Significant Differences In Regard Research Articles

Occupational pesticide exposure and the risk of death in patients with Parkinson\u2019s disease: an observational study in southern Brazil

BackgroundMultiple studies have suggested that various pesticides are associated with a higher risk of developing Parkinson’s disease (PD) and may influence the progression of the disease. However, the evidence regarding the impact of pesticide exposure on mortality among patients with PD is equivocal. This study examines whether pesticide exposure influences the risk of mortality among patients with PD in Southern Brazil.MethodsA total of 150 patients with idiopathic PD were enrolled from 2008 to 2013 and followed until 2019. In addition to undergoing a detailed neurologic evaluation, patients completed surveys regarding socioeconomic status and environmental exposures.ResultsTwenty patients (13.3%) reported a history of occupational pesticide exposure with a median duration of exposure of 10 years (mean = 13.1, SD = 11.2). Patients with a history of occupational pesticide exposure had higher UPDRS-III scores, though there were no significant differences in regards to age, sex, disease duration, Charlson Comorbidity Index, and age at symptom onset. Patients with occupational pesticide exposure were more than twice as likely to die than their unexposed PD counterparts (HR = 2.32, 95% CI [1.15, 4.66], p = 0.018). Occupational pesticide exposure was also a significant predictor of death in a cox-proportional hazards model which included smoking and caffeine intake history (HR = 2.23, 95% CI [1.09, 4.59], p = 0.03)) and another which included several measures of socioeconomic status (HR = 3.91, 95% CI [1.32, 11.58], p = 0.01).ConclusionIn this prospective cohort study, we found an increased all-cause mortality risk in PD patients with occupational exposure to pesticides. More studies are needed to further analyze this topic with longer follow-up periods, more detailed exposure information, and more specific causes of mortality.

Modeling Physical Activity, Mental Health, and Prosocial Behavior in School-Aged Children: A Gender Perspective

The purpose of this study was to examine the link between physical activity (PA) and mental health (MH) in children in terms of gender. A total of 750 subjects (52.9% boys, Mage = 10.88; SD = 0.75) reported the level of PA they were performing by means of a self-report questionnaire, and they also completed the Spanish version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Results revealed statistically significant differences in regard to gender in the physical activity index (PAI), the externalizing of problems, and prosocial behavior. Boys presented high scores on the PAI and externalizing problems. Girls obtained higher values on the prosocial scale. In the prediction analysis, the PAI revealed a statistically significant relationship in linear models for externalizing and internalizing problems, as well as in both the linear and quadratic models in the prosocial scale for the case of male gender. For girls, the PAI revealed a statistically significant relationship in the quadratic model for internalizing problems and in both the linear and quadratic models for the prosocial scale. These findings are discussed in terms of previous research literature on PA and MH in children. Some important educational implications for teaching and learning physical education are suggested.

A Randomized, Controlled Study Comparing Subbrow Blepharoplasty and Subbrow Blepharoplasty Combined with Periorbital Muscle Manipulation for Periorbital Aging Rejuvenation in Asians.

Improving periorbital aging is, currently, of great concern. The previous literature has reported some surgical methods for periorbital aging. The purpose of this study was to compare subbrow blepharoplasty (SBB) with subbrow blepharoplasty combined with periorbital muscle manipulation (SBB-pm) with regard to improving periorbital aging. A prospective, randomized, controlled study was designed to evaluate and compare the effects of two different surgical techniques on upper lid relaxation, brow shape and periorbital wrinkles. Patients were divided into two groups. Group 1 underwent resection of excess skin; group 2 underwent a modified technique that involved resection of an elliptical island of skin, separation of the corrugator supercilii muscle and dissection of the orbicularis oculi muscle, followed by suturing it to the orbital periosteum and cross-fixation with itself. The upper eyelid and eyebrow height, periorbital wrinkle score and patient satisfaction were measured preoperatively and postoperatively. This study included 70 patients (140 eyes). At 1month, 3months, 6months and 12months after surgery, group 2 was superior to group 1 with regard to the improvement in upper eyelid relaxation at the medial limbus, middle pupil and lateral canthus. The eyebrow assumed a low and flat appearance in group 1. The eyebrow showed a low and flat appearance and then returned to the preoperative level in group 2. When comparing the two surgical techniques, the authors found statistically significant differences in regard to changes in crow's feet and glabellar frown lines. Two patients in group 2 experienced forehead numbness after surgery, which resolved by the 6-month follow-up. Patients in group 2 were significantly more satisfied with their surgery than patients in group 1. SBB-pm is more effective than SBB for improving upper eyelid relaxation and preventing secondary brow ptosis after surgery as well as for alleviating periorbital wrinkles, although it is accompanied by transient forehead numbness. This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266.

