Necrosis grasa subcutánea del recién nacido. Presentación de un caso

La necrosis grasa subcutánea del recién nacido es la inflamación del tejido adiposo que afecta a neonatos con antecedentes de dificultad respiratoria perinatal. Se caracteriza por lesiones nodulares y en placa, violáceas, firmes, móviles, localizadas en mejillas, hombros, glúteos y muslos; generalmente asintomáticas y autolimitadas. Puede complicarse con hipercalcemia. Se reporta un caso de necrosis grasa subcutánea del recién nacido en un neonato femenino, de siete días. Se enfatiza en las manifestaciones cutáneas, en el valor diagnóstico de la realización de la biopsia de piel, así como en la prevención, conocimiento y manejo de las complicaciones. Se presenta este caso por ser una complicación peculiar de la dificultad respiratoria perinatal, pocas veces sospechado por su baja incidencia

Analizando el sesgo implícito de género en Óptica y Fotónica en la etapa predoctoral en España

Gender biases play a very significant role in areas related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The association of gender with certain attributes, behaviors or professions leads to a lower proportion of women in STEM. In the field of Optics and Photonics, we can identify a gender disparity between technical or bio-clinical approaches within the same area when examining the authorship of the defended thesis. In this work, we quantify the impact of implicit gender bias in the Ph.D. programs related to Optics and Photonics in Spain. Here we present an exhaustive study about the UNESCO descriptors of the theses defended within 2015-2020 through the open-access repository TESEO, where all the doctoral theses of Spanish universities are compiled. The doctorate program of each thesis is considered and classified into a technical or bio-clinical category. With this classification, we quantify the number of male and female authors within each category, and the results show up a clear unbalance in most of the evaluated descriptors: men are more likely to choose technical doctorate programs, while women are mostly present in clinical or biological programs. This difference is seen even in descriptors where both genders are equally represented. On one side, women’s underrepresentation is higher in “Physics”, “Astronomy and Astrophysics”, “Earth and Space Sciences”, and “Technological Sciences”. Oppositely, the areas of “Chemistry”, “Life Sciences”, and “Medical Sciences” show a greater gender-balanced distribution for most of the descriptors.Los prejuicios de género desempeñan un papel muy importante en áreas relacionadas con la ciencia, la tecnología, la ingeniería y las matemáticas (STEM). La asociación del género con determinados atributos, comportamientos o profesiones conduce a una menor proporción de mujeres en STEM. En el campo de la Óptica y la Fotónica, podemos identificar una disparidad de género entre enfoques técnicos o bioclínicos dentro de la misma área al examinar la autoría de la tesis defendida. En este trabajo, cuantificamos el impacto del sesgo implícito de género en los programas de doctorado relacionados con la Óptica y Fotónica en España. Aquí presentamos un estudio exhaustivo sobre los descriptores UNESCO de las tesis defendidas en el periodo 2015-2020 a través del repositorio de acceso abierto TESEO, donde se recopilan todas las tesis doctorales de las universidades españolas. Se considera el programa de doctorado de cada tesis y se clasifica en una categoría técnica o bioclínica. Con esta clasificación, cuantificamos el número de autores y autoras dentro de cada categoría, y los resultados muestran un claro desequilibrio en la mayoría de los descriptores evaluados: los hombres son más propensos a elegir programas de doctorado técnicos, mientras que las mujeres están mayoritariamente presentes en programas clínicos o biológicos. Esta diferencia se observa incluso en los descriptores en los que ambos sexos están representados por igual. Por un lado, la infrarrepresentación femenina es mayor en "Física", "Astronomía y Astrofísica", "Ciencias de la Tierra y del Espacio" y "Ciencias Tecnológicas". Por el contrario, las áreas de "Química", "Ciencias de la Vida" y "Ciencias Médicas" muestran una distribución más equilibrada entre hombres y mujeres en la mayoría de los descriptores

Effect of diagnostic delay on survival in patients with colorectal cancer: a retrospective cohort study

