Management of periocular keratinocyte carcinomas with Mohs micrographic surgery and predictors of complex reconstruction: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Skin cancer is the most frequent cancer worldwide and the most frequent periocular tumor. Keratinocyte Carcinomas (KC) located in periorificial areas, such as periocular tumors, are considered high-risk tumors. Mohs Micrographic Surgery (MMS) is considered the first line for the treatment of high-risk KC, providing a lower recurrence rate than conventional wide excision. OBJECTIVE: To describe the clinical-pathological features of periocular KC treated with MMS in a tertiary university center in Chile. METHODS: A single-center, retrospective study of patients with KC located on the periocular area, that underwent MMS between 2017‒2022. MMS details were recorded. RESULTS: One hundred thirteen patients with periocular carcinomas were included. The mean age was 59 ± 13 years; 52% were women. The most frequent location was the medial canthus (53%), followed by the lower eyelid (30.1%). The most frequent BCC histology was the nodular variant (59.3%). Regarding MMS, the average number of stages was 1.5 ± 0.7, and 54% of the cases required only 1 stage to achieve clear margins. To date, no recurrence has been reported. Tumors larger than 8.5 mm in largest diameter or 43.5 mm2 were more likely to require complex reconstruction. STUDY LIMITATIONS: Retrospective design and a relatively low number of patients in the SCC group. Possible selection bias, as larger or more complex cases, may have been referred to oculoplastic surgeons directly. CONCLUSION: The present study confirms the role of MMS for the treatment of periocular KCs. Periocular KCs larger than 8.5 mm might require complex reconstruction. These results can be used to counsel patients during pre-surgical visits.

Management of periocular keratinocyte carcinomas with Mohs micrographic surgery and predictors of complex reconstruction: a retrospective study

Abstract Background Skin cancer is the most frequent cancer worldwide and the most frequent periocular tumor. Keratinocyte Carcinomas (KC) located in periorificial areas, such as periocular tumors, are considered high-risk tumors. Mohs Micrographic Surgery (MMS) is considered the first line for the treatment of high-risk KC, providing a lower recurrence rate than conventional wide excision. Objective To describe the clinical-pathological features of periocular KC treated with MMS in a tertiary university center in Chile. Methods A single-center, retrospective study of patients with KC located on the periocular area, that underwent MMS between 2017‒2022. MMS details were recorded. Results One hundred thirteen patients with periocular carcinomas were included. The mean age was 59 ± 13 years; 52% were women. The most frequent location was the medial canthus (53%), followed by the lower eyelid (30.1%). The most frequent BCC histology was the nodular variant (59.3%). Regarding MMS, the average number of stages was 1.5 ± 0.7, and 54% of the cases required only 1 stage to achieve clear margins. To date, no recurrence has been reported. Tumors larger than 8.5 mm in largest diameter or 43.5 mm2 were more likely to require complex reconstruction. Study limitations Retrospective design and a relatively low number of patients in the SCC group. Possible selection bias, as larger or more complex cases, may have been referred to oculoplastic surgeons directly. Conclusion The present study confirms the role of MMS for the treatment of periocular KCs. Periocular KCs larger than 8.5 mm might require complex reconstruction. These results can be used to counsel patients during pre-surgical visits.

Validation of a Latin-American Spanish version of the Body Esteem Scale for Adolescents and Adults (BESAA-LA) in Colombian and Nicaraguan adults.

BACKGROUND: Body dissatisfaction (BD) is a growing concern in Latin America; reliable and culturally appropriate scales are necessary to support body image research in Spanish speaking Latin American countries. We sought to validate a Latin-American Spanish version of the Body Esteem Scale for Adolescents and Adults (BESAA; Mendelson et al. 2001). METHODS: The BESAA was translated, culturally adapted, and validated in a sample of adults in Colombia (N = 525, 65% women, Mage 24.4, SD = 9.28). We assessed factor structure (using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and exploratory structural equation model (ESEM)), internal reliability (using Cronbach's alpha and omega), validity (using the Body Appreciation Scale BAS and Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire SATAQ), test-retest stability in a small subsample (N = 84, using Intraclass correlations ICC) and measurement invariance across gender. To evaluate the generalizability of the scale, we assessed reliability, validity, and factor structure in a second sample from rural Nicaragua (N = 102, 73% women, Mage 22.2, SD = 4.72), and assessed measurement invariance across Nicaraguan and Colombian participants. RESULTS: The scale showed good internal reliability and validity in both samples, and there was evidence of adequate test-retest stability in the Colombian sample. EFA showed a three-factor structure with subscales we labelled 'appearance-positive', 'appearance-negative' and 'weight', that was confirmed using CFA and ESEM in the Colombian sample. Measurement invariance was confirmed across the Colombian and Nicaraguan samples, and across gender within the Colombian sample. CONCLUSION: The Latin-American Spanish version of the BESAA (BESAA-LA) appears to be a psychometrically sound measure with good reliability, validity and invariance across gender and countries. These results support the use of this scale to measure body satisfaction/dissatisfaction in Latin American adult populations.

