A grand mimicker of pulmonary malignancy: The massive mediastinal intercostal nerve tumour.

Mediastinal mass-like manifestations often cause alarm and instigate a myriad of investigative testing to rule out insidious malignant processes. However, a unique and benign finding, the schwannoma can present either incidentally or while in pursuit of a symptomatic presentation. Given its rarity, limited literature exists on these neurogenic tumours with less than three dozen reported cases. No specific guidelines exist regarding the extent of required advanced imaging or degree of invasive evaluation. Therefore, practitioners confronted with these intrathoracic tumours may find management challenging or delayed. We present a case discussing a large benign tumour causing symptomatic burden, the investigative methods implored and treatment modality. We add to the literature another unique presentation of an intercostal nerve sheath tumour with schwannoma pathology.

Folate intake and colorectal cancer risk according to genetic subtypes defined by targeted tumor sequencing.

BACKGROUND: Folate is involved in multiple genetic, epigenetic, and metabolic processes, and inadequate folate intake has been associated with an increased risk of cancer. OBJECTIVE: We examined whether folate intake is differentially associated with colorectal cancer (CRC) risk according to somatic mutations in genes linked to CRC using targeted sequencing. DESIGN: Participants within two large CRC consortia with available information on dietary folate, supplemental folic acid, and total folate intake were included. Colorectal tumor samples from cases were sequenced for the presence of non-silent mutations in 105 genes and 6 signaling pathways (IGF2/PI3K, MMR, RTK/RAS, TGF-ß, WNT, TP53/ATM). Multinomial logistic regression models were run comparing mutated/non-mutated CRC cases to controls to compute multivariable-adjusted odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Heterogeneity of associations of mutated versus non-mutated CRC cases was tested in case-only analyses using logistic regression. Analyses were performed separately in hypermutated and non-hypermutated tumors, as they exhibit different clinical behaviors. RESULTS: We included 4,339 CRC cases (702 hypermutated tumors, 16.2%) and 11,767 controls. Total folate intake was inversely associated with CRC risk (OR=0.93, 95%CI=0.90-0.96). Among hypermutated tumors, 12 genes (AXIN2, B2M, BCOR, CHD1, DOCK3, FBLN2, MAP3K21, POLD1, RYR1, TET2, UTP20, ZNF521) showed nominal statistical significance (P<0.05) for heterogeneity by mutation status, but none remained significant after multiple testing correction. Among these genetic subtypes, the associations between folate variables and CRC were mostly inverse or towards the null, except for tumors mutated for DOCK3 (supplemental folic acid), CHD1 (total folate), and ZNF521 (dietary folate) that showed positive associations. We did not observe differential associations in analyses among non-hypermutated tumors, or according to the signaling pathways. CONCLUSIONS: Folate intake was not differentially associated with CRC risk according to mutations in the genes explored. The nominally significant differential mutation effects observed in a few genes warrants further investigation.

Outcomes in patients with aortic stenosis and severely reduced ejection fraction following surgical aortic valve replacement and transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

BACKGROUND: Patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) and left ventricular (LV) dysfunction demonstrate improvement in left ventricular injection fraction (LVEF) after aortic valve replacement (AVR). The timing and magnitude of recovery in patients with very low LVEF (≤ 25%) in surgical or transcatheter AVR is not well studied. OBJECTIVE: Determine clinical outcomes following transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) and surgical aortic valve repair (SAVR) in the subset of patients with severely reduced EF ≤ 25%. METHODS: Single-center, retrospective study with primary endpoint of LVEF 1-week following either procedure. Secondary outcomes included 30-day mortality and delayed postprocedural LVEF. T-test was used to compare variables and linear regression was used to adjust differences among baseline variables. RESULTS: 83 patients were enrolled (TAVR = 56 and SAVR = 27). TAVR patients were older at the time of procedure (TAVR 77.29 ± 8.69 vs. SAVR 65.41 ± 10.05, p < 0.001). One week post procedure, all patients had improved LVEF after both procedures (p < 0.001). There was no significant difference in LVEF between either group (TAVR 33.5 ± 11.77 vs. SAVR 35.3 ± 13.57, p = 0.60). Average LVEF continued to rise and increased by 101% at final follow-up (41.26 ± 13.70). 30-day mortality rates in SAVR and TAVR were similar (7.4% vs. 7.1%, p = 0.91). CONCLUSION: Patients with severe AS and LVEF ≤ 25% have a significant recovery in post-procedural EF following AVR regardless of method. LVEF doubled at two years post-procedure. There was no significant difference in 30-day mortality or mean EF recovery between TAVR and SAVR. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Indiana University institutional review board granted approval for above study numbered 15,322.