[Abstract] Background. Disparate and contradictory results make studies necessary to investigate in more depth the relationship between diagnostic delay and survival in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. The aim of this study is to analyse the relationship between the interval from first symptom to diagnosis (SDI) and survival in CRC. Methods. Retrospective study of n = 942 CRC patients. SDI was calculated as the time from the diagnosis of cancer and the first symptoms of CRC. Cox regression was used to estimate five-year mortality hazard ratios as a function of SDI, adjusting for age and gender. SDI was modelled according to SDI quartiles and as a continuous variable using penalized splines. Results. Median SDI was 3.4 months. SDI was not associated with stage at diagnosis (Stage I = 3.6 months, Stage II-III = 3.4, Stage IV = 3.2; p = 0.728). Shorter SDIs corresponded to patients with abdominal pain (2.8 months), and longer SDIs to patients with muchorrhage (5.2 months) and rectal tenesmus (4.4 months). Adjusting for age and gender, in rectum cancers, patients within the first SDI quartile had lower survival (p = 0.003), while in colon cancer no significant differences were found (p = 0.282). These results do not change after adjusting for TNM stage. The splines regression analysis revealed that, for rectum cancer, 5-year mortality progressively increases for SDIs lower than the median (3.7 months) and decreases as the delay increases until approximately 8 months. In colon cancer, no significant relationship was found between SDI and survival. Conclusions. Short diagnostic intervals are significantly associated with higher mortality in rectal but not in colon cancers, even though a borderline significant effect is also observed in colon cancer. Longer diagnostic intervals seemed not to be associated with poorer survival. Other factors than diagnostic delay should be taken into account to explain this “waiting-time paradox”.Instituto de Salud Carlos III; PI14/ 00781Xunta de Galicia; PGIDIT06BTF91601P

Diagnostic and treatment delay, quality of life and satisfaction with care in colorectal cancer patients: a study protocol

[Abstract] Background. Due to recent improvements in colorectal cancer survival, patient-reported outcomes, including health-related quality of life and satisfaction with care, have become well-established endpoints to determine the impact of the disease on the lives of patients. The aim of this study is to determine prospectively, in a cohort of colorectal cancer incident cases: a) health-related quality of life, b) satisfaction with hospital-based care, and c) functional status. A secondary objective is to determine whether diagnostic/therapeutic delay influence quality of life or patients’ satisfaction levels. Methods/design. Single-centre prospective follow-up study of colorectal cancer patients diagnosed during the period 2011–2012 (n = 375). This project was approved by the corresponding ethics review board, and informed consent is obtained from each patient. After diagnosis, patients are interviewed by a trained nurse, obtaining information on sociodemographic characteristics, family history of cancer, first symptoms, symptom perception and reaction to early symptoms. Quality of life is assessed with the EORTC QLQ-C30 and QLQ- CR29 questionnaires, and patients’ satisfaction with care is determined using the EORTC IN-PATSAT32. Functional status is measured with the Karnofsky Performance Status Scale. Clinical records are also reviewed to collect information on comorbidity, tumour characteristics, treatment, hospital consultations and exploratory procedures. Symptoms-to-diagnosis interval is defined as the time from the date of first symptoms until the cytohistological confirmation of cancer. Treatment delay is defined as the time between diagnosis and surgical treatment. All the patients will be followed-up for a maximum of 2 years. For survivors, assessments will be re-evaluated at one and two years after the diagnosis. Multiple linear/logistic regression models will be used to identify variables associated with the patients’ functional status, quality of life and satisfaction with care score. Changes in quality of life over time will be analysed with linear mixed-effects regression models. Discussion. The results will provide a deeper understanding of the impact of colorectal cancer from a more patient-centred approach, allowing us to identify groups of patients in need of additional attention, as well as areas for improvement. Special attention will be given to the relationship between diagnostic/therapeutic delay and patients’ quality of life and satisfaction with the care received.Instituto de Salud Carlos III; PI10/02285Galicia. Consellería de Economía e Industsria; 10CSA916052P

