49 research outputs found
Review Section : Nature/Nurture Revisited I
Biologically oriented approaches to the study of human conflict have thus far been limited largely to the study of aggression. A sample of the literature on this topic is reviewed, drawing upon four major approaches: comparative psychology, ethology (including some popularized accounts), evolutionary-based theories, and several areas of human physiology. More sophisticated relationships between so-called "innate" and "acquired" determinants of behavior are discussed, along with the proper relevance of animal behavior studies for human behavior. Unless contained in a comprehensive theory which includes social and psychological variables, biolog ically oriented theories (although often valid within their domain) offer at best severely limited and at worst highly misleading explanations of complex social conflicts. The review concludes with a list of several positive contributions of these biological approaches and suggests that social scientists must become more knowledgeable about them.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/68270/2/10.1177_002200277401800206.pd
Geographical and temporal distribution of SARS-CoV-2 clades in the WHO European Region, January to June 2020
We show the distribution of SARS-CoV-2 genetic clades over time and between countries and outline potential genomic surveillance objectives. We applied three available genomic nomenclature systems for SARS-CoV-2 to all sequence data from the WHO European Region available during the COVID-19 pandemic until 10 July 2020. We highlight the importance of real-time sequencing and data dissemination in a pandemic situation. We provide a comparison of the nomenclatures and lay a foundation for future European genomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2.Peer reviewe
The Cholecystectomy As A Day Case (CAAD) Score: A Validated Score of Preoperative Predictors of Successful Day-Case Cholecystectomy Using the CholeS Data Set
Background
Day-case surgery is associated with significant patient and cost benefits. However, only 43% of cholecystectomy patients are discharged home the same day. One hypothesis is day-case cholecystectomy rates, defined as patients discharged the same day as their operation, may be improved by better assessment of patients using standard preoperative variables.
Methods
Data were extracted from a prospectively collected data set of cholecystectomy patients from 166 UK and Irish hospitals (CholeS). Cholecystectomies performed as elective procedures were divided into main (75%) and validation (25%) data sets. Preoperative predictors were identified, and a risk score of failed day case was devised using multivariate logistic regression. Receiver operating curve analysis was used to validate the score in the validation data set.
Results
Of the 7426 elective cholecystectomies performed, 49% of these were discharged home the same day. Same-day discharge following cholecystectomy was less likely with older patients (OR 0.18, 95% CI 0.15â0.23), higher ASA scores (OR 0.19, 95% CI 0.15â0.23), complicated cholelithiasis (OR 0.38, 95% CI 0.31 to 0.48), male gender (OR 0.66, 95% CI 0.58â0.74), previous acute gallstone-related admissions (OR 0.54, 95% CI 0.48â0.60) and preoperative endoscopic intervention (OR 0.40, 95% CI 0.34â0.47). The CAAD score was developed using these variables. When applied to the validation subgroup, a CAAD score of â€5 was associated with 80.8% successful day-case cholecystectomy compared with 19.2% associated with a CAAD score >5 (pâ<â0.001).
Conclusions
The CAAD score which utilises data readily available from clinic letters and electronic sources can predict same-day discharges following cholecystectomy
The evolving SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Africa: Insights from rapidly expanding genomic surveillance
INTRODUCTION
Investment in Africa over the past year with regard to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) sequencing has led to a massive increase in the number of sequences, which, to date, exceeds 100,000 sequences generated to track the pandemic on the continent. These sequences have profoundly affected how public health officials in Africa have navigated the COVID-19 pandemic.
RATIONALE
We demonstrate how the first 100,000 SARS-CoV-2 sequences from Africa have helped monitor the epidemic on the continent, how genomic surveillance expanded over the course of the pandemic, and how we adapted our sequencing methods to deal with an evolving virus. Finally, we also examine how viral lineages have spread across the continent in a phylogeographic framework to gain insights into the underlying temporal and spatial transmission dynamics for several variants of concern (VOCs).
RESULTS
Our results indicate that the number of countries in Africa that can sequence the virus within their own borders is growing and that this is coupled with a shorter turnaround time from the time of sampling to sequence submission. Ongoing evolution necessitated the continual updating of primer sets, and, as a result, eight primer sets were designed in tandem with viral evolution and used to ensure effective sequencing of the virus. The pandemic unfolded through multiple waves of infection that were each driven by distinct genetic lineages, with B.1-like ancestral strains associated with the first pandemic wave of infections in 2020. Successive waves on the continent were fueled by different VOCs, with Alpha and Beta cocirculating in distinct spatial patterns during the second wave and Delta and Omicron affecting the whole continent during the third and fourth waves, respectively. Phylogeographic reconstruction points toward distinct differences in viral importation and exportation patterns associated with the Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron variants and subvariants, when considering both Africa versus the rest of the world and viral dissemination within the continent. Our epidemiological and phylogenetic inferences therefore underscore the heterogeneous nature of the pandemic on the continent and highlight key insights and challenges, for instance, recognizing the limitations of low testing proportions. We also highlight the early warning capacity that genomic surveillance in Africa has had for the rest of the world with the detection of new lineages and variants, the most recent being the characterization of various Omicron subvariants.
