1,586 research outputs found
Perivascular epitheloid cell tumour (PEComa) of the retroperitoneum â a rare tumor with uncertain malignant behaviour: a case report
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>Perivascular epitheloid cell tumours are rare mesenchymal neoplasms characterized by a proliferation of perivascular cells with an epitheloid phenotype and expression of myomelanocytic markers.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>Here we present the case of a cystic perivascular epitheloid cell tumour of the retroperitoneum associated with multifocal lung lesions. A 27-year-old woman underwent laparotomy to remove a 10 Ă 6 Ă 4 cm sized retroperitoneal mass. The resected specimen was subjected to frozen and permanent histological sections with conventional and immunohistochemical stains, including antibodies against HMB45. The tumour displayed the typical morphological and immunohistochemical features of a perivascular epitheloid cell tumour. Focal necrosis and a proliferative index of 10% suggested a malignant potential. Moreover, postoperative computed tomography scans demonstrated multiple lung lesions, which were radiologically interpreted as being most likely compatible with lymphangioleiomyomatosis.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Since lymphangioleiomyomatosis, an otherwise benign condition, belongs to the family of perivascular epitheloid cell tumours, it cannot be excluded that the lung lesions in this case in fact represent metastases from the retroperitoneal perivascular epitheloid cell tumour rather than independent neoplasms. More experience with this new and unusual tumour entity is clearly needed in order to define reliable criteria for benign or malignant behaviour.</p
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The influence of the accessory genome on bacterial pathogen evolution
Bacterial pathogens exhibit significant variation in their genomic content of virulence factors. This reflects the abundance of strategies pathogens evolved to infect host organisms by suppressing host immunity. Molecular arms-races have been a strong driving force for the evolution of pathogenicity, with pathogens often encoding overlapping or redundant functions, such as type III protein secretion effectors and hosts encoding ever more sophisticated immune systems. The pathogensâ frequent exposure to other microbes, either in their host or in the environment, provides opportunities for the acquisition or interchange of mobile genetic elements. These DNA elements accessorise the core genome and can play major roles in shaping genome structure and altering the complement of virulence factors. Here, we review the different mobile genetic elements focusing on the more recent discoveries and highlighting their role in shaping bacterial pathogen evolution
Suffering in silence: consequences of sexual violence within marriage among young women in Nepal
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Despite the grave consequences of sexual violence, and it's persistence both within and outside marriages, this subject has received relatively little attention from researchers, policy makers, and programme managers in Nepal. This paper explores the definition of sexual violence and its various forms and consequences as reported by young married women in Nepal. In addition, it describes the coping mechanisms used by young married women to avoid sexual violence perpetrated against them by their husbands.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>This paper analyzes data collected during the qualitative study on "Sexual violence among young couples in Nepal", conducted amongst two major ethnic groups - Brahmin/Chhetri and Tharu - between 2006 and 2007. The data is comprised of 39 free-lists and 15 in-depth case histories with married women aged 15-24 years. The average rank and Smith's Salience were calculated from the free-listing data. The thematic analysis approach was used for the analysis of information from the case histories.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Approximately three-quarters (74%) of the young women mentioned 'sex against one's wishes' as sexual violence within marriage (SVWM). Sixty-two percent of respondents described 'forced sex during illness' and 'forced sex after consumption of alcohol' as SVWM. About half of young women (48.7%) who participated in the free-listing exercise reported having experienced SVWM. The types of SVWM ranged from unwanted sexual touch to forced sex. Backache, headache, lower abdominal pain, vaginal bleeding and thoughts of suicide were the most commonly reported negative physical and psychological health consequences of SVWM. Women reported various coping strategies including 'trying to convince husbands', 'sleeping in a separate room', 'visiting maternal home', 'waking up the children', and 'using pretexts such as being ill or menstruating', to avoid SVWM. However, in most cases, women reported that these coping strategies were unsuccessful. Almost all women experiencing SVWM were socially isolated and did not turn to institutions, relatives or friends for advice and support.