Impact of adverse events of bevacizumab on survival outcomes of patients with recurrent glioblastoma

BackgroundBevacizumab is widely used for treatment of recurrent glioblastoma (rGB). It is well known that adverse events (AEs) due to bevacizumab can cause early discontinuation of treatment. However, the association between AEs and survival outcomes is not well defined. MethodsWe retrospectively identified patients with rGB, who were treated with single-agent bevacizumab or bevacizumab-based combination regimens from 07/2005 through 07/2014, and who discontinued bevacizumab due to either AEs or physician’s decision. Those who discontinued bevacizumab because of tumor progression were excluded. Demographic, treatment, and survival data were collected from the database. ResultsOf 298 adults with rGB treated with bevacizumab in our database, 65 patients discontinued bevacizumab due to AEs (n = 39, 60%) or physician’s decision (n = 26, 40%). There were no statistically significant differences in regards to age, performance status, extent of resection, number of lesions, the time between diagnosis and first recurrence, time between diagnosis and initiation of bevacizumab, number of recurrences before bevacizumab initiation, and duration of bevacizumab treatment between the two groups. Interestingly, patients who discontinued bevacizumab because of AEs progressed earlier after bevacizumab discontinuation (3.9 months vs 5.7 months; p = 0.02), had significantly shorter progression-free survival (PFS) (10.4 months vs 14.2 months; p = 0.01) and shorter overall survival (OS) from bevacizumab initiation (13.9 months vs 32.5 months; p = 0.01) as well as shorter OS from tumor diagnosis (20 months vs 49.3 months; p = 0.007) when compared to patients who discontinued bevacizumab due to a physician’s decision. ConclusionsOur results indicate that the development of AEs to bevacizumab or bevacizumab-containing regimens is associated with unfavorable glioma-related survival outcomes in patients with rGB.

Coffee consumption and breast cancer risk in the SUN project.

Breast cancer prevalence is growing worldwide. Many factors, such as diet and lifestyle could be determinants of the incidence of breast cancer. Coffee has been extensively studied in relation to several chronic diseases because of its multiple effects in health maintenance and its elevated consumption. We studied the relationship between coffee intake and breast cancer risk in the SUN (Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra) prospective cohort. We evaluated 10,812 middle-aged, Spanish female university graduates from the SUN Project, initially free of breast cancer. Coffee consumption was assessed with a 136-item validated food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Incident breast cancer cases were confirmed by a trained oncologist using medical records and by consultation of the National Death Index. We fitted Cox regression models to assess the relationship between baseline categories of coffee consumption and the incidence of breast cancer during follow-up. We stratified the analysis by menopausal status. During 115,802 person-years of follow-up, 101 new cases of breast cancer were confirmed. Among postmenopausal women, more than 1 cup of coffee per day was associated with a lower incidence of breast cancer (HR 0.44; 95% confidence interval: 0.21, 0.92) in the fully adjusted model, compared to women who consumed one cup of coffee or less per day. We observed no significant differences in regard to premenopausal women. Even though the number of cases was low, slight indications of an inverse association between coffee consumption and breast cancer risk among postmenopausal women were observed. Further longitudinal studies are warranted to confirm this finding.

Effect of habitual cigarette smoking on the index of cardiac electrophysiological balance in apparently healthy individuals