Reliability and Validity of the Colombian Version of the Revised Sociosexual Orientation Inventory.

Sociosexuality refers to an individual's disposition to have casual sex without establishing affective bonds and has been widely studied worldwide using the Revised Sociosexual Orientation Inventory (SOI-R; Penke & Asendorpf, 2008). Despite its many validations in different cultural contexts, no psychometric analyses of this instrument have been conducted in Spanish-speaking Latin American countries. To address this gap in the literature, we examined the psychometric properties of the SOI-R in Colombia. In a cross-sectional study with a large sample of participants (N = 812; 64% women), we conducted exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses to identify different factor structures and determine which had the best fit for our sample and examined the reliability of the scale. Results showed that a three-factor structure, with sociosexual behaviors, attitudes, and desire as first-order factors, and global sociosexuality as a second-order factor, had the best fit indexes. Each factor presented good reliability indexes. Replicating already established gender differences, we also found that men scored higher on each factor when compared to women. These findings show that the SOI-R is a reliable and valid instrument to assess sociosexuality in countries where sociosexuality research is underrepresented.

Gene regulatory networks on transfer entropy (GRNTE): a novel approach to reconstruct gene regulatory interactions applied to a case study for the plant pathogen Phytophthora infestans.

BACKGROUND: The increasing amounts of genomics data have helped in the understanding of the molecular dynamics of complex systems such as plant and animal diseases. However, transcriptional regulation, although playing a central role in the decision-making process of cellular systems, is still poorly understood. In this study, we linked expression data with mathematical models to infer gene regulatory networks (GRN). We present a simple yet effective method to estimate transcription factors' GRNs from transcriptional data. METHOD: We defined interactions between pairs of genes (edges in the GRN) as the partial mutual information between these genes that takes into account time and possible lags in time from one gene in relation to another. We call this method Gene Regulatory Networks on Transfer Entropy (GRNTE) and it corresponds to Granger causality for Gaussian variables in an autoregressive model. To evaluate the reconstruction accuracy of our method, we generated several sub-networks from the GRN of the eukaryotic yeast model, Saccharomyces cerevisae. Then, we applied this method using experimental data of the plant pathogen Phytophthora infestans. We evaluated the transcriptional expression levels of 48 transcription factors of P. infestans during its interaction with one moderately resistant and one susceptible cultivar of yellow potato (Solanum tuberosum group Phureja), using RT-qPCR. With these data, we reconstructed the regulatory network of P. infestans during its interaction with these hosts. RESULTS: We first evaluated the performance of our method, based on the transfer entropy (GRNTE), on eukaryotic datasets from the GRNs of the yeast S. cerevisae. Results suggest that GRNTE is comparable with the state-of-the-art methods when the parameters for edge detection are properly tuned. In the case of P. infestans, most of the genes considered in this study, showed a significant change in expression from the onset of the interaction (0 h post inoculum - hpi) to the later time-points post inoculation. Hierarchical clustering of the expression data discriminated two distinct periods during the infection: from 12 to 36 hpi and from 48 to 72 hpi for both the moderately resistant and susceptible cultivars. These distinct periods could be associated with two phases of the life cycle of the pathogen when infecting the host plant: the biotrophic and necrotrophic phases. CONCLUSIONS: Here we presented an algorithmic solution to the problem of network reconstruction in time series data. This analytical perspective makes use of the dynamic nature of time series data as it relates to intrinsically dynamic processes such as transcription regulation, were multiple elements of the cell (e.g., transcription factors) act simultaneously and change over time. We applied the algorithm to study the regulatory network of P. infestans during its interaction with two hosts which differ in their level of resistance to the pathogen. Although the gene expression analysis did not show differences between the two hosts, the results of the GRN analyses evidenced rewiring of the genes' interactions according to the resistance level of the host. This suggests that different regulatory processes are activated in response to different environmental cues. Applications of our methodology showed that it could reliably predict where to place edges in the transcriptional networks and sub-networks. The experimental approach used here can help provide insights on the biological role of these interactions on complex processes such as pathogenicity. The code used is available at https://github.com/jccastrog/GRNTE under GNU general public license 3.0.

