The role of magnetic resonance imaging brain in estimating the burden of preventable and potentially curable epilepsy in developmentally normal children

Background: Epilepsy is the most common neurological condition among children. Diagnosis of epilepsy is clinical, but to find the etiology we must depend on investigations such as electroencephalography (EEG) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) f the brain. EEG is more useful to diagnose genetic epilepsies, and MRI is more useful in structural causes. Objective: The objective of this study was to find the etiology of epilepsy prevalent in children of our region and to evaluate the role MRI brain in diagnosis. Methods: This was a survey-based study conducted at a tertiary care hospital in central India, between April 2015 and August 2016. A total of 108 developmentally normal children in the age group of 1 month to 14 years who presented withtwo or more unprovoked seizures 24 h apart or known case of epilepsy and on treatment admitted in the inpatient department for seizures were included in this study. The patients were classified based on detailed history, personal observation of seizures in some cases, thorough clinical examination, EEG recording, MRI findings, and other relevant investigations pertaining to the case, and the data were analyzed. Results: According to the ILAE 2010 classification, 12.9% of our patients had probable genetic epilepsy, 32.4% belonged to the structural metabolic group, and 54%, the largest proportion had an unknown cause. Of total 42 patientswith abnormal MRI, 30 (71.42%) patient had underlying structural or metabolic abnormality, whereas 28.57% had a genetic cause. 10 patients had imaging results suggestive of neurocysticercosis, while 7 patients had mesial temporal sclerosis. Gliosis was seen in nine patients, tuberculoma was seen in four patients, and finding suggestive of infarcts was seen in six patients. Remaining patients had abnormalities including corpus callosal agenesis (1), cortical dysplasia (2), tuberous sclerosis (1), white matter disease (1), and hippocampal hyperintensities suggestive of encephalitis (1). Conclusion: MRI brain is the most important routinely availableinvestigation and must be utilized. Neurocysticercosis is still the most common structural cause of epilepsy in children in our region

Reversed halo sign on CT as a presentation of lymphocytic interstitial pneumonia.

To access publisher's full text version of this article, please click on the hyperlink in Additional Links field or click on the hyperlink at the top of the page marked Files. This article is open access.A 52 year-old African American female with a past medical history of symptomatic uterine fibroids and increasing abdominal circumference underwent abdominal computed tomography (CT) as part of her workup. Because of an abnormality in the left lower lobe, CT of the chest was subsequently performed and showed a focal region of discontinuous crescentic consolidation with central ground glass opacification in the right lower lobe, suggestive of the reversed halo sign. The patient underwent percutaneous CT-guided core biopsy of the lesion, which demonstrated lymphocytic interstitial pneumonia, a benign lymphoproliferative disease characterized histologically by small lymphocytes and plasma cells. This case report describes the first histologically confirmed presentation of lymphocytic interstitial pneumonia with the reversed halo sign on CT

Lithuanian Temporary Workers in Iceland in Another Economic Boom: Expectations and Experiences

Publisher's version (útgefin grein)Economic changes and a booming tourism industry in Iceland have triggered a rise in temporary workforce, where employees are brought to Iceland from Eastern Europe and other less economically developed countries. Major societal and economic shifts are evidenced by a doubled number of temporary staffing agencies and a ten-fold increase in foreign temporary agency workers. However, limited research exists regarding the phenomenon. Furthermore, the expectations of temporary work force in Iceland have not been researched. The study employed field survey methods to investigate pre-Arrival expectations and post-Arrival experiences of temporary agency workers regarding temporary agencies and Icelandic society. The findings indicate that the employees had relatively high expectations towards the temporary staffing agency and Icelandic society before arriving in Iceland. However, the findings also indicated unmet expectations in these respects. The study provides empirical data that serves as catalyst for both expectation management and better integration of foreign temporary workforce.Peer Reviewe

“It’s a Man Who Runs the Show”: How Women Middle-Managers Experience Their Professional Position, Opportunities, and Barriers

The ratio of women in top-management positions is improving very slowly, even in countries scoring high on gender equality like Iceland. Despite over three decades of research having documented the barriers faced by women seeking top-management positions, understanding is still lacking as to why women are not overcoming these barriers at a greater rate. This study presents the lived experiences of women in middle-management positions in some of the largest organizations in Iceland, aiming to understand how the women experience the barriers and opportunities they face. It is important to give voice to these women as they are the ones who could be in line for top-management positions. Interviews with 11 women were analyzed and interpreted according to phenomenological methodology, revealing four themes. Findings show that the women experience top management as a network that is closed to them. Top-management jobs appear tailored for men and would require the women to take on unbearable responsibilities. They experience their hard work and diligence as unappreciated. Finally, they compare and contrast themselves with the stereotype of the male executive and blame themselves for not fitting the role. Thus, they feel pressured to adapt to the masculine gender role if they are to stand a chance of a top-management position. Not fitting this role further undermines their self-confidence and ambition, rendering them less likely to seek advancement.Peer Reviewe