Background and aimChronic cigarette smoking has been suggested to portend risk for cardiac arrhythmia generation. Index of cardiac electrophysiological balance (iCEB) is a relatively new ECG parameter indicating balance between ventricular depolarization and repolarization, thereby providing more insight concerning ventricular arrhythmogenesis (VA) than other classical ECG parameters such as QT and corrected QT (QTc) intervals. The present study aimed to assess the status of iCEB in healthy habitual smokers. MethodsThis retrospective study included a total of 80 apparently healthy subjects (45% female, mean age 39.4 ± 8.1 years) with smoking habit and 82 healthy non-smoking subjects (40% female, mean age 37.0 ± 8.6 years) were included between January–September 2019. Demographic, clinical and ECG characteristics were obtained from medical records. iCEB and corrected iCEB values were calculated by dividing respective QT and QTc intervals by QRS duration. ResultsMean PR, QRS and QT intervals were similar between the groups, whereas mean heart rate and QTc interval were greater in the smoker group compared with the non-smokers [(82.0 ± 8.9 bpm vs 77.8 ± 12.4 bpm, respectively, p = 0.016) and (427.05 ± 22.6 msec vs 399.9 ± 12.8 msec, respectively, p < 0.001)]. Subject with smoking habit had greater iCEBc than the controls (5.10 ± 0.49 vs 4.68 ± 0.39, respectively, p < 0.001). However, there was no significant difference in regard of iCEB between the groups (4.37 ± 0.46 vs 4.32 ± 0.42, respectively, p = 0.456). ConclusioniCEBc increases significantly in healthy smokers compared with non-smokers. This may suggest an increased predisposition to Torsades de Pointes-mediated VA in healthy smokers, or in chronic smokers with inherent QT-prolonging genetic variations or those on QT-prolonging drug therapy.

Adding dexmedetomidine to morphine-based analgesia reduces early postoperative nausea in patients undergoing gynecological laparoscopic surgery: a randomized controlled trial

BackgroundFew studies have investigated the effect of dexmedetomidine on postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) in patients underwent gynecological laparoscopic surgery. We investigated if adding dexmedetomidine to a morphine-based patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) could decrease the incidence of PONV in this high-risk patient population.MethodsIn this prospective, randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study, 122 patients underwent gynecological laparoscopic surgery were assigned into two groups. Patients in the dexmedetomidine group (Group Dex) received a loading dose of dexmedetomidine 0.4 μg/kg before the end of surgery, followed by morphine 0.5 mg/ml plus dexmedetomidine 1 μg/ml for postoperative i.v. PCA. Patients in the control group (Group Ctrl) received normal saline before the end of surgery, followed by morphine 0.5 mg/ml alone for postoperative i.v. PCA. PCA pump was programmed as followed: bolus dose 2 ml, lockout interval 8 min and background infusion at a rate of 1 ml/h. The primary outcome was the incidence of nausea and vomiting within the first postoperative 24 h.ResultsAlthough there were no significant differences in regard to the total incidence of PONV (41.0% vs 52.5%, P = 0.204), PONV score, time to first onset of PONV, or the need for rescue antiemetics within the first postoperative 24 h between the two groups, the incidence of nausea and total PONV during the first 2 h period was significantly lower in the Group Dex than in the Group Ctrl (9.8% vs 24.6%, P = 0.031 and 0.031, respectively). More patients in Group Dex were over sedated or had bradycardia during the PACU compared with Group Ctrl (P = 0.040 and 0.036, respectively).ConclusionOur protocol in which dexmedetomidine was administered postoperatively – after a loading dose – to intravenous PCA morphine in patients undergoing gynecological laparoscopic surgery, had only early antiemetic effects, while no clinically meaningful antiemetic effect could be evidenced within the first 24 h after surgery.Trial registrationCurrent control trial registered at Chictr.org.cn: ChiCTR1800017172. Date registered: 07/16/2018.

Using Spanish in English Language Chilean Classrooms? Perspectives from EFL Teacher Trainees

This article presents a study which explores perceptions of Chilean future teachers of English as a foreign language regarding the usage of Spanish as L1 in English lessons. The participants belong to first- and fourth-year levels of their programs at four universities located throughout Chile. The data collection tool was Mohebbi and Alavi’s (2014) Likert questionnaire, along with an open questions section. The data were subjected to descriptive statistical analyses and mean difference tests. The results indicate that the participants would use Spanish in the English class mainly for two reasons: (1) for pedagogical-didactic purposes and (2) to maintain the student-teacher relationship. The study concludes that there are no statistically significant differences in regard to the course-level year the subjects are enrolled in or regarding the university with which they are affiliated.

The Association Between Inflammation, Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition and Stemness in Colorectal Carcinoma.