The impact of antibiotic resistance on the rampant spread of infectious diseases in Pakistan: Insights from a narrative review.

Background and Aims: Antibiotic resistance (ABR) is a global public health emergency which has seen an uptick in low- to middle-income countries in recent times due to a plethora of aggravating factors and has led to a whole host of setting-specific pathogens registering high rates of resistance, causing outbreaks with graver mortality and morbidity. This review analyzes available literature to determine the causes and effects of ABR and recommend solutions to the problem in a Pakistani setting. Methods: Sources for this narrative review were identified via electronic databases using keyword search methods. The information was retrieved using databases such as PubMed and Science Direct. Additionally, websites such as CDC and World Health Organization were used to attain pertinent information. All the sources were selected as per their relevance and appropriateness toward the purpose of this review. Results: This review details the causes by dividing them into three primary strata, namely (1) under-regulation, (2) over-prescription and self-medication, and (3) lack of medical stewardship. This is made much graver when the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent erratic treatment response is considered, with the pandemic augmenting already high levels of consumption. These factors have led a cascade of effects including, but not limited to, a considerable increase in ABR in pathogens to first-line drugs. Conclusion: ABR is a serious and growing issue which will result in undesirable personal, local, and national consequences if unchecked. Mitigation and reversal of this trend is necessary by developing existing programs and investing in novel therapies and pharmaceutical research and strengthening regulatory policies and mechanisms.

Awake craniotomies in South America: Advancements, challenges, and future prospects.

BACKGROUND: Awake craniotomy has emerged as an advanced surgical technique, characterized by keeping the patient awake during brain surgery. In South America, awake craniotomies have grained traction in neurosurgical practices across various medical centres and hospitals, with notable practitioners contributing to its growth and refinement in the region. PURPOSE: This study aims to explore the integration and impact of awake craniotomies in South American neurosurgical practices. The focus is on understanding the benefits, challenges, and potential transformative effects of the procedure in the region. RESEARCH DESIGN: A comprehensive narrative review and analysis through a thorough examination of the existing literature. RESULTS: The findings indicate that awake craniotomies in South America offer substantial benefits, including cost savings thorugh reduced hospitalization time, quicker recovery and decreased morbidity. Enhanced safety, effective pain management and reduced anaesthesia also contribute to this. CONCLUSION: Whilst the adaptation of awake craniotomies in South America holds great promise in transforming neurosurgical care in the region, significant challenges hinder its widespread adoption. Inadequate infrastructure, limited access to equipment, financial instability, and shortages in trained healthcare providers represent challenges that need to be addressed.

Oncogenic ETS fusions promote DNA damage and proinflammatory responses via pericentromeric RNAs in extracellular vesicles.

