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Srinjay Mukhopadhyay,1 Ravanth Baskaran,1 Movin Peramuna Gamage,1 Nishaanth Dalavaye,1 Wing Sum Vincent Ng,1 Sripradha Srinivasan,1 Sashiananthan Ganesananthan,2 Stephen Rutherford3 1School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK; 2Department of Digestion, Metabolism and Reproduction, Imperial College London, London, UK; 3School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UKCorrespondence: Sashiananthan Ganesananthan, Department of Digestion, Metabolism and Reproduction, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK, Email sashiganes96@yahoo.co.ukPurpose: The COVID-19 pandemic caused significant disruption to higher education, including medical studies. Online learner support became urgently necessary, and peer-support of learning was needed to supplement formal teaching. This study evaluates the impact and delivery media of OSCEazy, a student-led initiative supporting formal teaching across institutional and national boundaries.Methods: A survey was created on Google Forms and disseminated via the Zoom chat function to all the participants at the end of our event titled, “The Cardiology Station”.Results: A large proportion (99.5%) of the students have a Facebook account and (98.7%) use it to keep track of medical events (p=0.45 for comparison). However, a very small proportion of use their other social media to keep up with medical events (p< 0.0001 for comparison).Conclusion: It is evident from our results, that most of our participants used Facebook to keep track of medical events. The use of their other social media platforms (Instagram, etc) to keep track of medical events was limited. Thus, it is important for any organisation, such as ours, who conduct online events to evaluate which platform is most suitable for them to use to publicise their events.Keywords: clinical assessment, online, student perception, medical education, social media

Sadika Akhter,1,2 Shannon Rutherford,1 Feroza Akhter Kumkum,2 David Bromwich,1 Iqbal Anwar,2 Aminur Rahman,2 Cordia Chu1 1Centre for Environment and Population Health, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD, Australia; 2International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh Background: Traditionally, women in Bangladesh stayed at home in their role as daughter, wife, or mother. In the 1980s, economic reforms created a job market for poor, uneducated rural women in the ready-made garment industry, mostly located in urban areas. This increased participation in paid work has changed the gender roles of these women. Women’s earnings support their family, but they are also separated from their children, with impacts on their mental health and well-being. This study explores the lived experience of women in Bangladesh working in the ready-made garment industry as they strive to be mothers and family providers, often in high-stress conditions.Methods: The study was conducted in two industrial areas of Dhaka over 8 months. Data collection included a literature review, 20 in-depth interviews with married female garment workers, and 14 key-informant interviews with officials from the Ministry of Labour and Employment, health-service providers within the garment factories, factory managers, and representatives of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association. The data collected were analyzed thematically.Results: Poverty was a key motivating factor for female migrant workers to move from rural areas. Their children stay in their village with their grandparents, because of their mothers’ work conditions and the lack of childcare. The women reported stress, anxiety, restlessness, and thoughts of suicide, due to the double burden of work and separation from their children and family support. Further, they cannot easily access government hospital services due to their long work hours, and the limited medical services provided in the workplace do not meet their needs.Conclusion: In order to improve the health and well-being of female garment workers, steps should be taken to develop health interventions to meet the needs of this important group of workers who are contributing significantly to the economic development of the country. Keywords: female workers, Bangladesh, ready-made garment industry, gender, health, work

Rates (any gr) of febrile neutropenia (5.6% N vs. 6.4% BV), pneumonitis (2.0% N vs. 3.2% BV), ALT elevation (30.7% N vs. 39.8% BV), and colitis (1% N vs. 1.3% BV) were similar. B Background: b The addition of BV to initial chemotherapy improves outcomes in adult and pediatric patients (pts) with AS HL. NIVOLUMAB(N)-AVD IMPROVES PROGRESSION-FREE SURVIVAL COMPARED TO BRENTUXIMAB VEDOTIN(BV)-AVD IN ADVANCED STAGE (AS) CLASSIC HODGKIN LYMPHOMA (HL): RESULTS OF SWOG S1826. [Extracted from the article]

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: In Hebei province, China, over six million people are potentially exposed to excessive iodine through consumption of high iodine underground drinking water and consumption of iodized salt. The aim of this study is to evaluate the contributions of drinking water and iodized salt on children's iodine nutrition in one area of Hebei province in order to refine strategies to correct the excessive iodine intake in these areas. SUBJECTS/METHODS: To investigate the relationships between iodine content in water, iodized salt and urinary iodine content (UIC) in children (8-10 years), we randomly sampled three towns with a known median water iodine (MWI) of 150-300 µg/l in Hengshui City, Hebei province and collected water, salt and urine samples. RESULTS: The median UIC was 518.1 µg/l, the overall MWI was 247.0 µg/l, and 83% of children sampled were found to have urinary iodine concentrations higher than the WHO criterion of 300 µg/l. There was a significant and positive correlation between the median UIC of the children and the MWI in the 12 villages where the children lived (Spearman R = 0.79, P = 0.002), but the UIC was not significantly correlated with the median salt intake (MSI) (Spearman R = -0.17, P = 0.6). A multiple linear regression analysis indicated that 68.7% of the variability in median UIC is associated with variability in MWI in the 12 villages. CONCLUSIONS: Iodine in drinking water was identified to be the key contributor to this excessive iodine in children indicating that in these areas, intervention should focus on providing alternative drinking water supplies. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2013) 67, 961-965; doi: 10.1038/ejcn.2013.127; published online 17 July 2013 Keywords: iodine excess; excessive iodine intake; drinking water; iodized salt; survey, INTRODUCTION Excessive iodine intake over long periods of time can cause goiter, hypothyroidism and thyroiditis. (1) The published research indicates that excessive iodine intake mainly results from consuming high iodine [...]

