Endoscopic resection of sinonasal inverted papilloma: a multivariate retrospective analysis of factors affecting recurrence and persistence

Sinonasal inverted papilloma (IP) is the most common benign epithelial tumor in the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses, with a worldwide incidence between 0.6 and 1.5/100 000 persons per year. However, only a few studies have investigated patient-dependent factors related to IP recurrence and persistence. According to available evidence, these factors are still debated, and results are contradictory. In this multicenter retrospective study, we analyzed the clinical records of 130 patients who were surgically treated for sinonasal IP to evaluate the factors affecting recurrence and persistence of IP and compared the curative rates of different surgical approaches. Our analysis showed that IP recurrence is strongly related to specific risk factors including incomplete surgical removal, stage of disease, site of the lesion, surgical technique, and malignancy rate. In conclusion, the recurrence of IP may be affected by several risk factors; these factors must be carefully considered during clinical evaluation and especially during the follow-up of patients with IP

Stratigraphic and structural evolution of the Blue Nile Basin, Northwestern Ethiopian Plateau

The Blue Nile Basin, situated in the Northwestern Ethiopian Plateau, contains $1400 m thick Mesozoic sedimentary section underlain by Neoproterozoic basement rocks and overlain by Early-Late Oligocene and Quaternary volcanic rocks. This study outlines the stratigraphic and structural evolution of the Blue Nile Basin based on field and remote sensing studies along the Gorge of the Nile. The Blue Nile Basin has evolved in three main phases

The spectra of lifted digraphs

We present a method to derive the complete spectrum of the lift \mathrm{\Gamma\alpha} of a base digraph \mathrm{\Gamma}, with voltage assignment α on a (finite) group $\textit{G}$. The method is based on assigning to \mathrm{\Gamma} a quotient-like matrix whose entries are elements of the group algebra \mathds{C}[$\textit{G}$], which fully represents \mathrm{\Gamma\alpha}. This allows us to derive the eigenvectors and eigenvalues of the lift in terms of those of the base digraph and the irreducible characters of G. Thus, our main theorem generalizes some previous results of Lovász and Babai concerning the spectra of Cayley digraphs

Testing the paradox of enrichment along a land use gradient in a multitrophic aboveground and belowground community

In the light of ongoing land use changes, it is important to understand how multitrophic communities perform at different land use intensities. The paradox of enrichment predicts that fertilization leads to destabilization and extinction of predator-prey systems. We tested this prediction for a land use intensity gradient from natural to highly fertilized agricultural ecosystems. We included multiple aboveground and belowground trophic levels and land use-dependent searching efficiencies of insects. To overcome logistic constraints of field experiments, we used a successfully validated simulation model to investigate plant responses to removal of herbivores and their enemies. Consistent with our predictions, instability measured by herbivore-induced plant mortality increased with increasing land use intensity. Simultaneously, the balance between herbivores and natural enemies turned increasingly towards herbivore dominance and natural enemy failure. Under natural conditions, there were more frequently significant effects of belowground herbivores and their natural enemies on plant performance, whereas there were more aboveground effects in agroecosystems. This result was partly due to the “boom-bust” behavior of the shoot herbivore population. Plant responses to herbivore or natural enemy removal were much more abrupt than the imposed smooth land use intensity gradient. This may be due to the presence of multiple trophic levels aboveground and belowground. Our model suggests that destabilization and extinction are more likely to occur in agroecosystems than in natural communities, but the shape of the relationship is nonlinear under the influence of multiple trophic interactions.

Efficacy of different strategies to treat anemia in children: a randomized clinical trial

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Anemia continues to be a major public health problem among children in many regions of the world, and it is still not clear which strategy to treat it is most effective.</p> <p>Objective</p> <p>To evaluate the efficacy and children's acceptance of several recognized strategies to treat anemia.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Non-breastfed children (n = 577), 6 to 43 mo of age, were screened for the trial; 267 were anemic (hemoglobin < 11.7 g/dL), and 266 of those were randomized into 1 of 5 treatments to received daily either: an iron supplement (IS), an iron+folic acid supplement (IFS), a multiple micronutrient supplement (MMS), a micronutrient-fortified complementary food as porridge powder (FCF), or zinc+iron+ascorbic acid fortified water (FW). The iron content of each daily dose was 20, 12.5, 10, 10 and 6.7 mg respectively. Hemoglobin (Hb), ferritin, total iron, weight and height were measured at baseline and after 4 months of treatment. Morbidity, treatment acceptability and adherence were recorded during the intervention.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>All treatments significantly increased Hb and total iron concentration; ferritin did not change significantly. Groups MMS, IS and IFS increased Hb (g/dL) [1.50 (95%CI: 1.17, 1.83), 1.48 [(1.18, 1.78) and 1.57 (1.26, 1.88), respectively] and total iron ((μg/dL) [0.15 (0.01, 0.29), 0.19 (0.06, 0.31) and 0.12(-0.01, 0.25), respectively] significantly more than FCF [0.92 (0.64, 1.20)] but not to FW group [0.14 (0.04, 0.24)]. The prevalence of anemia was reduced to a greater extent in the MMS and IFS groups (72% and 69%, respectively) than in the FCF group (45%) (p < 0.05). There were no significant differences in anthropometry or in the number of episodes of diarrhea and respiratory infections among treatment groups. The supplements MMS and IS were less acceptable to children, than IFS, FCF and FW.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The three supplements IS, ISF and MMS increased Hb more than the FCF; the supplements that contained micronutrients (IFS and MMS) were more effective for reducing the prevalence of anemia. In general, fortified foods were better accepted by the study participants than supplements.</p> <p>ClinicalTrial.gov Identifier</p> <p>NCT00822380</p

First-in-class humanized FSH blocking antibody targets bone and fat

Blocking the action of FSH genetically or pharmacologically in mice reduces body fat, lowers serum cholesterol, and increases bone mass, making an anti-FSH agent a potential therapeutic for three global epidemics: obesity, osteoporosis, and hypercholesterolemia. Here, we report the generation, structure, and function of a first-in-class, fully humanized, epitope-specific FSH blocking antibody with a KD of 7 nM. Protein thermal shift, molecular dynamics, and fine mapping of the FSH-FSH receptor interface confirm stable binding of the Fab domain to two of five receptor-interacting residues of the FSHβ subunit, which is sufficient to block its interaction with the FSH receptor. In doing so, the humanized antibody profoundly inhibited FSH action in cell-based assays, a prelude to further preclinical and clinical testing

Recent trend reversal for declining European seagrass meadows

Seagrass meadows, key ecosystems supporting fisheries, carbon sequestration and coastal protection, are globally threatened. In Europe, loss and recovery of seagrasses are reported, but the changes in extent and density at the continental scale remain unclear. Here we collate assessments of changes from 1869 to 2016 and show that 1/3 of European seagrass area was lost due to disease, deteriorated water quality, and coastal development, with losses peaking in the 1970s and 1980s. Since then, loss rates slowed down for most of the species and fastgrowing species recovered in some locations, making the net rate of change in seagrass area experience a reversal in the 2000s, while density metrics improved or remained stable in most sites. Our results demonstrate that decline is not the generalised state among seagrasses nowadays in Europe, in contrast with global assessments, and that deceleration and reversal of declining trends is possible, expectingly bringing back the services they provide