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Case summary:A 10-year-old Maine Coon cat was presented for acute onset seizures and cerebrothalamic signs. An intracranial mass, suspected to be a meningioma, was diagnosed on MRI and surgically excised. Histopathology appeared consistent with an atypical meningioma. However, following rapid regrowth of the neoplasm, the patient was humanely euthanized 3 months later. On post-mortem histopathology, the neoplasm was diagnosed as a grade III anaplastic gemistocytic astrocytoma. Relevance and novel information:Gemistocytic astrocytomas are rare brain tumors in the feline patient. This case represents the first report of a feline grade III anaplastic gemistocytic astrocytoma in the cerebrum of a cat with surgical excision and recurrence. The challenging nature of ante-mortem diagnosis and the guarded prognosis, despite surgical intervention, are presented in this report.

A 20-year-old Quarter horse gelding was referred for evaluation of an acute onset non-weight-bearing right forelimb lameness. Marked soft tissue swelling was apparent over the right scapula and shoulder region; no crepitus was palpable. A complete transverse fracture of the scapular neck was suspected based on ultrasonography and radiographs were obtained to confirm the presumptive diagnosis. A complete, oblique fracture of the right scapular neck with mild cranial and proximal displacement of the distal fragment was detected. Computed tomography of the upper right forelimb was performed post-mortem; lytic bony destruction of the scapular neck with a secondary pathologic fracture was observed. The lesion was considered most likely neoplastic. At necropsy a complete, comminuted fracture of the right scapula was confirmed, secondary to neoplastic invasion of the bone. A solitary, dorsally located, neoplastic mass was also observed within the parenchyma of the right caudal lung. Histopathologically, the lung and scapula lesions were similar, characteristic of a well-differentiated pulmonary carcinoma.

This article addresses social work's singular conceptual and analytical contribution to the field of epidemics. A systematic literature review was conducted to analyze how social work studies overlap to construct epidemic narratives. The author collected 601 articles from the Social Services Abstracts database and carried out a targeted search within 20 social work journals. Five epidemic narratives were identified: (1) a psychosocial consequences narrative, (2) a social work competence narrative, (3) a social risk factors narrative, (4) a misinformation narrative, and (5) a power matrix narrative. Results highlighted the social success of psychosocial perspectives prevalent in classic public health narratives. This understanding relies on a "politics of access" perspective and advocates for the improvement of current social services. The findings revealed that social work does not have a conceptual specificity in the field of epidemics but, rather, its current distinctive contribution mostly lies in its use of social work–centric inquiries that analyze social work practices and describe the consequences experienced by social work actors during epidemics. The author argued that the social work literature could benefit from analyses informed by a "politic of emancipation" that are less prominent in the analyzed studies. Avenues for future research are considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intracranial neoplasia in horses is rare compared to other species. Detailed information such as neurological, electroencephalographic, and histopathological examination of horses with intracranial neoplasia associated with seizures is scarce in the literature. Furthermore, ganglioglioma has not been reported in the horse. A 7-year-old Quarter horse cross Paint gelding was examined due to recurrent seizure-like episodes of 1-year duration. The seizures had been increasing in frequency and length, occurring up to 20 times a day at the time of presentation. Neurological examination revealed intermittent obtundation and multiple left sided abnormalities consisting of upper motor facial and tongue hemiparesis, facial hyperesthesia and cervical hypoesthesia, proprioceptive deficits, thoracic limb hypermetria upon head elevation; and intermittent paroxysmal activity consistent with seizures. Cranial nerve reflexes were normal. Vocalization, conjugate vertical nystagmus, intermittent blindness, left sided head tilt and flexion of neck, and lack of response to environmental stimuli were observed during seizure activity. A right sided cerebrothalamic disease was suspected. An electroencephalogram confirmed seizure activity with main focus on the right side at the central, parietal, and occipital regions further supporting neuroanatomical localization. Additionally, subclinical paroxysmal activity was noted on the electroencephalogram. A ganglioglioma was identified in the right cerebrothalamic area, and other cranial parts of the brainstem based on immunohistochemical examination. To the authors knowledge this is the first report of intracranial ganglioglioma in the horse. This intracranial neoplasia should be added to the possible causes of intracranial masses and seizures in horses.

Decisional confict represents a state of uncertainty regarding an action one must take. It is a concept inherent to shared decision-making and can help promote high-quality and patient-centred decisions in surgical care, leading to better outcomes. Specific elements may cause more uncertainty or decisional confict for patients: lack of knowledge about risks and benefits, poorly defined personal values about the importance of those risks and benefits, perception of a lack of support, unpredictable outcomes, or the impression that an inadequate decision has been made. Decisional confict can be measured in the surgical setting using the 16-item validated patient-reported Decisional Confict Scale (DCS). Better understanding of the reasons behind high decisional confict can help surgeons support high-quality decisions and lead to more satisfactory outcomes and less decisional regret., Patients' experiences, preferences and outcomes assessments have been guiding surgeons' approach to clinical care toward patient-centred care, which is defined as care that involves shared decision-making with patients while promoting [...]

