A single-blind, randomised controlled trial on the effects of lithium and quetiapine monotherapy on the trajectory of cognitive functioning in first episode mania: A 12-month follow-up study.

BACKGROUND: Cognitive deficits have been reported during the early stages of bipolar disorder; however, the role of medication on such deficits remains unclear. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of lithium and quetiapine monotherapy on cognitive performance in people following first episode mania. METHODS: The design was a single-blind, randomised controlled trial on a cohort of 61 participants following first episode mania. Participants received either lithium or quetiapine monotherapy as maintenance treatment over a 12-month follow-up period. The groups were compared on performance outcomes using an extensive cognitive assessment battery conducted at baseline, month 3 and month 12 follow-up time-points. RESULTS: There was a significant interaction between group and time in phonemic fluency at the 3-month and 12-month endpoints, reflecting greater improvements in performance in lithium-treated participants relative to quetiapine-treated participants. After controlling for multiple comparisons, there were no other significant interactions between group and time for other measures of cognition. CONCLUSION: Although the effects of lithium and quetiapine treatment were similar for most cognitive domains, the findings imply that early initiation of lithium treatment may benefit the trajectory of cognition, specifically verbal fluency in young people with bipolar disorder. Given that cognition is a major symptomatic domain of bipolar disorder and has substantive effects on general functioning, the ability to influence the trajectory of cognitive change is of considerable clinical importance.

Independent and combined associations of risky single-occasion drinking and drinking volume with alcohol use disorder: Evidence from a sample of young Swiss men.

BACKGROUND: Risky single-occasion drinking (RSOD) is a prevalent and potentially harmful alcohol use pattern associated with increased alcohol use disorder (AUD). However, RSOD is commonly associated with a higher level of alcohol intake, and most studies have not controlled for drinking volume (DV). Thus, it is unclear whether the findings provide information about RSOD or DV. This study sought to investigate the independent and combined effects of RSOD and DV on AUD. METHODS: Data were collected in the longitudinal Cohort Study on Substance Use Risk Factors (C-SURF) among 5598 young Swiss male alcohol users in their early twenties. Assessment included DV, RSOD, and AUD at two time points. Generalized linear models for binomial distributions provided evidence regarding associations of DV, RSOD, and their interaction. RESULTS: DV, RSOD, and their interaction were significantly related to the number of AUD criteria. The slope of the interaction was steeper for non/rare RSOD than for frequent RSOD. CONCLUSIONS: RSOD appears to be a harmful pattern of drinking, associated with increased AUD and it moderated the relationship between DV and AUD. This study highlighted the importance of taking drinking patterns into account, for both research and public health planning, since RSO drinkers constitute a vulnerable subgroup for AUD.

Phylogenomics Controlling for Base Compositional Bias Reveals a Single Origin of Eusociality in Corbiculate Bees.

As increasingly large molecular data sets are collected for phylogenomics, the conflicting phylogenetic signal among gene trees poses challenges to resolve some difficult nodes of the Tree of Life. Among these nodes, the phylogenetic position of the honey bees (Apini) within the corbiculate bee group remains controversial, despite its considerable importance for understanding the emergence and maintenance of eusociality. Here, we show that this controversy stems in part from pervasive phylogenetic conflicts among GC-rich gene trees. GC-rich genes typically have a high nucleotidic heterogeneity among species, which can induce topological conflicts among gene trees. When retaining only the most GC-homogeneous genes or using a nonhomogeneous model of sequence evolution, our analyses reveal a monophyletic group of the three lineages with a eusocial lifestyle (honey bees, bumble bees, and stingless bees). These phylogenetic relationships strongly suggest a single origin of eusociality in the corbiculate bees, with no reversal to solitary living in this group. To accurately reconstruct other important evolutionary steps across the Tree of Life, we suggest removing GC-rich and GC-heterogeneous genes from large phylogenomic data sets. Interpreted as a consequence of genome-wide variations in recombination rates, this GC effect can affect all taxa featuring GC-biased gene conversion, which is common in eukaryotes.

Intervals between response choices on a single-item measure of quality of life.