Aberrant expression of the E26 transformation-specific (ETS) transcription factors characterizes numerous human malignancies. Many of these proteins, including EWS:FLI1 and EWS:ERG fusions in Ewing sarcoma (EwS) and TMPRSS2:ERG in prostate cancer (PCa), drive oncogenic programs via binding to GGAA repeats. We report here that both EWS:FLI1 and ERG bind and transcriptionally activate GGAA-rich pericentromeric heterochromatin. The respective pathogen-like HSAT2 and HSAT3 RNAs, together with LINE, SINE, ERV, and other repeat transcripts, are expressed in EwS and PCa tumors, secreted in extracellular vesicles (EVs), and are highly elevated in plasma of patients with EwS with metastatic disease. High human satellite 2 and 3 (HSAT2,3) levels in EWS:FLI1- or ERG-expressing cells and tumors were associated with induction of G2/M checkpoint, mitotic spindle, and DNA damage programs. These programs were also activated in EwS EV-treated fibroblasts, coincident with accumulation of HSAT2,3 RNAs, proinflammatory responses, mitotic defects, and senescence. Mechanistically, HSAT2,3-enriched cancer EVs induced cGAS-TBK1 innate immune signaling and formation of cytosolic granules positive for double-strand RNAs, RNA-DNA, and cGAS. Hence, aberrantly expressed ETS proteins derepress pericentromeric heterochromatin, yielding pathogenic RNAs that transmit genotoxic stress and inflammation to local and distant sites. Monitoring HSAT2,3 plasma levels and preventing their dissemination may thus improve therapeutic strategies and blood-based diagnostics.

Body size and risk of colorectal cancer molecular defined subtypes and pathways: Mendelian randomization analyses.

BACKGROUND: Obesity has been positively associated with most molecular subtypes of colorectal cancer (CRC); however, the magnitude and the causality of these associations is uncertain. METHODS: We used Mendelian randomization (MR) to examine potential causal relationships between body size traits (body mass index [BMI], waist circumference, and body fat percentage) with risks of Jass classification types and individual subtypes of CRC (microsatellite instability [MSI] status, CpG island methylator phenotype [CIMP] status, BRAF and KRAS mutations). Summary data on tumour markers were obtained from two genetic consortia (CCFR, GECCO). FINDINGS: A 1-standard deviation (SD:5.1 kg/m2) increment in BMI levels was found to increase risks of Jass type 1MSI-high,CIMP-high,BRAF-mutated,KRAS-wildtype (odds ratio [OR]: 2.14, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.46, 3.13; p-value = 9 × 10-5) and Jass type 2non-MSI-high,CIMP-high,BRAF-mutated,KRAS-wildtype CRC (OR: 2.20, 95% CI: 1.26, 3.86; p-value = 0.005). The magnitude of these associations was stronger compared with Jass type 4non-MSI-high,CIMP-low/negative,BRAF-wildtype,KRAS-wildtype CRC (p-differences: 0.03 and 0.04, respectively). A 1-SD (SD:13.4 cm) increment in waist circumference increased risk of Jass type 3non-MSI-high,CIMP-low/negative,BRAF-wildtype,KRAS-mutated (OR 1.73, 95% CI: 1.34, 2.25; p-value = 9 × 10-5) that was stronger compared with Jass type 4 CRC (p-difference: 0.03). A higher body fat percentage (SD:8.5%) increased risk of Jass type 1 CRC (OR: 2.59, 95% CI: 1.49, 4.48; p-value = 0.001), which was greater than Jass type 4 CRC (p-difference: 0.03). INTERPRETATION: Body size was more strongly linked to the serrated (Jass types 1 and 2) and alternate (Jass type 3) pathways of colorectal carcinogenesis in comparison to the traditional pathway (Jass type 4). FUNDING: Cancer Research UK, National Institute for Health Research, Medical Research Council, National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute, American Institute for Cancer Research, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Prevent Cancer Foundation, Victorian Cancer Agency, Swedish Research Council, Swedish Cancer Society, Region Västerbotten, Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, Lion's Cancer Research Foundation, Insamlingsstiftelsen, Umeå University. Full funding details are provided in acknowledgements.

Cephalometric analysis of patients with beta thalassemia receiving fetal hemoglobin induction therapy.