Type I interferons (IFN-I) are critical mediators of innate control of viral infections but also drive the recruitment of inflammatory cells to sites of infection, a key feature of severe coronavirus disease 2019. Here, IFN-I signaling was modulated in rhesus macaques (RMs) before and during acute SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) infection using a mutated IFN-α2 (IFN-modulator; IFNmod), which has previously been shown to reduce the binding and signaling of endogenous IFN-I. IFNmod treatment in uninfected RMs was observed to induce a modest up-regulation of only antiviral IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs); however, in SARS-CoV-2–infected RMs, IFNmod reduced both antiviral and inflammatory ISGs. IFNmod treatment resulted in a potent reduction in SARS-CoV-2 viral loads both in vitro in Calu-3 cells and in vivo in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), upper airways, lung, and hilar lymph nodes of RMs. Furthermore, in SARS-CoV-2–infected RMs, IFNmod treatment potently reduced inflammatory cytokines, chemokines, and CD163+ MRC1− inflammatory macrophages in BAL and expression of Siglec-1 on circulating monocytes. In the lung, IFNmod also reduced pathogenesis and attenuated pathways of inflammasome activation and stress response during acute SARS-CoV-2 infection. Using an intervention targeting both IFN-α and IFN-β pathways, this study shows that, whereas early IFN-I restrains SARS-CoV-2 replication, uncontrolled IFN-I signaling critically contributes to SARS-CoV-2 inflammation and pathogenesis in the moderate disease model of RMs. Editor's summary: Antiviral gene expression elicited by type I interferons (IFN-I) provides protection during infection; however, IFN-I–induced hyperactivation of inflammatory immune cells is linked to the pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2. Viox et al. used a mutated form of IFNα2, termed IFNmod, which can elicit weak IFN-I signaling yet restrain the action of endogenous IFN-I, to investigate IFN-I responses in rhesus macaques during a SARS-CoV-2 infection that caused moderate disease. Administration of IFNmod from the day prior until the first two days after infection with SARS-CoV-2, decreased viral loads and reduced pathology in the lung. In addition, IFNmod reduced inflammatory cytokines, chemokines, and macrophages in the airways and decreased expansion of circulating inflammatory monocytes. Thus, whereas early IFN-I may restrain SARS-CoV-2 replication, excess IFN-I-signaling may contribute to pathology. —Sarah H. Ross [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyzes comments from two major social media, Facebook and Twitter, regarding the controversial cancellation of the 2015 African Cup of Nations (CAN) in Morocco and its transfer to Equatorial Guinea, a move precipitated by the contemporaneous outbreaks of Ebola in West Africa. Using frame analysis methodology (frames being the central ideas structuring a narrative account of an issue, event or controversy), it investigates how the sporting and health worlds are understood and conceptualized on Twitter and Facebook, in the context of a specific event. We also investigated the extent to which these frames are platform-specific. Data were collected by keyword extraction and submitted to a qualitative thematic and frame analysis, from which we identified six frames (Epidemic management, Sporting event, Political, Skepticism, Religion, and Economic). Analysis of these frames identified a number of classic issues from the sociology of not only football and epidemics but also of African political issues. The cancellation of the CAN thus provides an excellent window into the complex links between sport, heath and politics. Indeed, the online comments of social media users expressed a rich range of pre-existing frustrations, beliefs and political positions. Our results show that, in the context of the cancellation of the 2015 CAN, tweets mostly framed the event as an epidemic management issue, while Facebook comments typically framed it as an epidemic management, sporting and political event. Some themes treated in a factual way on Twitter became politicized on Facebook where, in addition, new political themes emerged. We conclude that studying social media conversations relating to a mega-sporting event could provide sociologically valuable insights about topics not typically directly associated with sport or health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Despite high success rates, flap failure remains an inherent risk in microvascular breast reconstruction. Identifying patients who are at high risk for flap failure would enable us to recommend alternative reconstructive techniques. However, as flap failure is a rare event, identification of risk factors is statistically challenging. Machine learning is a form of artificial intelligence that automates analytical model building. It has been proposed that machine learning can build superior prediction models when the outcome of interest is rare. Methods: In this study we evaluate machine learning resampling and decision-tree classification models for the prediction of flap failure in a large retrospective cohort of microvascular breast reconstructions. Results: A total of 1012 patients were included in the study. Twelve patients (1.1%) experienced flap failure. The ROSE informed oversampling technique and decision-tree classification resulted in a strong prediction model (AUC 0.95) with high sensitivity and specificity. In the testing cohort, the model maintained acceptable specificity and predictive power (AUC 0.67), but sensitivity was reduced. The model identified four high-risk patient groups. Obesity, comorbidities and smoking were found to contribute to flap loss. The flap failure rate in high-risk patients was 7.8% compared with 0.44% in the low-risk cohort (p = 0.001). Conclusions: This machine-learning risk prediction model suggests that flap failure may not be a random event. The algorithm indicates that flap failure is multifactorial and identifies a number of potential contributing factors that warrant further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since its initial publication, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders has been the object of criticism which has led to regular revisions by the American Psychiatric Association. This article analyses the debates that surrounded the publication of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.). Building on the concepts of public arenas and reception theory, it explores the meaning encoded in the manual by audiences. Our results, which draw from a thematic analysis of traditional and digital media sources, identify eight audiences that react to the American Psychiatric Association's narrative of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.): conformist, reformist, humanist, culturalist, naturalist, conflictual, constructivist and utilitarian. While some of their claims present argumentative polarities, others overlap, thus challenging the idea, often presented in academic publications, of a fixed debate. In order to further discuss on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, we draw attention to claims that 'travel' across different communities of audiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]