CONCLUSION
Sustained investment for diagnostics and genomic surveillance in Africa is needed as the virus continues to evolve. This is important not only to help combat SARS-CoV-2 on the continent but also because it can be used as a platform to help address the many emerging and reemerging infectious disease threats in Africa. In particular, capacity building for local sequencing within countries or within the continent should be prioritized because this is generally associated with shorter turnaround times, providing the most benefit to local public health authorities tasked with pandemic response and mitigation and allowing for the fastest reaction to localized outbreaks. These investments are crucial for pandemic preparedness and response and will serve the health of the continent well into the 21st century
An application of the Lovasz-Schrijver M(K,K) operator to the stable set problem
Although the lift-and-project operators of LovĂĄsz and Schrijver have been the subject of intense study, their M(K, K) operator has received little attention. We consider an application of this operator to the stable set problem. We begin with an initial linear programming (LP) relaxation consisting of clique and non-negativity inequalities, and then apply the operator to obtain a stronger extended LP relaxation. We discuss theoretical properties of the resulting relaxation, describe the issues that must be overcome to obtain an effective practical implementation, and give extensive computational results. Remarkably, the upper bounds obtained are sometimes stronger than those obtained with semidefinite programming techniques
CONSEQĂĂNCIAS DA LAMINECTOMIA DORSAL DO TIPO FUNKQUIST A EM CĂES NORMAIS CONSEQUENCES OF THE FUNKQUIST A DORSAL LAMINECTOMY, IN NORMAL DOGS
O objetivo desta pesquisa foi verificar os efeitos da laminectomia dorsal do tipo Funkquist A em cĂŁes normais. A tĂ©cnica realizada consistiu em abordagem dorsal Ă coluna vertebral; remoção (com ou sem a ajuda da elevação dos corpos vertebrais) das lĂąminas dorsais de T13 e L1; manutenção do ligamento supra-espinhal; colocação de gordura subcutĂąnea como coxim supramedular; sutura da fĂĄscia toracolombar, subcutĂąneo e pele; e bandagem compressiva por sete dias. Quarenta e oito horas apĂłs a cirurgia, todos os 10 cĂŁes submetidos a essa tĂ©cnica exibiram perda das reaçÔes posturais e paresia de moderada a grave nos membros pĂ©lvicos. Hipoalgesia foi constatada em cinco deles. Tentando descobrir as causas, foram realizados estudos histolĂłgicos de medulas espinhais, coletadas 4 e 48 horas apĂłs a realização da laminectomia, porĂ©m com modificaçÔes como: nĂŁo elevação dos corpos vertebrais durante a cirurgia e prevenção de qualquer tipo de compressĂŁo medular apĂłs a laminectomia. Analisando esses resultados, foi possĂvel concluir que as disfunçÔes neurolĂłgicas decorreram de lesĂ”es medulares ocasionadas possivelmente por: elevaçÔes dos corpos vertebrais durante a laminectomia, danificação de vasos espinhais, desestabilização da coluna vertebral e uma somatĂłria de forças compressivas atuantes sobre a medula espinhal desprotegida. Na necropsia de cinco cĂŁes, acompanhados por quarenta e cinco dias, foi possĂvel constatar: a permanĂȘncia do ligamento supra-espinhal; que o enxerto de gordura nĂŁo evita a penetração do tecido fibroso no canal vertebral nem sua aderĂȘncia Ă dura- mĂĄter; notĂłrio (P< 0.01) achatamento do canal vertebral e deformação das medulas espinhais. Com base nos resultados, aconselha-se nĂŁo realizar esses procedimentos cirĂșrgicos em cĂŁes acometidos de afeçÔes medulares na junção toracolombar. A manutenção do ligamento supra-espinhal nĂŁo perturba a realização da laminectomia, minimiza a ocorrĂȘncia de defeitos estĂ©ticos na linha mĂ©dia dorsal e pode participar da compressĂŁo medular no pĂłs-operatĂłrio imediato.<br>The purpose of this research was to check the effects of the Funkquist A dorsal laminectomy in normal dogs. The technique accomplished consisted in dorsal approach to the spine; removal of T13-L1 laminae with or without vertebral bodies elevation; mantainement of the supraspinous ligament; placement of subcutaneous fat as supramedulary pad; suture of thoracolumbar fascia, subcutaneous and skin; and compressive bandage for seven days. Fourty-eight hours latter all the dogs (10) submitted to this technique showed loss of the postural reactions and paraparesis classified of moderated to serious. Hypalgesia was ascertained in five of them. Trying to discover the causes, was accomplished histologic studies of spinal cord collected 4 and 48 hours after the accomplishment of the laminectomies were conducted, however with modifications as: non-elevation of the vertebral bodies during the surgery and prevention of any type of compression spinal after the laminectomie. Examining these results was possible to conclude that the neurologic dysfunctions were originated from cord lesions caused for: elevation of the vertebral bodies during the laminectomy, possible damage of spinal vessels, destabilization of the spine and a somatory of compressive forces acting upon an uncovered spinal cord. At the necropsy of five dogs realized forty - five days latter were possible to verify: the permanence of the supraspinous ligament; that the fat grafts do not avoid the penetration of the fibrous tissue into the vertebral canal neither its adherency to the dura mater; notorious (p < 0.01) flattening of the vertebral canal and deformations of the spinal cords. With support on these results, isn't advise to furfill these surgery procedure in the thoracolumbar junction of dogs. The mantainement of the supraspinatus ligament do not perturb the realization of the laminectomy, minimize the occurrence of the aesthetics defects at the dorsal midline and can participate at the immediate postoperative cord compression