Objective: We aimed to determine the effects of fetal hemoglobin induction therapy in restricting or even reversing the cephalometric changes associated with beta thalassemia. Materials and methods: In this comparative observational study, 90 participants were equally divided into three groups: a control group; patients with thalassemia major receiving blood transfusion (BT group); and patients receiving induction therapy (i.e., hydroxyl urea (5-10 mg/kg/day) or as much as 20 mg/kg/day) and thalidomide (2-10 mg/kg/day) along with blood transfusion (IT group). All patients underwent history taking and examination, photographic assessment, and radiographic evaluation with a lateral cephalogram. One-way ANOVA followed by post-hoc Tukey test was used to determine differences among groups. Results: The IT group differed significantly from the BT group in all photographic and skull table parameters, and most cephalometric parameters, such as facial angle (p ≤ 0.001), middle and lower facial heights (p ≤ 0.001), and inter-incisal angle (p = 0.036); the mean values in the IT group were similar to those in the control group. In-addition, dental and soft tissue measurements significantly differed among groups. For most parameters, the mean difference indicated higher values in the BT group. Conclusion: Induction therapy appeared to improve the facial angles, heights, and inter-incisal angles, whereas a class II skeletal pattern was observed in the transfusion only group. These findings suggest that fetal hemoglobin induction therapy might have restricted some of the cephalometric changes in patients with beta thalassemia.

Background Subtraction Angiography with Deep Learning Using Multi-frame Spatiotemporal Angiographic Input.

Catheter Digital Subtraction Angiography (DSA) is markedly degraded by all voluntary, respiratory, or cardiac motion artifact that occurs during the exam acquisition. Prior efforts directed toward improving DSA images with machine learning have focused on extracting vessels from individual, isolated 2D angiographic frames. In this work, we introduce improved 2D + t deep learning models that leverage the rich temporal information in angiographic timeseries. A total of 516 cerebral angiograms were collected with 8784 individual series. We utilized feature-based computer vision algorithms to separate the database into "motionless" and "motion-degraded" subsets. Motion measured from the "motion degraded" category was then used to create a realistic, but synthetic, motion-augmented dataset suitable for training 2D U-Net, 3D U-Net, SegResNet, and UNETR models. Quantitative results on a hold-out test set demonstrate that the 3D U-Net outperforms competing 2D U-Net architectures, with substantially reduced motion artifacts when compared to DSA. In comparison to single-frame 2D U-Net, the 3D U-Net utilizing 16 input frames achieves a reduced RMSE (35.77 ± 15.02 vs 23.14 ± 9.56, p < 0.0001; mean ± std dev) and an improved Multi-Scale SSIM (0.86 ± 0.08 vs 0.93 ± 0.05, p < 0.0001). The 3D U-Net also performs favorably in comparison to alternative convolutional and transformer-based architectures (U-Net RMSE 23.20 ± 7.55 vs SegResNet 23.99 ± 7.81, p < 0.0001, and UNETR 25.42 ± 7.79, p < 0.0001, mean ± std dev). These results demonstrate that multi-frame temporal information can boost performance of motion-resistant Background Subtraction Deep Learning algorithms, and we have presented a neuroangiography domain-specific synthetic affine motion augmentation pipeline that can be utilized to generate suitable datasets for supervised training of 3D (2d + t) architectures.

Cultural context index: A geospatial measure of social determinants of health in the United States.

Minority populations will continue to grow in the United States. Such pluralism necessitates iterative, geospatial measurements of cultural contexts. Our objective in this study was to create a measure of social determinants of health in geographic areas with varying ethnic, linguistic, and religious diversity in the United States. We extracted geographic information systems data based on community characteristics that have known associations with population health disparities from 2015 to 2019. We used principal component analysis to construct a Cultural Context Index (CCI). We created the CCI for 73,682 census tracts across 50 states and five inhabited territories. We identified hot and cold spots that are the highest and lowest CCI quintile, respectively. Hot spots census tracts were mostly located in metropolitan areas (84.8%), in the Southern census region (41.5%), and also had larger Black and Hispanic populations. The census tracts with the greatest need for culturally competent health care also had the sickest populations. Census tracts with a CCI rank of 5 ('greatest need') had higher prevalences of self-reported poor physical health (17.2%) and poor mental health (17.4%), compared to either the general population (13.9% and 14.5%) or to CCI rank of 1 ('lowest need') (11.9% and 10.8%). The CCI can pinpoint census tracts with a need for culturally competent health care and inform supply-side policy planning as healthcare and social service providers will inevitably come in contact with consumers from different backgrounds.