BackgroundInflammation plays an important albeit dual role in carcinogenesis. Survival studies have highlighted the prognostic significance of peritumorous inflammation. Currently, the theoretical background allows inflammation, epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) and the closely associated stem cell differentiation in colorectal carcinoma (CRC) to be linked. However, there is scarce direct morphological evidence.Purpose and methodsThe aim of our study was to investigate the role of inflammation in cancer growth and invasion by analyzing the association between inflammation and known morphological prognostic features of colorectal cancer, EMT, stemness and mismatch repair (MMR) protein expression. The study was designed as a retrospective morphological and immunohistochemical assessment of 553 consecutive cases of surgically treated primary CRC.ResultsThere were statistically significant associations between high-grade inflammation and lower pT (p = 0.002), absence of lymph node metastases (p < 0.001) and less frequent lymphatic (p = 0.003), venous (p = 0.017), arterial (p = 0.012), perineural (p = 0.001) and intraneural (p = 0.01) invasion. In contrast, Crohn’s like reaction (CLR) by density of lymphoid follicles in the invasive front lacked significant differences in regard to pT, pN, tumor invasion into surrounding structures (blood or lymphatic vessels, nerves), grade or necrosis (all p > 0.05). The expression of E-cadherin, CD44 and MMR proteins yielded no statistically significant associations with peritumorous inflammation by Klintrup-Mäkinen score or the density of lymphoid follicles. Nevertheless, E-cadherin levels were significantly associated with the density of eosinophils (p = 0.007).ConclusionHigh-grade peritumorous inflammation is associated with beneficial morphologic CRC features, including less frequent manifestations of invasion, and is not secondary to tissue damage and necrosis. CLR is not associated with cancer spread by pTN; this finding indirectly suggests an independent role of CLR in carcinogenesis. Further, inflammation by Klintrup-Mäkinen grade and CLR is not dependent on epithelial-mesenchymal transition and stem cell differentiation. Our study highlights the complex associations between inflammation, tumor morphology, EMT, stemness and MMR protein expression in human CRC tissues.

Influence of cross-section and number of use in cyclic fatigue resistance of rotary instruments

Aim: The aim of present study was to evaluate if the cross-section and the number of use have influence in cyclic fatigue resistance of rotary files. Methods: K3 Endo (group K) and EndoSequence (group E) files, 25/.04, 25 mm, were subdivided into 3 subgroups (n=12) according to the number of uses, 1, 3 and 5 uses, totalizing 72 files. The files were submitted to dynamic assays device moved by an electric engine, using 300 rpm of speed that permitted the reproduction of pecking motion. The files run within a temperate steel ring’s groove, simulating an instrumentation of a curved root canal with 40-degrees and 5-mm of curvature radius. The fracture of file was detected by sensor of device and the time and the number of cycles was acquired. The data were analyzed statistically by two-way ANOVA (p&lt;0.05). Results: There were no statistical significant differences in regard to the number of uses (p&gt;0.05). K3 Endo files showed greater resistance to cyclic fatigue than EndoSequence instruments (p&lt;0.01). Conclusion: It may be concluded that the cross-section of instruments presented significant influence in cyclic fatigue resistance and the number of uses up to 5 times had no influence in cyclic fatigue resistance in both NiTi rotation systems evaluated.

Radiological outcome after treatment of juvenile flatfeet with subtalar arthroereisis: a matched pair analysis of 38 cases comparing neurogenic and non-neurogenic patients.

PurposeTherapy of juvenile neurogenic flatfoot (JNF) with subtalar arthroereisis (SA) is currently under critical clinical investigation. In this retrospective matched pair analysis, the radiological outcome after arthroereisis in paediatric patients with infantile cerebral palsy and JNF was compared with children with juvenile flatfeet (JF) without neurological diseases.MethodsFrom October 2007 to April 2018 80 patients with 149 flatfeet underwent surgery with SA. Inclusion criteria were: 1) JNF or JF with age at surgery ≤ 13 years; 2) treatment with SA; 3) presence of three sets of biplane radiographs (preoperative, postoperative and follow-up (FU)). The radiographs were analyzed for: 1) navicular-cuboidal-index (NCI); 2) talocalcaneal angle anteroposterior; 3) talocalcaneal angle lateral; 4) calcaneal-pitch (CP); and 5) talometatarsal-index (TMTI). Following this, 25 patients with 38 flatfeet could be included.ResultsThe mean age at SA of the JNF group was 9.2 years (JF group: 9.3 years) and the mean time of FU was 35.2 months (JF group: 39.4 months). In comparison with preoperatively, a significant decrease of the NCI was seen in both groups (p = ≤ 0.05 and p = ≤ 0.001) in the FU radiographs. The analysis of CP and TMTI in the JF group also resulted in a significant improvement (p = ≤ 0.001 and p = ≤ 0.05). Overall, the comparison between the JNF and JF group showed no significant differences in regard to the analyzed postoperative parameters.ConclusionBased on this data, treatment of flatfeet by SA in patient with neurological disorders shows an improvement of radiological parameters comparable with neurologically unimpaired patients and might be considered as additional treatment option.Level of evidence:IV