Can an intervention based on a serious videogame prior to cognitive behavioral therapy be helpful in bulimia nervosa? A clinical case study

Background: Several studies have highlighted the implications of impulsivity and novelty seeking for both the maintenance and the process of recovery from bulimia nervosa (BN). Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is the treatment of choice for BN, but for some cases, this treatment alone might not be sufficient for reducing the high levels of impulsivity. The paper presents a case report of a patient with BN, examining the effectiveness of using a videogame (VG; Playmancer) as an additional intervention designed to address impulsivity. Design: Psychometric and neuropsychological measures were collected at baseline. After this assessment, Playmancer was applied prior to CBT, following an 'A-B-A-C-A' single case experimental design. Impulsivity levels were assessed with the Conner's Continuous Performance Test II (CPT-II). After the Playmancer treatment, the patient started CBT, and the levels of impulsivity were recorded again. Finally, psychometric and neuropsychological measures were collected after treatment. Weekly frequency of binges and vomiting were also recorded during the entire procedure. Results: After the VG intervention, psychometric measures such as anxiety levels, impulsivity and novelty seeking decreased. Regarding the neuropsychological measures, impulsivity levels (measured with the CPT-II) progressively decreased throughout the intervention, and an improvement in decision making capacities was observed. Furthermore, the frequency of binges also decreased during and after the VG intervention. Discussion: This case report suggests that using the Playmancer VG to reduce impulsivity prior to CBT may enhance the final results of the treatment for BN

Long-term nightshift work and breast cancer risk: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis with special attention to menopausal status and to recent nightshift work

This systematic review discusses long-term NSW and female BC risk, with special attention to differences between pre-and postmenopausal BC, to test the association with recent NSW. The review follows PRISMA guidelines (Prospero registry: CRD42018102515). We searched PubMed, Embase, and WOS for case–control, nested case–control, and cohort studies addressing long-term NSW (≥15 years) as risk exposure and female BC as outcome until 31 December 2020. Risk of bias was evaluated with the Newcastle–Ottawa scale. Eighteen studies were finally in-cluded (eight cohorts; five nested case–control; five case–control). We performed meta-analyses on long-term NSW and BC risk; overall and by menopausal status; a subanalysis on recent long-term NSW, based on studies involving predominantly women below retirement age; and a dose– response meta-analysis on NSW duration. The pooled estimate for long-term NSW and BC was 1.13 (95%CI = 1.01–1.27; 18 studies, I2 = 56.8%, p = 0.002). BC risk increased 4.7% per 10 years of NSW (95%CI = 0.94–1.09; 16 studies, I2 = 33.4%, p = 0.008). The pooled estimate for premenopausal BC was 1.27 (95%CI = 0.96–1.68; six studies, I2 = 32.0%, p = 0.196) and for postmenopausal BC 1.05 (95%CI = 0.90–1.24, I2 = 52.4%; seven studies, p = 0.050). For recent long-term exposure, the pooled estimate was 1.23 (95%CI = 1.06–1.42; 15 studies; I2 = 48.4%, p = 0.018). Our results indicate that long-term NSW increases the risk for BC and that menopausal status and time since exposure might be relevant.This research received no external funding

Innovative Approaches for Organizing an Inclusive Optics and Photonics Conference in Virtual Format

The COVID pandemic is forcing the renewal of scientific conferences, offering opportunities to introduce technological and inclusive developments. Our analysis focuses on the implementation of inclusive practices for female and early-career researchers in a virtual scientific conference. This organization approach was applied in the XIII Spanish Optical Meeting (RNO2021), which was also characterized by avatars interacting in an online metaverse. The effectiveness of inclusive policies and novel technological tools was evaluated using the participation data and a post-conference survey. Our study reveals the high impact of inclusive actions and a strong interest in the scientific community to explore conference advances