Surgical resection of spheno-orbital meningioma (SOM) is challenging, requiring a multidisciplinary surgical approach. We present our experience of the surgical management of patients with SOM. A retrospective analysis of patients with SOM who underwent joint neurosurgical and orbital surgical procedures between January 2000 and June 2017. Pre-operative clinical signs, indication for surgery, surgical complications and post-operative outcomes were recorded. Twenty-four operations were performed. Mean age was 49.5 years. Ninety-two percent of patients were female. Pre-operatively mean Snellen acuity vision was 6/12; 13 (54%) had an RAPD; 12 (50%) had reduced colour vision; 16 (67%) had a visual field defect. The majority (21 patients, 88%) had proptosis (average 4.5 mm ± 2.8 mm). The indication for surgery was evidence of visual dysfunction in 17 (71%), the remaining 7 (29%) had high risk of visual loss clinically or radiologically. Three-months post operatively, vision was stable in 13 (58%), improved in 6 (21%) and worse in 5 (17%). Average long-term follow-up was 82 months (1–220). Fourteen (58%) maintain improved or stable visual function. Four (17%) had reduced vision due to regrowth of the tumour at an average of 24 months. SOMs are very challenging to treat surgically. In this cohort the patients were predominantly young females with aggressive disease. Visual function was improved or stabilised in 79% of the patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Quantakine enzyme immunoassay is used to detect and quantify granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) in human milk. G-CSF content varies from 45 to 1551 picograms/ml. The presence of G-CSF in human milk contributes to the health and development of the newborn.

Hsp90 occupies a unique position in the genetic architecture because it is a stress protein that normally supports specific signal transducers in developmental pathways. When Hsp90 was either mutant or pharmacologically impaired phenotypic variation affecting virtually any adult structure was expressed. Specific variants depended on the genetic background, occurred in both laboratory and wild populations, and resulted from multiple, previously silent, genetic determinants. These were uncovered in Hsp90 mutants, but when enriched by selection, rapidly became independent. We conclude that 1) widespread variation affecting morphology exists in nature, but is usually silent; 2)Hsp90 normally buffers this variation, allow it to accumulate under neutral conditions; 3) when Hsp90 buffering capacity is compromised, for example by temperature, cryptic variation is expressed and can be enriched by selection; 4) this enrichment can result in the continued expression of threshold traits, even when Hsp90 function is restored. In this way environmental stress could facilitate the evolution of otherwise entrenched developmental programs via specific Hsp90-dependent pathways.

The management of spinal cord ependymomas in Neurofibromatosis Type 2 (NF2) has traditionally been conservative, in contrast to the management of sporadic cases; the assumption being that, in the context of NF2, they did not cause morbidity. With modern management and improved outcome of other NF2 tumours, this assumption, and therefore the lack of role for surgery, has been questioned. To compare the outcome of conservative treatment of spinal ependymomas in NF2 with surgical intervention in selected patients. Retrospective review at two NF2 centers, Manchester, UK and Paris/Lille, France. In Manchester patients were managed conservatively. In France surgery was a treatment option. Inclusion in the study was based on tumor length of greater than 1.5 cm. The primary parameter assessed was acquired neurological deficit measured by the Modified McCormick Outcome Score. 24 patients from Manchester and 46 patients from France were analyzed. From Manchester, 27% of these patients deteriorated during the course of follow-up. This effectively represents the natural history of ependymomas in NF2. Of the surgical cases, 23% deteriorated postoperatively, but only 2/18 (11%) of those operated on in the NF2 specialist centers. Comparison of the two specialist centers Manchester/France showed a significantly improved outcome (P = 0.012, χ2 test) in the actively surgical center. Spinal ependymomas produce morbidity. Surgery can prevent or improve this in selected cases but can itself can produce morbidity. Surgery should be considered in growing/symptomatic ependymomas, particularly in the absence of overwhelming tumor load where bevacizumab is the preferred option. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ratoon stunt (RS) caused by bacterium Leifsonia xyli subsp. xyli ( Lxx) results in substantial yield losses in sugarcane ( Saccharum sp. L. hybrid). Since RS does not produce reliable symptoms in the field, laboratory-based techniques are necessary for detection. Loop-mediated isothermal amplification ( LAMP) assay overcomes the limitations of laboratory-based techniques which are costly, time consuming and cannot be used for near-field detection. A sensitive LAMP assay was developed to detect Lxx at 65°C in 30 min. However, carry-over contamination affected the reliability of the assay. In the present study, contaminants were successfully eliminated by incorporation of uracil nucleoside glycosylase (1 U μl−1) into the LAMP assay and incubation for 10 min at 37°C. To avoid the use of colorimetric reagents, lateral flow devices were successfully used for the detection of LAMP products and were equally sensitive to detection by agarose gel electrophoresis. The use of exudate from leaf sheath discs as an alternate template for the LAMP assay was found to be less sensitive than xylem sap. The preprepared master mix could be stored for up to 4 months at −20°C without any reduction in performance. These changes make the assay suitable for near-field detection in laboratories with basic facilities. Significance and Impact of the Study This study presents a modified loop-mediated isothermal amplification ( LAMP) assay for the detection of Leifsonia xyli subsp. xyli. Modifications include incorporation of uracil nucleoside glycosylase to eliminate carry-over contamination and substitution of colorimetric detection for the use of lateral flow devices. LAMP master mix was preprepared and was stably stored up to 4 months at −20°C. Sugarcane leaf sheaths worked well as a substitute to xylem sap as template, although the sensitivity was lower. These modifications allow the assay to be conducted without contamination concerns and reduction in set up time, making it ideal for near-field diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]