An Investigation on the Relationship between Reading Fluency and Level of Reading Comprehension According to the Type of Texts

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between the reading fluency and the reading comprehension in accordance with the type of the text. Participants of the study are 99 students who were chosen among fifth graders in a Turkish secondary school. The study utilized descriptive analysis and adopted predictive correlational research design. “Reading Comprehension Test” and “Multidimensional Reading Scale” were used as data-collection tools. According to findings; while the speed of reading, percentage of word recognition, and prosodies differed in favour of narrative texts, there was no significant difference in regard to the level of the reading comprehension. When checked for the magnitude of impacts, the significant difference in the percentage of the word recognition was found small (r= .18), the significant difference in the reading speed was large (d= 1.02), and significant difference in prosody was in the middle (d= .75). It has been found that the reading fluency elements (prosody, accuracy, and reading speed) have a significant positive relationship and a similar relationship can also be seen along the lines of the reading comprehension in different types of texts in each type of the text. Furthermore, the study has stated that speed of the reading and prosodic values can be predictors of the reading comprehension percentage on a significant level in the informative and narrative text types. The findings of this study were consistent with the literature provided by the study.

The Impact of an Educational Program based on the Components of Emotional Intelligence according to the Golman Model in the Development of Ethical Behavior in Islamic Education

This study aimed at identifying the effect of an Islamic Educational Programme based on Emotional Intelligence on developing Ethical Behaviors of tenth grade female students in the Sultanate of Oman. The study adopted a semi-experimental model using a sample of 137 students from Muscat and Southern Batinah schools. To achieve the study aims, an Educational Program based on Emotional Intelligence and Ethical Behaviors Scale (Self-control, Honesty, Respecting others, Respecting rules) was used. The validity of the scale was measured using trustee validity and discriminate validity. Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient was used to estimate the reliability of the scale; it was 0.90 which indicates fairly high reliability. The results showed statically significant differences in regards of Self-control, Honesty, Respecting others and Respecting Rules in favor of the experimental group. In the light of the above findings, the study recommended the importance of integrating Emotional Intelligence skills into the curriculum to prevent ethical problems of teenage students. It also suggested the activation of educational strategies and classroom activities in training the students to develop their ethical behaviors.

The Impact of an Educational Program based on the Components of Emotional Intelligence according to the Golman Model in the Development of Ethical Behavior in Islamic Education

This study aimed at identifying the effect of an Islamic Educational Programme based on Emotional Intelligence on developing Ethical Behaviors of tenth grade female students in the Sultanate of Oman. The study adopted a semi-experimental model using a sample of 137 students from Muscat and Southern Batinah schools. To achieve the study aims, an Educational Program based on Emotional Intelligence and Ethical Behaviors Scale (Self-control, Honesty, Respecting others, Respecting rules) was used. The validity of the scale was measured using trustee validity and discriminate validity. Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient was used to estimate the reliability of the scale; it was 0.90 which indicates fairly high reliability. The results showed statically significant differences in regards of Self-control, Honesty, Respecting others and Respecting Rules in favor of the experimental group. In the light of the above findings, the study recommended the importance of integrating Emotional Intelligence skills into the curriculum to prevent ethical problems of teenage students. It also suggested the activation of educational strategies and classroom activities in training the students to develop their ethical behaviors.

Severe Calcification of the Ascending Aorta Detected Incidentally in Patients Undergoing Cardiac Surgery.