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Sexual violence within marriage is common in Nepal. Findings provide circumstantial evidence of links between sexual violence and negative general and reproductive health outcomes for women. Various actions are required to prevent SVWM and provide immediate support to the victims.</p
Intimate partner violence against women in an economically vulnerable urban area, Central-West Brazil
OBJETIVO: Estimar a prevalĂȘncia de tipos de violĂȘncia e de comportamentos de controle praticados por parceiros Ăntimos contra mulheres residentes em ĂĄrea economicamente vulnerĂĄvel. MĂTODOS: Conduziu-se estudo transversal com 278 mulheres de 15 a 49 anos que tiveram parceiros Ăntimos alguma vez na vida, residentes em uma ĂĄrea metropolitana de BrasĂlia, DF, em 2007. Utilizou-se processo de amostragem aleatĂłria sistemĂĄtica. O instrumento de pesquisa constou de um questionĂĄrio com 58 perguntas desenvolvido pela Organização Mundial de SaĂșde. Foram analisadas as prevalĂȘncias de violĂȘncia fĂsica, psicolĂłgica e sexual. As variĂĄveis independentes consideradas foram caracterĂsticas sociodemogrĂĄficas da mulher, de contexto familiar e comunitĂĄrio bem como as sociodemogrĂĄfi cas do parceiro, de comportamento (freqĂŒĂȘncia do uso de bebidas ou drogas ilĂcitas e relacionamento extraconjugal). RESULTADOS: A prevalĂȘncia de violĂȘncia psicolĂłgica foi a mais alta: 80,2% (n=223) das mulheres entrevistadas relataram pelo menos um ato no decorrer da vida e 50% (n=139) nos Ășltimos 12 meses. A prevalĂȘncia de violĂȘncia fĂsica ao longo da vida foi (58,6%) e nos Ășltimos 12 meses (32%), enquanto a prevalĂȘncia de mulheres que sofreram violĂȘncia sexual foi de 28,8% e 15,5%, respectivamente. CONCLUSĂES: As altas prevalĂȘncias das violĂȘncias mostram a magnitude da vulnerabilidade e das agressĂ”es praticadas contra mulheres nas relaçÔes com parceiros Ăntimos.OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence of gender-based controlling behavior and types of violence committed by intimate partners against women living in an economically vulnerable area. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed with 278 women aged between 15 and 49 years, who had had at least one male intimate partner in their lives and lived in a metropolitan area of the city of BrasĂlia, Central-West Brazil, in 2007. Systematic random sampling process was used. The research instrument consisted of a questionnaire with 58 questions, developed by the World Health Organization. Prevalences of physical, psychological and sexual violence were analyzed. Independent variables considered were womenâs sociodemographic, family and community context characteristics, in addition to their partnersâ sociodemographic and behavior characteristics (frequency of alcohol or illicit drug use and extra-marital relationship). RESULTS: The highest prevalence was that of psychological violence: 80.2% (n=223) of the women interviewed reported at least one act throughout their lives and 50% (n=139) in the last 12 months. Prevalence of physical violence was 58.6% throughout life and 32% in the last 12 months, whereas those of sexual violence were 28.8% and 15.5%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: High prevalences of violence show the magnitude of vulnerability and aggressions committed against women in relationships with intimate partners
Conceptualising spirituality for medical research and health service provision
The need to take account of spirituality in research and health services provision is assuming ever greater importance. However the field has long been hampered by a lack of conceptual clarity about the nature of spirituality itself. We do not agree with the sceptical claim that it is impossible to conceptualise spirituality within a scientific paradigm. Our aims are to 1) provide a brief over-view of critical thinking that might form the basis for a useful definition of spirituality for research and clinical work and 2) demystify the language of spirituality for clinical practice and research
Association of Carotid Plaque Lp-PLA2 with Macrophages and Chlamydia pneumoniae Infection among Patients at Risk for Stroke