Epidemiologic Factors in Relation to Colorectal Cancer Risk and Survival by Genotoxic Colibactin Mutational Signature.

BACKGROUND: The genotoxin colibactin causes a tumor single-base substitution (SBS) mutational signature, SBS88. It is unknown whether epidemiologic factors' association with colorectal cancer risk and survival differs by SBS88. METHODS: Within the Genetic Epidemiology of Colorectal Cancer Consortium and Colon Cancer Family Registry, we measured SBS88 in 4,308 microsatellite stable/microsatellite instability low tumors. Associations of epidemiologic factors with colorectal cancer risk by SBS88 were assessed using multinomial regression (N = 4,308 cases, 14,192 controls; cohort-only cases N = 1,911), and with colorectal cancer-specific survival using Cox proportional hazards regression (N = 3,465 cases). RESULTS: 392 (9%) tumors were SBS88 positive. Among all cases, the highest quartile of fruit intake was associated with lower risk of SBS88-positive colorectal cancer than SBS88-negative colorectal cancer [odds ratio (OR) = 0.53, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.37-0.76; OR = 0.75, 95% CI 0.66-0.85, respectively, Pheterogeneity = 0.047]. Among cohort studies, associations of body mass index (BMI), alcohol, and fruit intake with colorectal cancer risk differed by SBS88. BMI ≥30 kg/m2 was associated with worse colorectal cancer-specific survival among those SBS88-positive [hazard ratio (HR) = 3.40, 95% CI 1.47-7.84], but not among those SBS88-negative (HR = 0.97, 95% CI 0.78-1.21, Pheterogeneity = 0.066). CONCLUSIONS: Most epidemiologic factors did not differ by SBS88 for colorectal cancer risk or survival. Higher BMI may be associated with worse colorectal cancer-specific survival among those SBS88-positive; however, validation is needed in samples with whole-genome or whole-exome sequencing available. IMPACT: This study highlights the importance of identification of tumor phenotypes related to colorectal cancer and understanding potential heterogeneity for risk and survival.

Topical Diclofenac to Manage Opioid-Refractory Pain in a Rare Pancreatic Fibrosarcoma.

Pancreatic cancer is often diagnosed at an advanced stage and is frequently associated with severe pain. Traditional pain management in this condition may be improved with the use of topical diclofenac. A 39-year-old man with advanced pancreatic fibrosarcoma metastatic to the thoracic spine presented to the hospital with severe abdominal pain refractory to escalating doses of opioids. A celiac plexus block produced significant, yet inadequate, pain reduction. Satisfactory pain control and opioid de-escalation were ultimately achieved with the application of topical diclofenac gel to an area of bony metastasis. This case illustrates the potential for pain control using topical diclofenac in patients with pancreatic soft tissue tumors and vertebral metastases. Topical diclofenac may exert antitumoral effects and targeted application may improve absorption, leading to improved pain control. The use of topical diclofenac for pain management in metastatic pancreatic cancer presents an interesting tool that should be considered in similar cases.

Genotoxic colibactin mutational signature in colorectal cancer is associated with clinicopathological features, specific genomic alterations and better survival.