Incidentally discovered severe calcified ascending aorta (CAA) is a major challenge faced by surgeons during cardiac surgery. The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcome in patients undergoing cardiac surgery in this condition with the additional replacement of the CAA. A retrospective study on a cohort of 74 patients (28.4% females; mean age: 73 ± 7 years) underwent cardiac surgery and initial replacement of an incidentally discovered CAA using moderate hypothermic circulatory arrest. A control group was matched according to age, gender, and procedure. No significant differences were noted with regard to preoperative risk factors. Due to the additional replacement of CAA, the extracorporeal circulation and cross-clamping time were significantly longer in the study group (p < 0.001). Postoperatively, no significant differences in complications were observed between the groups. There was no significant difference in regard to incidence of neurologic adverse events (5.4 vs. 2.7%; p = 0.68) or 30-day mortality (6.7 vs. 4.1%; p = 0.72). Our study showed that the initial replacement of incidental CAA in patients undergoing cardiac surgery was not associated with increased risks for neurologic adverse events and mortality.

A Simultaneous Cluster Analysis of Cognitive, Emotional, and Personality Factors and Insomnia and Sleep Quality Among Earthquake Victims.

The current study compares the measures of sleep quality and intensity of insomnia based on the clustering analysis of variables including dysfunctional beliefs and attitudes about sleep, experiential avoidance, personality traits of neuroticism, and complications with emotion regulation among the individuals struck by an earthquake in Kermanshah Province. This study is a cross-sectional study that was carried out among earthquake victims of Kermanshah Province (western Iran) in 2017. Data were gathered starting 10 days after the earthquake and lasted for 2 weeks; of 1,200 standard questionnaires distributed, 1,001 responses were received, and the analysis was performed using 999 participants. The data analysis was carried out using a cluster analysis (K-mean method). Two clusters were identified, and there is a significant difference between these two clusters in regard to all of the variables. The cluster with higher mean values for the selected variables shows a higher intensity of insomnia and a lower sleep quality. Considering the current results, it can be concluded that variables of dysfunctional attitudes and beliefs about sleep, experiential avoidance, the personality traits of neuroticism, and complications with emotion regulation are able to identify the clusters where there is a significant difference in regard to sleep quality and the intensity of insomnia. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2019;13:745-752).

Small cell bladder carcinoma: Single institution experience.

468 Background: Small cell bladder carcinoma (SCBC) is an uncommon neuroendocrine tumor with poor prognosis. Treatment has largely been derived from data for small cell lung carcinoma and typically includes a multimodality approach with chemotherapy (chemo) serving as the backbone along with radical cystectomy (RC), and radiation (RT). Prior studies have demonstrated conflicting results regarding survival benefit. Methods: We performed a retrospective chart review of patients with SCBC between 2003 and 2017. We compared baseline patient characteristics and patient outcomes. OS was measured from time of initial diagnosis to death or last follow-up. Subgroup analyses were performed between patients treated with chemoRT vs. chemoRC using Fisher’s exact test for categorical variables, and nonparametric Wilcoxon Rank-Sum test for quantitative variables. Kaplan-Meier analyses were done on OS and RFS. All tests were two-sided and statistical significance level of 0.05 was used. Results: We identified a total of 31 patients with SCBC; 28 were non-metastatic and 3 were metastatic. Of the non-metastatic, 14 received chemoRT and 4 received chemoRC. The median age was 70; M:F ratio was 17:1. The median RFS in chemoRT patients was 3.05 yrs, and in chemoRC, RFS was not reached (p = 0.18). The median OS in chemoRT and chemoRC were 10.1 and 10.7 yrs respectively (p = 0.38). The overall median OS for SCBC was 2.45 yrs. Conclusions: There were no statistically significant differences in regards to median RFS or OS between the chemoRT and chemoRC patients, but this analysis was limited by the small sample size. However, the median OS in non-metastatic SCBC patients who received treatment with curative intent (chemoRT or chemoRC) was noticeably longer than that of all SCBC patients. This median OS is also longer than anticipated with small cell lung cancer and suggests that SCBC has a different natural history. These findings warrant further investigation.