BACKGROUND: We previously showed that the burden of Chlamydia pneumoniae in carotid plaques was significantly associated with plaque interleukin (IL)-6, and serum IL-6 and C-reactive protein (CRP), suggesting that infected plaques contribute to systemic inflammatory markers in patients with stroke risk. Since lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA(2)) mediates inflammation in atherosclerosis, we hypothesized that serum Lp-PLA(2) mass and activity levels and plaque Lp-PLA(2) may be influenced by plaque C. pneumoniae infection. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Forty-two patients underwent elective carotid endarterectomy. Tissue obtained at surgery was stained by immunohistochemistry for Lp-PLA(2) grade, macrophages, IL-6, C. pneumoniae and CD4+ and CD8+ cells. Serum Lp-PLA(2) activity and mass were measured using the colorimetric activity method (CAM) and ELISA, respectively. Serum homocysteine levels were measured by HPLC. Eleven (26.2%) patients were symptomatic with transient ischemic attacks. There was no correlation between patient risk factors (smoking, coronary artery disease, elevated cholesterol, diabetes, obesity, hypertension and family history of genetic disorders) for atherosclerosis and serum levels or plaque grade for Lp-PLA(2). Plaque Lp-PLA(2) correlated with serum homocysteine levels (p = 0.013), plaque macrophages (p<0.01), and plaque C. pneumoniae (p<0.001), which predominantly infected macrophages, co-localizing with Lp-PLA(2). CONCLUSIONS: The significant association of plaque Lp-PLA(2) with plaque macrophages and C. pneumoniae suggests an interactive role in accelerating inflammation in atherosclerosis. A possible mechanism for C. pneumoniae in the atherogenic process may involve infection of macrophages that induce Lp-PLA(2) production leading to upregulation of inflammatory mediators in plaque tissue. Additional in vitro and in vivo research will be needed to advance our understanding of specific C. pneumoniae and Lp-PLA(2) interactions in atherosclerosis
Recognition of Depression in Older Medical Inpatients
BACKGROUND: Studies of recognition of depression in older (aged 65 or more) medical inpatients show low rates of recognition of depression by attending physicians. However, few studies have compared different measures of recognition of depression. OBJECTIVES: (1) To compare the validity of four indicators of recognition of depression and a global measure of recognition against a diagnosis of depression and (2) to explore the effect of patient characteristics on recognition of depression. METHODS: In a cohort of 264 medical inpatients 65Â years and older (115 with major or minor depression, 78 with no depression), sensitivities, specificities, and diagnostic odds ratios (DOR) of 4 indicators of recognition (symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and referral) and a global measure of recognition (any of the 4 indicators) were calculated. The associations between patient characteristics (age, sex, history of depression, antidepressant use before admission, severity of depression, comorbidity, duration of hospitalization, disability, and hospital of admission) and recognition were explored using multiple logistic regression. RESULTS: Less than half of the depressed patients were recognized. The indicator with the highest sensitivity was treatment (27.8%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 20.0â37.0), whereas the indicator with the best specificity was diagnosis (96.6%, 95% CI 91.9â98.7). The unadjusted DOR of global recognition was 2.6 (95% CI 1.5, 4.4). Less comorbidity, more severe depression symptoms, a history of depression, longer hospital stay, and antidepressant use before admission were significantly associated with better global recognition. CONCLUSION: Recognition of depression in elderly medical inpatients depends upon the indicator of recognition used
Religious Factors and Hippocampal Atrophy in Late Life
Despite a growing interest in the ways spiritual beliefs and practices are reflected in brain activity, there have been relatively few studies using neuroimaging data to assess potential relationships between religious factors and structural neuroanatomy. This study examined prospective relationships between religious factors and hippocampal volume change using high-resolution MRI data of a sample of 268 older adults. Religious factors assessed included life-changing religious experiences, spiritual practices, and religious group membership. Hippocampal volumes were analyzed using the GRID program, which is based on a manual point-counting method and allows for semi-automated determination of region of interest volumes. Significantly greater hippocampal atrophy was observed for participants reporting a life-changing religious experience. Significantly greater hippocampal atrophy was also observed from baseline to final assessment among born-again Protestants, Catholics, and those with no religious affiliation, compared with Protestants not identifying as born-again. These associations were not explained by psychosocial or demographic factors, or baseline cerebral volume. Hippocampal volume has been linked to clinical outcomes, such as depression, dementia, and Alzheimer's Disease. The findings of this study indicate that hippocampal atrophy in late life may be uniquely influenced by certain types of religious factors
