 2 on page 2

Agrotóxicos e saúde humana: contribuição dos profissionais do campo da saúde

Enfocase la producción científica de los profesionales de la salud, en especial de las enfermeras, sobre el tema agrotóxico y salud humana. El ensayo agrupa y muestra informaciones a través de la investigación bibliográfica, con el objetivo de reconocer la contribución de cada autor y la utilidad para el campo de la salud humana. Fueron encontrados 32 artículos de investigación, publicados en periódicos brasileños. El análisis destaca que la contribución de los profesionales de salud es dirigida a la salud humana, específicamente en las áreas de salud del trabajador y calidad de los alimentos. Los autores brindan recomendaciones tanto para los profesionales de la salud, como para los organismos competentes con la finalidad de disminuir los efectos de los agrotóxicos para la salud ambiental y humana.This paper focuses on the scientific production of health professionals, especially nurses, about agrochemicals and human health. The essay combines and presents information by means of literature review, with a view to acknowledge the contribution of each author and their use for the human health field. Thirty-two research articles, published in Brazilian journals, were located. The analysis of these articles highlights that healthcare professionals' contributions focus on human health, especially, workers' health and food quality. With a view to minimize the effects from agrochemicals on human and environmental health, the authors exposes action suggestions both for health professionals and for the institutions associated.Focaliza a produção científica dos profissionais da saúde, em especial das enfermeiras, sobre o tema agrotóxico e saúde humana. O ensaio reúne e apresenta informações por meio de pesquisa bibliográfica, procurando reconhecer a contribuição de cada autor e sua utilidade para o campo da saúde humana. Foram localizados 32 artigos de pesquisa publicados em periódicos brasileiros. A análise dos artigos destaca que a contribuição dos profissionais de saúde é focada na saúde humana - especialmente na saúde do trabalhador e na qualidade dos alimentos. No intuito de minimizar os efeitos dos agrotóxicos para a saúde ambiental e humana, os autores expõem sugestões de ação, tanto para os profissionais da saúde como para os órgãos competentes

Influencia de la evolución geomorfológica pleistocena holocena en la dinámica del acuífero medanoso costero dePinamar

Fil: Rodrigues Capítulo, Leandro. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Universidad Nacional de La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Kruse, Eduardo Emilio. Cátedra de Hidrología General. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Universidad Nacional de La Plata; ArgentinaFil: De Bernardi, Pablo. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Universidad Nacional de La Plata; Argentin

Fluctuaciones de niveles hidráulicos en un sector costero de la provincia de Buenos Aires. Caso de estudio: Pinamar

Fil: Rodrigues Capítulo, Leandro. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Universidad Nacional de La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Kruse, Eduardo Emilio. Cátedra de Hidrología General. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Universidad Nacional de La Plata; ArgentinaFil: De Bernardi, Pablo. Cátedra de Hidrología General. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo; Argentin

Psoriasis vulgaris exacerbation during treatment with a PD-1 checkpoint inhibitor : case report and literature review

Objective: The incidence of immune-related adverse events is growing as the use of checkpoint inhibitors is exponentially increasing. Cutaneous adverse events are among the most frequent immune-related adverse events. The purpose of this case report and literature review is to highlight psoriasis as a potential adverse event with need for early recognition. Case Report and Literature Review: We describe the case of a 65-year-old woman with psoriasis exacerbation while treated with nivolumab (anti-PD-1) for a stage IV melanoma. She had a history of scalp psoriasis but she presented with psoriatic lesions on both lower and upper limbs. Our patient was treated with topical steroids. So far, 34 other cases with an exacerbation of psoriasis during treatment with anti-PDL-1 or PD-1 therapy have been reported in the literature. A broad range of therapies are described, without any available guidelines for this particular condition. Conclusion: Psoriasis exacerbation is an established side effect of PD-1/PDL-1 checkpoint inhibitors with 35 reported cases. Early recognition and management are challenging as there are no clear guidelines available. A close collaboration between oncologist and dermatologist is mandatory to manage this immune-related adverse event

Throughput efficiency and service quality after process redesign at a cancer day care unit: Two sides of the coin?

This study was designed to focus on the patient perspective in a reorganisation of care processes at a cancer day care unit (CDU). The effects of dose banding and of taking blood samples one day (or more) before the day care treatment (on Day -1) are investigated in terms of throughput efficiency and perceived service quality. Data were collected by mapping patient processes in detail and surveying patients in two CDUs at a university hospital (n=308). A univariate model was used to investigate the effect of these factors on patient throughput time, and perceived service quality was examined with multiple linear regression. Taking blood samples on Day -1 decreases patient throughput time and increases the perceived service quality by improving the patient's perception of technical expertise and the outcome. This has a globally positive effect on patients' perceived service quality. Dose banding affected neither patient throughput time nor perceived service quality. Taking the pretreatment blood sample on Day -1 can be considered an important process design characteristic, as it increases both efficiency and service quality

Spontaneous waves in muscle fibres

Mechanical oscillations are important for many cellular processes, e.g. the beating of cilia and flagella or the sensation of sound by hair cells. These dynamic states originate from spontaneous oscillations of molecular motors. A particularly clear example of such oscillations has been observed in muscle fibers under non-physiological conditions. In that case, motor oscillations lead to contraction waves along the fiber. By a macroscopic analysis of muscle fiber dynamics we find that the spontaneous waves involve non-hydrodynamic modes. A simple microscopic model of sarcomere dynamics highlights mechanical aspects of the motor dynamics and fits with the experimental observations.Comment: 14 pages, 9 figure

vanI : a novel D-Ala-D-Lac vancomycin resistance gene cluster found in Desulfitobacterium hafniense

Peer reviewe

Do environmental and economic performance go together? A review of micro-level empirical evidence from the past decade or so

This article reviews the empirical literature combining economic and environmental performance data at the micro-level, i.e. firm or facility level. The literature has generally found a positive and statistically significant correlation between economic performance, as measured by profitability indicators or stock market returns, and environmental performance, as measured by emissions of pollutants or adoption of international environmental standards. The main reason for this finding seems to be that firms that reduce their material and energy costs experience both better economic performance and lower emissions. Only a small and recent literature analyses the joint causal impact of environmental regulations on environmental and economic performance. Interestingly, this literature shows that environmental regulations tend to improve environmental performance while not weakening economic performance. However, the evidence so far is limited to a handful of environmental regulations that are not extremely stringent, so the result cannot be easily generalized. More research is needed to assess the joint effects of environmental regulations on environmental and economic performance, to explore the heterogeneity of these effects across sectors, countries and types of policies, and to understand which policy designs allow improving environmental quality while not coming at a cost in terms of economic performance of regulated businesses