Comparison Between Salvage Liver Transplantation and Repeat Liver Resection for Recurrent Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

IntroductionRepeat liver resection (RLR) has been adopted by surgeons as the first-line treatment in the case of intrahepatic recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), whereas salvage liver transplantation (SLT) is considered a second-line option. The aim of our study was to evaluate the results of SLT and RLR for HCC. MethodsWe searched for articles published up to December 1, 2017, in the PubMed database that compared SLT with RLR for HCC. We extracted data about patient and tumor characteristics, operative and postoperative outcomes, and survival and performed a meta-analysis. ResultsPatients who underwent SLT had somewhat larger liver lesions (mean difference: 0.73 cm, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.29–1.18, P = .001; I2: 0%, P = .82). Moreover, salvage liver transplantation resulted in higher blood loss, longer operating time, longer hospital stay, and higher postoperative morbidity (risk ratio [RR]: 2.45, 95% CI: 1.6–3.75, P < .0001; I2: 0%, P = .58) than RLR, whereas there was no significant difference in terms of postoperative mortality (RR: 6.48, 95% CI: 0.51–82.54, P = .15; I2: 61%, P = .08). On the other hand, SLT led to longer disease-free survival (DFS) than RLR (HR: 0.42, 95% CI: 0.25–0.7, P = .0009; I2: 63%, P = .03), but there was no significant difference in regard to overall survival (OS) (HR: 0.82, 95% CI: 0.55–1.23, P = .34; I2: 0%, P = .62). ConclusionsSLT seems to be inferior to RLR regarding operative and postoperative results but presents a significant advantage in terms of DFS over RLR.

On the Role of Xenogamy in the Development of Life Strategy for Fragaria vesca L. in Western Siberia

A combination of xenogamy and autogamy in the breeding system is typical for natural Fragaria vesca L. populations. A natural experiment has been conducted to clarify the portion of xenogamy. During flowering, the plants of inbred line no. 08-2, marked by recessive c allele (light yellow colored berry), are placed in native populations of wood strawberry of two different biotopes. The plants of the native population form only red berries (a dominant trait). After the end of flowering period, the berries are collected from plants of line no. 08-2, the seeds are isolated, and seedlings are obtained. Genetic analysis by the “;berry color” marker sign is conducted among these seedlings. In the case of autogamy, the seed progenies have a light yellow berry; in the case of xenogamy, they have berries with a red skin (as a result of infusion of the pollen with dominant C allele from native F. vesca populations by pollinator insects). Genetic analysis demonstrates significant differences in regards to the ratio of crossing systems (autogamy and xenogamy) in a series of experimental plants. However, the integral value of xenogamy achieved in the seed progeny is close in both natural F. vesca populations (21%), while the average portion of autogamy is 79%. We assume that the indicated ratio of crossing systems for the F. vesca populations is optimal to maintain population heterogeneity and develop their life strategy under growth conditions. During xenogamy, a certain portion of heterotic heterozygotes able to develop new habitats (fulfilling the explerent strategy) is maintained in the population. Autogamy contributes to an increase in the portion of inbred genotypes (patients). Thus, the opportunities to achieve any three type of strategies (violents, patients, and explerents) are created for the F. vesca depending on the plant living conditions.

Short dental implant as alternative to long implant with bone augmentation of the atrophic posterior ridge: a systematic review and meta-analysis of RCTs.

To evaluate if short implants without augmentation can be considered a successful alternative treatment modality in the rehabilitation of posterior atrophic ridges when compared to standard-length implants with augmentation. Electronic searches were performed in the PubMed and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) databases. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compared short implants and standard implants with augmentation were the only articles included. Titles and abstracts were screened, data were extracted, and articles were assessed for risk of bias. Meta-analyses were performed for 13 of the included RCTs that had similar outcome measures. Of the total 17 relevant studies identified, 13 RCTs fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The meta-analysis showed no significant differences regarding the implant failure rate at 1 year (I2 = 67%, P = .13; risk difference [RD]: -0.05, 95% confidence interval [CI]: -0.11, 0.01), at 3 years (I2 = 58%, P = .17; RD: -0.04, 95% CI: -0.01, 0.02), and at 5 to 10 years (I2 = 0%, P = .47; RD: -0.05, 95% CI: -0.19, 0.09). However, the meta-analyses of 10 trials regarding the postoperative complications of short- and standard-length dental implants showed a significantly higher rate of postoperative complications in the standard-length dental implant group at 1 year (I2 = 93%, P = .02; RD: -0.21, 95% CI: -0.39, -0.04). Short dental implants seem to be an effective alternative treatment for the atrophic posterior ridge. The pooled data revealed that short dental implants have statistically less marginal bone loss and fewer postoperative complications when compared to standard-length dental implants with augmentation. However, there are no statistically significant differences in regard to implant failure.