BACKGROUND: A single overall rating of quality of life (QoL) is a sensitive method that is often used in population surveys. However, the exact meaning of response choices is unclear. In particular, uneven spacing may affect the way QoL ratings should be analyzed and interpreted. This study aimed to determine the intervals between response choices to a single-item QoL assessment. METHODS: A secondary analysis was conducted on data from the Lc65+ cohort study and two additional, population-based, stratified random samples of older people (N = 5,300). Overall QoL was rated as excellent, very good, good, fair or poor. A QoL score (range 0-100) was derived from participants' answers to a 28-item QoL assessment tool. A transformed QoL score ranging from 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent) was calculated. The same procedure was repeated to compute seven domain-specific QoL subscores (Feeling of safety; Health and mobility; Autonomy; Close entourage; Material resources; Esteem and recognition; Social and cultural life). RESULTS: Mean (95 % confidence intervals) QoL scores were 96.23 (95.81-96.65) for excellent, 93.09 (92.74-93.45) for very good, 81.45 (80.63-82.27) for good, 65.44 (62.67-68.20) for fair and 54.52 (45.31-63.73) for poor overall QoL, corresponding to transformed QoL scores of respectively 5.00, 4.70, 3.58, 2.05, and 1.00. Ordinality of the categories excellent to poor was preserved in all seven QoL subscores. CONCLUSIONS: The excellent-to-poor rating scale provides an ordinal measure of overall QoL. The intervals between response choices are unequal, but an interval scale can be obtained after adequate recoding of excellent, very good, good, fair and poor.

Poorly differentiated clusters (PDC) in colorectal cancer: what is and ought to be known.

BACKGROUND: The counting of poorly differentiated clusters of 5 or more cancer cells lacking a gland-like structure in a tumor mass has recently been identified among the histological features predictive of poor prognosis in colorectal cancer. MAIN BODY: Poorly differentiated clusters can easily be recognized in the histological sections of colorectal cancer routinely stained with haematoxylin and eosin. Despite some limitations related to specimen fragmentation, counting can also be assessed in endoscopic biopsies. Based on the number of poorly differentiated clusters that appear under a microscopic field of a ×20 objective lens (i.e., a microscopic field with a major axis of 1 mm), colorectal cancer can be graded into malignancies as follows: tumors with <5 clusters as grade 1, tumors with 5 to 9 clusters as grade 2, and tumors with ≥10 clusters as grade 3. High poorly differentiated cluster counts are significantly associated with peri-neural and lympho-vascular invasion, the presence of nodal metastases or micrometastases, as well as shorter overall and progression free survival to colorectal cancer. CONCLUSION: The morphological aspects and clinical relevance of poorly differentiated clusters counting in colorectal cancer are discussed in this review.

Transcatheter arterial embolization for unresectable symptomatic giant hepatic hemangiomas: single-center experience using a lipiodol-ethanol mixture

AbstractObjective:The present article is aimed at reporting the author’s experience with transcatheter arterial embolization using a lipiodol-ethanol mixture in three cases of unresectable symptomatic giant hepatic hemangiomas.Materials and Methods:The cases of three patients with giant unresectable symptomatic hepatic hemangiomas embolized in the period 2009–2010 were retrospectively reviewed. In all the cases, transarterial embolization was performed with an ethanol-lipiodol mixture.Results:Symptoms regression and quality of life improvement were observed in all the cases. No complications were observed and all the patients were discharged within 12 hours after the procedure.Conclusion:Transcatheter arterial embolization using ethanol mixed with lipiodol was a safe and effective treatment for symptomatic giant hepatic hemangiomas in this small series of patients.

Computed tomography-guided percutaneous trephine removal of the nidus in osteoid osteoma patients: experience of a single center in Brazil

AbstractObjective:To report the results of computed tomography (CT)-guided percutaneous resection of the nidus in 18 cases of osteoid osteoma.Materials and Methods:The medical records of 18 cases of osteoid osteoma in children, adolescents and young adults, who underwent CT-guided removal of the nidus between November, 2004 and March, 2009 were reviewed retrospectively for demographic data, lesion site, clinical outcome and complications after procedure.Results:Clinical follow-up was available for all cases at a median of 29 months (range 6–60 months). No persistence of pre-procedural pain was noted on 17 patients. Only one patient experienced recurrence of symptoms 12 months after percutaneous resection, and was successfully retreated by the same technique, resulting in a secondary success rate of 18/18 (100%).Conclusion:CT-guided removal or destruction of the nidus is a safe and effective alternative to surgical resection of the osteoid osteoma nidus.