Background and Aims: The microbiome has long been suspected of a role in colorectal cancer (CRC) tumorigenesis. The mutational signature SBS88 mechanistically links CRC development with the strain of Escherichia coli harboring the pks island that produces the genotoxin colibactin, but the genomic, pathological and survival characteristics associated with SBS88-positive tumors are unknown. Methods: SBS88-positive CRCs were identified from targeted sequencing data from 5,292 CRCs from 17 studies and tested for their association with clinico-pathological features, oncogenic pathways, genomic characteristics and survival. Results: In total, 7.5% (398/5,292) of the CRCs were SBS88-positive, of which 98.7% (392/398) were microsatellite stable/microsatellite instability low (MSS/MSI-L), compared with 80% (3916/4894) of SBS88 negative tumors (p=1.5x10-28). Analysis of MSS/MSI-L CRCs demonstrated that SBS88 positive CRCs were associated with the distal colon (OR=1.84, 95% CI=1.40-2.42, p=1x10-5) and rectum (OR=1.90, 95% CI=1.44-2.51, p=6x10-6) tumor sites compared with the proximal colon. The top seven recurrent somatic mutations associated with SBS88-positive CRCs demonstrated mutational contexts associated with colibactin-induced DNA damage, the strongest of which was the APC:c.835-8A>G mutation (OR=65.5, 95%CI=39.0-110.0, p=3x10-80). Large copy number alterations (CNAs) including CNA loss on 14q and gains on 13q, 16q and 20p were significantly enriched in SBS88-positive CRCs. SBS88-positive CRCs were associated with better CRC-specific survival (p=0.007; hazard ratio of 0.69, 95% CI=0.52-0.90) when stratified by age, sex, study, and by stage. Conclusion: SBS88-positivity, a biomarker of colibactin-induced DNA damage, can identify a novel subtype of CRC characterized by recurrent somatic mutations, copy number alterations and better survival. These findings provide new insights for treatment and prevention strategies for this subtype of CRC.

A Novel Percutaneous Snare-Assisted Manipulation and Repositioning of a ProtekDuo Cannula in a COVID-19 Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome.

Venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation [VV-ECMO] has gained increasing notoriety during the COVID-19 pandemic as a salvation therapy for fulminant respiratory failure. Various configurations can present unique challenges in management. For instance, the ProtekDuo cannula is a 29Fr to 31Fr dual-lumen cannula inserted by way of the right internal jugular vein that allows for right atrium to pulmonary artery bypass with an attached oxygenator, essentially resulting in VV-ECMO. Understanding that these different configurations inevitably dictate the types of complications that can arise during the circuit implantation and management is imperative. However, in a hemodynamically unstable patient, time or resources may not permit standard maneuvers for management. In conclusion, we present an innovative, percutaneous approach which allowed the restoration of flow and oxygenation in a decompensating ProtekDuo patient without having to explant/disconnect the circuit or implant a new VV-ECMO circuit.

Clinico-epidemiological profile of non-survivors of COVID-19 during the last two waves in a tertiary care hospital of North India: A retrospective descriptive study.

Background: SARS-CoV-causing COVID-19 resulted in mortality, and the clinic-epidemiological profile at the time of admission of patients who died later could provide an insight into pathophysiological consequences due to infection. Method: Retrospective observational study of 64 RTPCR-confirmed COVID-19 non-survivors was conducted from April - June 2021 and January February 2022. Data were analyzed, and a P value<0.05 was taken as significant. Results: 60.94% and 39.06 % were males and females, and 26.57% & 73.43 % of patients had moderate and severe disease, respectively. Fever, cough, and dyspnea were the most common presenting symptoms. 78.12% and 21.88% had pre-existing (diabetes and hypertension were most common) and no co-morbidities, respectively. 65.62 & 17.19 % of patients had bilateral and unilateral ground glass opacities, respectively. Thrombocytopenia, lymphopenia, neutrophilia, elevated monocytes, and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) of 7.52 were hematological findings. D dimer was elevated. ABG showed low PaO2 and SPO2 %. ALT and AST were elevated. Tachycardia was also present. Compared to the first wave, no significant association of gender with severity was found. However, the percentage of male patients was higher. The association of the duration of stay and co-morbidity with disease severity was significant in both the first and subsequent waves of COVID-19. Conclusion: Co-morbidity, disease severity, and radiological lung opacities play a role in the outcome of COVID-19. The associated findings are hematological, renal, liver, cardiovascular, and arterial blood gas derangements.

Mapping the Heartbeat of America with ChatGPT-4: Unpacking the Interplay of Social Vulnerability, Digital Literacy, and Cardiovascular Mortality in County Residency Choices.

