Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the external auditory canal (EAC) is a rare disease, which is commonly classified with the modified Pittsburgh classification. Our aim was to evaluate the predictive performance of this classification in relation to disease-free survival (DFS).
 
  We examined retrospective data from a nationwide Dutch cohort study including patients with primary EAC SCC. These data were combined with individual patient data from the literature. Using the combined data, the predictive performances were calculated using the c-index.
 
  A total of 381 patients were included, 294 for clinical and 281 for the pathological classification analyses.  https://www.selleckchem.com/products/MLN-2238.html  The c-indices of the clinical and the pathological modified Pittsburgh classification predicting DFS were 0.725 (0.668-0.782) and 0.729 (0.672-0.786), respectively.
 
  The predictive performance of the modified Pittsburgh classification system as such appears to be acceptable to predict the DFS of EAC SCC. Other factors need to be added to a future model to improve the predicted performance.
 The predictive performance of the modified Pittsburgh classification system as such appears to be acceptable to predict the DFS of EAC SCC. Other factors need to be added to a future model to improve the predicted performance.Elastic fibers containing elastin play an important role in tendon functionality, but the knowledge on presence and function of elastin during tendon healing is limited. The aim of this study was to investigate elastin content and distribution in intact and healing Achilles tendons and to understand how elastin influence the viscoelastic properties of tendons. The right Achilles tendon was completely transected in 81 Sprague-Dawley rats. Elastin content was quantified in intact and healing tendons (7, 14, and 28 days post-surgery) and elastin distribution was visualized by immunohistochemistry at 14 days post-surgery. Degradation of elastin by elastase incubation was used to study the role of elastin on viscoelastic properties. Mechanical testing was either performed as a cyclic test (20× 10 N) or as a creep test. We found significantly higher levels of elastin in healing tendons at all time-points compared to intact tendons (4% in healing tendons 28 days post-surgery vs 2% in intact tendons). The elastin waseals through scar formation. This scar tissue is different from a normal intact tendon and it is important to understand how the tendons heal. Little is known about the presence and function of elastin during healing of tendon injuries. We have shown, in animal experiments, that healing tendons have higher amounts of elastin compared to intact tendons. The elastin is also spread throughout the tissue. When we reduced the levels of this protein, we discovered altered mechanical properties of the tendon. The healing tendon can normally extend quite a lot, but after elastin removal this extensibility was less obvious. The ability of the healing tissue to extend is probably important to protect the tendon from re-injuries during the first months after rupture. We therefore propose that the tendons heal with a large amount of elastin to prevent re-ruptures during early locomotion.Sheep are recognized as useful species for translational neurodegeneration research, in particular for the study of Huntington disease. There is a lack of information regarding the detailed anatomy and connections of the basal ganglia of sheep, in normal myeloarchitectonics and in tract-tracing studies. In this work, the organization of the corticostriatal projections at the level of the putamen and globus pallidus (GP) are explored. For the first time, the myeloarchitectonic pattern of connections between the internal (IC) and the external (EC) capsules with the GP have been investigated in the sheep. Formaldehyde-fixed blocks of the striatum were treated with a metallic stain containing potassium dichromate and visualized using micro-CT (µ-CT). The trivalent chromium (Cr3+), attached to myelin phospholipids, imparts a differential contrast to the grey and white matter compartments, which allows the visualization of myelinated fascicles in µ-CT images. The fascicles were classified according to their topographical location in dorsal supreme fascicles (X, Y, apex) arising from the IC and EC; pre-commissurally, basal fascicles connecting the ventral part of the EC with the lateral zone of the ventral pallidum (VP) and, post-commissurally, superior (Z1 ), middle (Z2 ) and lower (Z3 ) fascicles, connecting at different levels the EC with the GP. The results suggest that the presumptive cortical efferent and afferent fibres to the pallidum could be organized according to a dorsal to ventrolateral topography in the sheep, similar to that seen in other mammals. The proposed methodology has the potential to delineate the myeloarchitectonic patterns of nervous systems and tracts.
  The study aimed to assess the impacts of organizational silence and favoritism on work outcomes and psychological wellbeing among nurses working in hospitals.
 
  Literature on the organizational climate among nurses in hospital settings is limited, particularly on favoritism and organizational silence and their effect on nurses.
 
  Purposive sampling was used to gather 549 registered nurses who participated in this cross-sectional study. Standardized self-report questionnaires were used to gather the necessary data.
 
  Years in the nursing profession (β = .028, P < .001), location of work (β = 0.481, P < .001), and facility size (β = 0.451, P < .001) strongly predicted organizational silence, while years in the present unit (β = 0.020, P = .022) and last shift length (β = 0.200, P = .012) predicted favoritism. Favoritism (β = 0.226, P = .028) significantly influenced turnover intention in nurses.
 
  Higher levels of favoritism within the organization are strongly linked with nurses' turnover intention. Few individual and organizational variables predicted organizational silence and favoritism.
 
  The results of this study provide an insight to the effects of organizational silence and favoritism towards nurses' work outcomes and psychological wellbeing. Improving the channels of communication among the healthcare team is vital to promote inclusivity among healthcare workers and enhance organizational viability.
 The results of this study provide an insight to the effects of organizational silence and favoritism towards nurses' work outcomes and psychological wellbeing. Improving the channels of communication among the healthcare team is vital to promote inclusivity among healthcare workers and enhance organizational viability.