Jet energy measurement with the ATLAS detector in proton-proton collisions at root s=7 TeV
The jet energy scale and its systematic uncertainty are determined for jets measured with the ATLAS detector at the LHC in proton-proton collision data at a centre-of-mass energy of âs = 7TeV corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 38 pb-1. Jets are reconstructed with the anti-kt algorithm with distance parameters R=0. 4 or R=0. 6. Jet energy and angle corrections are determined from Monte Carlo simulations to calibrate jets with transverse momenta pTâ„20 GeV and pseudorapidities {pipe}η{pipe}<4. 5. The jet energy systematic uncertainty is estimated using the single isolated hadron response measured in situ and in test-beams, exploiting the transverse momentum balance between central and forward jets in events with dijet topologies and studying systematic variations in Monte Carlo simulations. The jet energy uncertainty is less than 2. 5 % in the central calorimeter region ({pipe}η{pipe}<0. 8) for jets with 60â€pT<800 GeV, and is maximally 14 % for pT<30 GeV in the most forward region 3. 2â€{pipe}η{pipe}<4. 5. The jet energy is validated for jet transverse momenta up to 1 TeV to the level of a few percent using several in situ techniques by comparing a well-known reference such as the recoiling photon pT, the sum of the transverse momenta of tracks associated to the jet, or a system of low-pT jets recoiling against a high-pT jet. More sophisticated jet calibration schemes are presented based on calorimeter cell energy density weighting or hadronic properties of jets, aiming for an improved jet energy resolution and a reduced flavour dependence of the jet response. The systematic uncertainty of the jet energy determined from a combination of in situ techniques is consistent with the one derived from single hadron response measurements over a wide kinematic range. The nominal corrections and uncertainties are derived for isolated jets in an inclusive sample of high-pT jets. Special cases such as event topologies with close-by jets, or selections of samples with an enhanced content of jets originating from light quarks, heavy quarks or gluons are also discussed and the corresponding uncertainties are determined. © 2013 CERN for the benefit of the ATLAS collaboration
Measurement of the inclusive and dijet cross-sections of b-jets in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector
The inclusive and dijet production cross-sections have been measured for jets
containing b-hadrons (b-jets) in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass
energy of sqrt(s) = 7 TeV, using the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The
measurements use data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 34 pb^-1.
The b-jets are identified using either a lifetime-based method, where secondary
decay vertices of b-hadrons in jets are reconstructed using information from
the tracking detectors, or a muon-based method where the presence of a muon is
used to identify semileptonic decays of b-hadrons inside jets. The inclusive
b-jet cross-section is measured as a function of transverse momentum in the
range 20 < pT < 400 GeV and rapidity in the range |y| < 2.1. The bbbar-dijet
cross-section is measured as a function of the dijet invariant mass in the
range 110 < m_jj < 760 GeV, the azimuthal angle difference between the two jets
and the angular variable chi in two dijet mass regions. The results are
compared with next-to-leading-order QCD predictions. Good agreement is observed
between the measured cross-sections and the predictions obtained using POWHEG +
Pythia. MC@NLO + Herwig shows good agreement with the measured bbbar-dijet
cross-section. However, it does not reproduce the measured inclusive
cross-section well, particularly for central b-jets with large transverse
momenta.Comment: 10 pages plus author list (21 pages total), 8 figures, 1 table, final
version published in European Physical Journal
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