Single-Incision Laparoscopic Liver Resection for Colorectal Metastasis through Stoma Site at Time of Reversal of Diversion Ileostomy: A Case Report

Minimally invasive surgical techniques for liver tumors are gaining increased acceptance as an alternative to traditional resections by laparotomy. In this article we describe a laparoscopic liver resection of a metastatic lesion in a patient primarily operated for colorectal cancer. The resection was conducted as a single port procedure through the stoma aperture at time of reversal of the diversion ileostomy. Sigle incision liver resections may be less traumatic than conventional laparoscopy and could be applied in selected patients with both benign and malignant liver tumors

Sports Journalism, Interns and #MeToo – did anything change?

Norwegian news media were central actors in the dissemination of information about the #MeToo movement. Simultaneously, the media are made up of institutions and workplaces that are at times characterized by asymmetrical power relations. The aim of this article is to understand how those considered at the bottom of such power relations: young (female) interns in the sports journalism departments, experienced the effects of the #MeToo movement. Addressing the question if #MeToo changed anything, this article emphasizes the importance of combining the position that sexual harassment is not necessarily associated with a specific gender, at the same time recognizing that such harassment has first and foremost been part of a structural suppression of women. The article illustrates how facets of the journalistic culture and the myth of the “male genius” have marginalized those with unequal access to power in sports journalism, but also that the #MeToo movement has the potential to change this

Unpacking Value Creation Dynamics in Journalism Education. A Covid-19 Case Study

publishedVersio

Computational Prediction of MicroRNAs Encoded in Viral and Other Genomes

We present an overview of selected computational methods for microRNA prediction. It is especially aimed at viral miRNA detection. As the number of microRNAs increases and the range of genomes encoding miRNAs expands, it seems that these small regulators have a more important role than has been previously thought. Most microRNAs have been detected by cloning and Northern blotting, but experimental methods are biased towards abundant microRNAs as well as being time-consuming. Computational detection methods must therefore be refined to serve as a faster, better, and more affordable method for microRNA detection. We also present data from a small study investigating the problems of computational miRNA prediction. Our findings suggest that the prediction of microRNA precursor candidates is fairly easy, while excluding false positives as well as exact prediction of the mature microRNA is hard. Finally, we discuss possible improvements to computational microRNA detection

Detection and tracking of objects in a low resolution grayscale image

Tracking is the technique of following an object in motion. We use tracking technology on an everyday basis through Navigation GPS in cars or smart phones. Many of these units also feature touch displays, which allow interaction using a finger or touch stylus. This master thesis focuses on with tracking fingers on touch displays, which appear as objects on a low-resolution image. Touch displays often use a low resolution sensor grid, which requires subpixel estimation prior to tracking. The coordinates produced by the tracking system is used by an application level not included in this project, which analyzes the input location and motion. With higher accuracy of the position and tracking, the smaller symbols can be utilized on the display, and the more sophisticated motions are possible to interpret for the application level. The tracker system is designed to work in real time for any touch display and tracks up to two fingers of any size. High tracking accuracy was achieved using digital signal processing techniques. A signal processing model was created initially to define the system. The tracker system created consists of two modules: A scanner and a tracker. The scanner analyzes the data sets individually, and produces a high-resolution two-dimensional coordinate for each input. The tracker analyzes these observations collectively, validates that these are not caused by noise, and filters the positions through a (Kalman) tracking filter. Evaluation of the system was performed using data sets from a real touch display as well as simulated data sets. Some assumptions and limitations had to be made to successfully handle all situations found in the data sets. Pressing hard on the touch displays creates large objects, and a size estimation algorithm was made. This was based on a sensor value threshold, but this makes the program non-ideal for displays with low signal to noise ratio. Two close objects might also be falsely identified as one large object, but this was solved in this project using previous knowledge and adjusting the sensor values to force the scanner to produce two outputs. Lastly, the tracking filter smoothed the trajectory of the objects, but it did not always provide better accuracy. A tracking filter should be considered based on the application intended. All situations in the real data sets were handled, albeit with reduced accuracy for large objects and for two close objects. Further research involves handling three or more inputs, performing a running cost analysis of the algorithm and implementing this on a real tablet. Implementation will require an adjustment of the different thresholds and settings to match the touch display with regards to node resolution, sampling rate and sensor noise. This can be solved by the application level or further development of the tracker system

Laparoscopic versus open liver resection for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma: a multicenter propensity score-matched study

Background: The role of laparoscopy in the treatment of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) remains unclear. This multicenter study examined the outcomes of laparoscopic liver resection for ICC. Methods: Patients with ICC who had undergone laparoscopic or open liver resection between 2012 and 2019 at four European expert centers were included in the study. Laparoscopic and open approaches were compared in terms of surgical and oncological outcomes. Propensity score matching was used for minimizing treatment selection bias and adjusting for confounders (age, ASA grade, tumor size, location, number of tumors and underlying liver disease). Results: Of 136 patients, 50 (36.7%) underwent laparoscopic resection, whereas 86 (63.3%) had open surgery. Median tumor size was larger (73.6 vs 55.1 mm, p¼ 0.01) and the incidence of bi-lobar tumors was higher (36.6 vs 6%, p< 0.01) in patients undergoing open surgery. After propensity score matching baseline characteristics were comparable although open surgery was associated with a larger fraction of major liver resections (74 vs 38%, p< 0.01), lymphadenectomy (60 vs 20%, p< 0.01) and longer operative time (294 vs 209 min, p< 0.01). Tumor characteristics were similar. Laparoscopic resection resulted in less complications (30 vs 52%, p¼ 0.025), fewer reoperations (4 vs 16%, p¼ 0.046) and shorter hospital stay (5 vs 8 days, p< 0.01). No differences were found in terms of recurrence, recurrence-free and overall survival. Conclusion: Laparoscopic resection seems to be associated with improved short-term and with similar long-term outcomes compared with open surgery in patients with ICC. However, possible selection criteria for laparoscopic surgery are yet to be defined