Complejo linfangioleiomiomatosis-esclerosis tuberosa, ¿contraindicación para el trasplante pulmonar? Presentación de un caso / Lymphangioleiomyomatosis-Tuberous Sclerosis Complex. Contraindication For Lung Transplantation? A Case Report

El complejo linfangioleiomiomatosis (LAM)-esclerosis tuberosa (ET) es una enfermedad rara, con compromiso multisistémico que afecta principalmente pulmón y cerebro. Se presenta el caso de una paciente de 25 años con LAM pulmonar que ingresa a la institución para protocolo de trasplante pulmonar. Durante los estudios de extensión se documenta compromiso extrapulmonar sistémico del complejo LAM-ET. A partir de este caso, se realizó una revisión de la literatura de las manifestaciones radiológicas sistémicas de la enfermedad y las recomendaciones de diagnóstico y manejo de estos pacientes; en especial, las indicaciones y contraindicaciones del trasplante pulmonar.

The lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) - Tuberous Sclerosis (TS) Complex is a rare disease with multisystem involvement affecting mainly lung and brain. We present the case of a 25-year-old female patient with pulmonary LAM. During the work-up studies for the lung transplantation protocol, the systemic extrapulmonary involvement of the LAM-TS complex is documented. From this case, a literature review of the systemic radiological manifestations of the disease and of the diagnosis and management recommendations of these patients was made. Special focus was made on the indications and contraindications of lung transplantation.

Descriptive study of autopsies in the Atlantic and Magdalena departments / Estudio descriptivo de las autopsias en los departamentos Atlántico y Magdalena

Abstract The present study is aimed to determine some epidemiological aspects related to homicides committed by hired killers with firearms. We conducted a data collection survey of historical records from the Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences. The sample (n = 310) is composed of homicide victims in 2007 in the departments of Atlántico and Magdalena. We found that 93.5 % of the victims were male. Most of the victims (38.7 %) were found in the age range between 21 and 30 years old. A high percentage (32.9 %) of the victims were unmar ried. The most common racial trait was the "mestizo" (94.2 %). A percentage of 48.4 % of the victims had a height between 161 and 170 cms. The days with higher incidence of killings were Mondays (19 %) and Fridays (18.4 %). The places where most of the murders happened were "in public" places with a percentage of 33.2 %. The most common number of bullet impacts was "2" with a 21.3 %. The most common body region impacted was on the head. Finally the paper presents the findings of the study.

Resumen El presente estudio se propuso determinar algunos aspectos epidemiológicos relacionados con los homicidos cometidos por sicarios con arma de fuego. Se realiza una colección de registros históri cos del Instituto de Medicina Legal y Ciencias Forenses. La muestra (n=310) está compuesta por víctimas de homicidio del año 2007 en los departamentos Atlántico y Magdalena. Se encontró que el 93,5 % de las víctimas eran de sexo masculino. La mayoría de las víctimas (38,7 %) se en contraban en el rango de edad de 21 a 30 años. Un alto porcentaje (32,9 %) de las víctimas vivían en unión libre. El rasgo facial más común era el "mestizo" (94,2 %). El 48,4 % de las víctimas me dia entre 161 y 170 centímetros de estatura. Los días con mayor incidencia eran los lunes (19 %) y los viernes (18,4 %). Los lugares descritos como "públicos" fue donde ocurrieron la mayoría de los homicidios con un porcentaje del 33,2 %. "2" fue el número de impactos de bala más común con un 21,3 %. La región corporal que fue impactada con mayor frecuencia se trató del área de la cabeza. Finalmente, el artículo presenta los resultados del estudio.