Imaging the urologic patient: the utility of intravenous pyelogram in the CT scan era.

PURPOSE: An opportunity exists to evaluate the quality of care in patients undergoing intravenous pyelogram (IVP) imaging and to define the role of IVP in the computed tomography scan era. METHODS: Medical records were reviewed for patient demographics, inpatient versus outpatient setting, indication for IVP, physician/specialty who ordered IVP, and the need for subsequent imaging within a 30-day period in patients who underwent IVP from October 2007 to December 2011. Chi-square test was used to compare the number of additional radiologic examinations ordered within 30 days of the initial IVP across the different specialties ordering IVPs. RESULTS: Six hundred and eighty patients underwent IVP imaging during the study period. The primary reason to order an IVP was the evaluation of urolithiasis/flank pain (50%), followed by urologic evaluation after surgery (23%). Three hundred and twenty-five patients (48%) subsequently had an additional 547 radiologic studies within 30 days of the IVP to further evaluate their condition. Of the 325 patients undergoing additional imaging studies, 36% had differing or additional diagnostic information noted that could change medical decision-making. CONCLUSIONS: Inferior imaging of the urologic patient by IVP leads to the acquisition of additional imaging studies to render a diagnosis. IVP has a limited clinical role, and thus, its use should be strictly limited to highly select cases.

Predation selectively culls medium-sized species from island mammal faunas.

Globally, elevated extinction risk in mammals is strongly associated with large body size. However, in regions where introduced predators exert strong top-down pressure on mammal populations, the selectivity of extinctions may be skewed towards species of intermediate body size, leading to a hump-shaped relationship between size and extinction risk. The existence of this kind of extinction pattern, and its link to predation, has been contentious and difficult to demonstrate. Here, we test the hypothesis of a hump-shaped body size-extinction relationship, using a database of 927 island mammal populations. We show that the size-selectivity of extinctions on many islands has exceeded that expected under null models. On islands with introduced predators, extinctions are biased towards intermediate body sizes, but this bias does not occur on islands without predators. Hence, on islands with a large-bodied mammal fauna, predators are selectively culling species from the lower end of the size distribution, and on islands with a small-bodied fauna they are culling species from the upper end. These findings suggest that it will be difficult to use predictable generalizations about extinction patterns, such as a positive body size-extinction risk association, to anticipate future species declines and plan conservation strategies accordingly.

Single Cell Portal: an interactive home for single-cell genomics data.

Single-cell omics research has the power to leave a deep impact on modern healthcare. Sharing data widely and freely advances this progress in both the academic and clinical spheres. We developed the Single Cell Portal (SCP) to maximize the impact of this work. SCP enables data sharing, supports dynamic results visualization, and facilitates scientific exploration across a large repository of single-cell datasets. SCP's data contributors maintain full control over how their data are shared and presented, without requiring web development expertise. Finally, SCP supports the entire lifecycle of a research project, from sparking an idea, to fine-tuning the data with collaborators, to sharing results in an accessible and interactive way. This paper highlights the most valuable ways in which SCP helps to advance single-cell research.

Extenso lipoma em localização incomum e com 10 anos de evolução: relato de caso / Extensive lipoma in unusual location and with 10 years of evolution: case report / Lipoma extenso en localización inusual y con 10 años de evolución: informe de un caso

O lipoma é um tumor benigno de gordura que representa a neoplasia mesenquimal mais comum e pode acometer a região de cabeça e pescoço. São mais frequentes em indivíduos obesos, entretanto, o metabolismo dos lipomas é independente da gordura corpórea normal. Caracterizam-se como aumentos de volume nodulares de superfície lisa e consistência macia que podem ser sesséis ou pedunculados, são normalmente assintomáticos e os sítios de acometimento menos comuns incluem a língua, o assoalho da boca e os lábios. Dessa forma, o presente artigo tem como objetivo relatar um caso clínico de lipoma com anos de evolução e localizado em uma região incomum. A paciente do sexo feminino foi encaminhada para a Clínica de Estomatologia da Faculdade de Odontologia do Campus UFC-Sobral relatando que apresentava a lesão desde o ano de 2010 e afirmando que nunca realizou tratamento prévio e que não havia fator causal conhecido. Ao exame clínico observou-se uma lesão nodular de cor amarelada, medindo cerca de 1,5cm localizada na região de borda lateral, ventre e dorso de língua do lado direito compatível com a hipótese diagnóstica de lipoma. Nesse sentido, a partir da anamnese e dos achados clínicos optou-se por realizar a biópsia excisional para confirmação do diagnóstico. Com os resultados da biópsia houve a comprovação da hipótese diagnóstica, e sendo assim, não houve necessidade de tratamentos adicionais. Portanto, a partir desse caso pode-se perceber que o lipoma pode ser uma lesão que pode perdurar por vários anos sem maiores complicações, entretanto pode atingir grandes dimensões e nesses casos o tratamento cirúrgico se faz necessário.