Here to stay? The rapid evolution of the temporary staffing market in Iceland

In recent years there has been a significant shortage of workers in Iceland. The traditional method of arranging temporary work, through direct contracts between employees and employers, has not sufficed. Moreover, there is a skills mismatch that compounds the shortage of workers as the sectors that have grown most rapidly in recent years mainly employ unskilled labor. This study examined the historical background of temporary work in Iceland, recent developments and in particular the growing importance of temporary staffing agencies, as well as the economic rationale for temporary staffing agencies, and the segmented labor market in Iceland. The study employs expert opinion approach, together with content and statistical analysis. Experts placed strongest emphasis on temporary workforce dependency on economic conditions, closely followed by sector triggered temporary workforce fluctuation. Socio-legal infrastructure for temporary workforce had the third strongest emphasis with other themes being less emphasized. These dramatic changes to the Icelandic labor market have undoubtedly had a significant impact on Icelandic society but there is surprisingly little research available into this. The efforts of unions and the Federation of Employees have helped to push through legislation on temporary staffing agencies and the rights of foreign workers, however, as long as there is economic rationale for their operation and a legal and regulatory framework that accommodates them the agencies can be expected to continue bringing temporary staff to Iceland. The impact on the labor market and society thus seems likely to be permanent.Peer Reviewe

Development and content validation of a questionnaire measuring patient empowerment in cancer follow-up

Purpose: The aim of this study was to develop and ensure the content validity of a new patient-reported outcome measure, the Cancer Patient Empowerment Questionnaire (CPEQ), to measure the level of, desire for, and enablement of empowerment among cancer patients in follow-up. Methods: An iterative process based on: (i) empowerment theories by Zimmerman and Tengland, (ii) a systematic review of questionnaires measuring empowerment or related concepts among cancer patients, (iii) qualitative data from 18 semi-structured interviews with Danish cancer patients in follow-up, (iv) input from a group of eight cancer patients involved as co-researchers and from an expert steering group, and (v) cognitive interviews with 15 cancer patients in follow-up. Results: The items for the CPEQ were developed and revised and 12 versions of the questionnaire were evaluated. The final version consists of 67 items, covering three different dimensions of empowerment: (A) empowerment outcomes consisting of three components: (A1) the intrapersonal-, (A2) interactional-, and (A3) behavioral component, (B) empowerment facilitators (enablement), and (C) the value of empowerment. Conclusions: This study documents the theoretical and empirical basis for the development of the CPEQ and its content validity. The CPEQ provides a tool for researchers to assess the level of, desire for, and enablement of empowerment among cancer patients. The next steps will be to use the CPEQ in a nationwide study of empowerment in cancer follow-up and subsequently shorten the CPEQ based on psychometric methods in order to make it more relevant in clinical studies

Awareness of polycystic ovary syndrome among obstetrician-gynecologists and endocrinologists in Northern Europe

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The impact of the Fungus-Host-Microbiota interplay upon Candida albicans infections : current knowledge and new perspectives

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: We thank our friends and colleagues in the medical mycology, fungal immunology and microbiota fields for many thought-provoking discussions. FUNDING: We received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie action, Innovative Training Network: FunHoMic; grant N° 812969. CdE received funding from the French Government ‘Investissement d’Avenir’ program (Laboratoire d’Excellence Integrative Biology of Emerging Infectious Diseases, ANR-10-LABX-62-IBEID), the Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ERA-Net Infect-ERA, FUNCOMPATH, ANR-14-IFEC-0004), the EU Horizon2020 consortium “Host-Directed Medicine in invasive FUNgal infections” - HDM-FUN (Grant Agreement 847507). SLL and CdE received funding from the Swiss National Science Foundation (Sinergia program, #CRSII5_173863). BIOASTER received funding from the French Government ‘Investissement d’Avenir’ program (Grant No. ANR-10-AIRT-03). MSG was supported by a Humboldt Research Fellowship for Postdoctoral Researchers by the Alexander von Humboldt-Foundation and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) Emmy Noether Program (project no. 434385622 / GR 5617/1-1). BH was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) project Hu 532/20-1, project C1 within the Collaborative Research Centre (CRC)/Transregio 124 FungiNet and the Balance of the Microverse Cluster under Germany´s Excellence Strategy – EXC 2051 – Project-ID 390713860, the EU Horizon2020 consortium “Host-Directed Medicine in invasive FUNgal infections” - HDM-FUN (Grant Agreement 847507), the Leibniz Association Campus InfectoOptics SAS-2015-HKI-LWC and the Wellcome Trust (215599/Z/19/Z). IDJ was supported by the Deutsche orschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) project C5 within the Collaborative Research Centre (CRC)/Transregio 124 FungiNet and the Balance of the Microverse Cluster under Germany´s Excellence Strategy – EXC 2051 – Project-ID 390713860, the Leibniz Association Campus InfectoOptics SAS-2015-HKI-LWC and the Wellcome Trust (Grant 215599/Z/19/Z). CM received funding from the the Instituto de Salud Carlos III/FEDER. MGN was supported by an ERC Advanced Grant (#833247) and a Spinoza grant of the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research. CAM was supported by EU Horizon2020 consortium “Host-Directed Medicine in invasive FUNgal infections” -HDM-FUN (Grant Agreement 847507) and the Wellcome Trust Strategic Award for Medical Mycology and Fungal Immunology (097377/Z/11/Z). AWW receives core funding support from the Scottish Government’s Rural and Environment Science and Analytical Services (RESAS). AJPB was supported by a programme grant from the UK Medical Research Council (MR/M026663/1) and by the Medical Research Council Centre for Medical Mycology at the University of Exeter (MR/N006364/1).Peer reviewedPublisher PD