Locally advanced hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma: single-institution outcomes in a cohort of patients curatively treated either with or without larynx preservation

Abstract Objective: The present study was aimed at describing a single-institution experience in the curative treatment of patients diagnosed with locally advanced hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma. Materials and Methods: Data concerning all patients treated for locally advanced hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma between January 2006 and June 2012 were reviewed. Results: A total of 144 patients were included in the present study. The median follow-up period was 36.6 months. Median survival was 26 months, and 2-year and 5-year overall survival rates were, 51% and 30.5%, respectively. Median recurrence-free survival was 18 months and 2-year and 5-year recurrence-free survival rates were 42.8% and 28.5%, respectively. Conclusion: The outcomes in the present series are in line with the literature.

Radio continuum and near-ingrared study of the MGRO J2019+37 region

Context. MGRO J2019+37 is an unidentified extended source of very high energy gamma-rays originally reported by the Milagro Collaboration as the brightest TeV source in the Cygnus region. Its extended emission could be powered by either a single or several sources. The GeV pulsar AGL J2020.5+3653, discovered by AGILE and associated with PSR J2021+3651, could contribute to the emission from MGRO J2019+37. Our aim is to identify radio and near-infrared sources in the field of the extended TeV source MGRO J2019+37, and study potential counterparts to explain its emission. Methods: We surveyed a region of about 6 square degrees with the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) at the frequency 610 MHz. We also observed the central square degree of this survey in the near-infrared Ks-band using the 3.5 m telescope in Calar Alto. Archival X-ray observations of some specific fields are included. VLBI observations of an interesting radio source were performed. We explored possible scenarios to produce the multi-TeV emission from MGRO J2019+37 and studied which of the sources could be the main particle accelerator. Results: We present a catalogue of 362 radio sources detected with the GMRT in the field of MGRO J2019+37, and the results of a cross-correlation of this catalog with one obtained at near-infrared wavelengths, which contains ∼3 × 105 sources, as well as with available X-ray observations of the region. Some peculiar sources inside the ∼1◦ uncertainty region of the TeV emission from MGRO J2019+37 are discussed in detail, including the pulsar PSR J2021+3651 and its pulsar wind nebula PWN G75.2+0.1, two new radio-jet sources, the Hii region Sh 2-104 containing two star clusters, and the radio source NVSS J202032+363158. We also find that the hadronic scenario is the most likely in case of a single accelerator, and discuss the possible contribution from the sources mentioned above. Conclusions: Although the radio and GeV pulsar PSR J2021+3651 / AGL J2020.5+3653 and its associated pulsar wind nebula PWN G75.2+0.1 can contribute to the emission from MGRO J2019+37, extrapolation of the GeV spectrum does not explain the detected multi-TeV flux. Other sources discussed here could contribute to the emission of the Milagro source

Propriedades e aplicações de clusters trinucleares de carboxilatos de rutênio

A review with 94 references focusing on mu3-oxo-triruthenium carboxylate clusters is presented. The electronic, magnetic, electrochemical, and catalytic properties of these compounds are discussed. Main synthetic routes and structural characteristics, including their use as building blocks in supramolecular systems are described.

A bench arc-furnace facility for fullerene and single-wall nanotubes synthesis

A metallic-sample arc-furnace was modified to synthesize fullerenes and nanotubes. The (reversible) changes and the process for producing single-wall nanotubes (SWNTs) are described.

Influence of the single-particle structure on the nuclear surface and the neutron skin

We analyze the influence of the single-particle structure on the neutron density distribution and the neutron skin in Ca, Ni, Zr, Sn, and Pb isotopes. The nucleon density distributions are calculated in the Hartree-Fock+BCS approach with the SLy4 Skyrme force. A close correlation is found between the quantum numbers of the valence neutrons and the changes in the position and the diffuseness of the nuclear surface, which in turn affect the neutron skin thickness. Neutrons in the valence orbitals with low principal quantum number and high angular momentum mainly displace the position of the neutron surface outwards, while neutrons with high principal quantum number and low angular momentum basically increase the diffuseness of the neutron surface. The impact of the valence shell neutrons on the tail of the neutron density distribution is discussed.

The single principle of compositional data analysis, continuing fallacies, confusionsand misunderstandings and some suggested remedies

In any discipline, where uncertainty and variability are present, it is important to haveprinciples which are accepted as inviolate and which should therefore drive statisticalmodelling, statistical analysis of data and any inferences from such an analysis.Despite the fact that two such principles have existed over the last two decades andfrom these a sensible, meaningful methodology has been developed for the statisticalanalysis of compositional data, the application of inappropriate and/or meaninglessmethods persists in many areas of application. This paper identifies at least tencommon fallacies and confusions in compositional data analysis with illustrativeexamples and provides readers with necessary, and hopefully sufficient, arguments topersuade the culprits why and how they should amend their ways