Lipoma is a benign fat tumor that represents the most common mesenchymal neoplasm and can affect the head and neck region. They are more frequent in obese individuals, however, the metabolism of lipomas is independent of normal body fat. They are characterized as smooth-surfaced nodular masses that can be sessile or pedunculated, are usually asymptomatic, and the less common sites of involvement include the tongue, the floor of the mouth, and the lips. Thus, the present article aims to report a clinical case of a lipoma with years of evolution and located in an uncommon region. The female patient was referred to the Stomatology Clinic of the School of Dentistry, UFC-Sobral Campus reporting that she presented the lesion since the year 2010 and stating that she had never undergone previous treatment and that there was no known causal factor. On clinical examination we observed a yellowish nodular lesion measuring about 1.5cm located in the region of the lateral border, belly and dorsum of the tongue on the right side compatible with the diagnostic hypothesis of lipoma. Therefore, based on the anamnesis and clinical findings, it was decided to perform an excisional biopsy to confirm the diagnosis. With the results of the biopsy, the diagnostic hypothesis was confirmed, and thus there was no need for additional treatments. Therefore, from this case we can see that lipoma can be a lesion that can last for several years without major complications, however, it can reach large dimensions and in these cases surgical treatment is necessary.

El lipoma es un tumor graso benigno que representa la neoplasia mesenquimatosa más frecuente y puede afectar a la región de cabeza y cuello. Son más frecuentes en individuos obesos, sin embargo, el metabolismo de los lipomas es independiente de la grasa corporal normal. Se caracterizan por ser masas nodulares de superficie lisa que pueden ser sésiles o pediculadas, suelen ser asintomáticas y los lugares menos frecuentes de afectación incluyen la lengua, el suelo de la boca y los labios. Así, el presente artículo pretende informar de un caso clínico de lipoma de años de evolución y localizado en una región poco frecuente. La paciente fue referida a la Clínica de Estomatología de la Facultad de Odontología, Campus UFC-Sobral informando que presentaba la lesión desde 2010 y afirmando que nunca había sido sometida a tratamiento previo y que no existía factor causal conocido. El examen clínico reveló una lesión nodular de color amarillento, de aproximadamente 1,5 cm localizada en la región del borde lateral, vientre y dorso de la lengua del lado derecho compatible con la hipótesis diagnóstica de lipoma. Por lo tanto, basándonos en la anamnesis y los hallazgos clínicos, decidimos realizar una biopsia excisional para confirmar el diagnóstico. Con los resultados de la biopsia se confirmó la hipótesis diagnóstica, por lo que no hubo necesidad de tratamiento adicional. Por lo tanto, a partir de este caso podemos ver que el lipoma puede ser una lesión que puede durar varios años sin mayores complicaciones, sin embargo, puede alcanzar grandes dimensiones y en estos casos es necesario el tratamiento quirúrgico.

Contributions of Social Comparison and Self-Objectification in Mediating Associations Between Facebook Use and Emergent Adults' Psychological Well-Being.

Although Facebook was created to help people feel connected with each other, data indicate that regular usage has both negative and positive connections to well-being. To explore these mixed results, we tested the role of social comparison and self-objectification as possible mediators of the link between Facebook use and three facets of psychological well-being: self-esteem, mental health, and body shame. Participants were 1,104 undergraduate women and men who completed surveys assessing their Facebook usage (minutes, passive use, and active use), social comparison, self-objectification, and well-being. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling, testing separate models for women and men. Models for each gender fit the data well. For women and men, Facebook use was associated with greater social comparison and greater self-objectification, which, in turn, was each related to lower self-esteem, poorer mental health, and greater body shame. Mediated models provided better fits to the data than models testing direct pathways to the mediators and well-being variables. Implications are discussed for young people's social media use, and future directions are provided.

Diabetic Cardiomyopathy; Summary of 41 Years.

Patients with diabetes have an increased risk for development of cardiomyopathy, even in the absence of well known risk factors like coronary artery disease and hypertension. Diabetic cardiomyopathy was first recognized approximately four decades ago. To date, several pathophysiological mechanisms thought to be responsible for this new entity have also been recognized. In the presence of hyperglycemia, non-enzymatic glycosylation of several proteins, reactive oxygen species formation, and fibrosis lead to impairment of cardiac contractile functions. Impaired calcium handling, increased fatty acid oxidation, and increased neurohormonal activation also contribute to this process. Demonstration of left ventricular hypertrophy, early diastolic and late systolic dysfunction by sensitive techniques, help us to diagnose diabetic cardiomyopathy. Traditional treatment of heart failure is beneficial in diabetic cardiomyopathy, but specific strategies for prevention or treatment of cardiac dysfunction in diabetic patients has not been clarified yet. In this review we will discuss clinical and experimental studies focused on pathophysiology of diabetic cardiomyopathy, and summarize diagnostic and therapeutic approaches developed towards this entity.