Cardiovascular disease remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States (US). Although high-quality data are accessible in the US for cardiovascular research, digital literacy (DL) has not been explored as a potential factor influencing cardiovascular mortality, although the Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) has been used previously as a variable in predictive modeling. Utilizing a large language model, ChatGPT4, we investigated the variability in CVD-specific mortality that could be explained by DL and SVI using regression modeling. We fitted two models to calculate the crude and adjusted CVD mortality rates. Mortality data using ICD-10 codes were retrieved from CDC WONDER, and the geographic level data was retrieved from the US Department of Agriculture. Both datasets were merged using the Federal Information Processing Standards code. The initial exploration involved data from 1999 through 2020 (n = 65,791; 99.98% complete for all US Counties) for crude cardiovascular mortality (CCM). Age-adjusted cardiovascular mortality (ACM) had data for 2020 (n = 3118 rows; 99% complete for all US Counties), with the inclusion of SVI and DL in the model (a composite of literacy and internet access). By leveraging on the advanced capabilities of ChatGPT4 and linear regression, we successfully highlighted the importance of incorporating the SVI and DL in predicting adjusted cardiovascular mortality. Our findings imply that just incorporating internet availability in the regression model may not be sufficient without incorporating significant variables, such as DL and SVI, to predict ACM. Further, our approach could enable future researchers to consider DL and SVI as key variables to study other health outcomes of public-health importance, which could inform future clinical practices and policies.

Mask region-based CNNs for cervical cancer progression diagnosis on pap smear examinations.

This research presents a novel approach for cervical cancer detection and segmentation using tissue images with multiple cells. The study employs a novel deep learning architecture based on Mask Region-Based Convolutional Neural Network (RCNN) and statistical analysis. This new architecture enables us to achieve a high percentage of detection and pix-to-pix area segmentation. A mean Average Precision (mAP) higher than 60% for 3-class and 5-class was achieved. In addition, higher F1-scores of 70% for 3-class and 5-class were obtained. This investigation is a collaborative work, where a medical consultant collected the samples from the Papanicolaou (Pap) Smear examination and labeled the cells presented to the liquid-based cytology (LBC). Furthermore, the online available benchmark data set, SIPaKMeD, was also utilized. Additionally, sample images from the Mendeley data set were also labeled by the trained medical consultant for comparison. The proposed scheme automatically generates a full report for a medical consultant to identify the location of the malicious cells in the given images and expedite the diagnosis and treatment process.

Beyond the surface: analyzing etomidate and propofol as anesthetic agents in electroconvulsive therapy-A systematic review and meta-analysis of seizure duration outcomes.

Background: Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a widely used treatment for severe psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, depression, and mania. The procedure involves applying brief electrical stimulation to induce a seizure, and anesthesia is used to ensure sedation and muscle relaxation. Finding the right anesthetic agent with minimal side effects, especially on seizure duration, is crucial for optimal outcomes because seizure duration is an important factor in the effectiveness of ECT, but the anesthetic agents used can affect it. Objective: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to pool the results of all relevant studies comparing the two induction agents, etomidate and propofol, for motor and electroencephalogram (EEG) seizure duration outcomes. Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted in the PubMed, Medline, and Cochrane Library databases to identify the relevant articles. The primary outcome measures were motor and EEG seizure durations. Statistical power was ensured by performing heterogeneity, publication bias, sensitivity analysis, and subgroup analysis. Standard mean difference and 95% confidence intervals were calculated for continuous outcomes, and a random-effects model was used. Results: A total of 16 studies were included in this meta-analysis, comprising 7 randomized control trials (RCTs), 7 crossover trials, and 2 cohorts. The overall motor seizure duration was statistically significantly longer with etomidate than with propofol. The overall result for EEG seizure duration was also longer with the use of etomidate over propofol and was statistically significant. In addition, subgrouping was performed based on the study design for both outcomes, which showed insignificant results in the cohort's subgroup for both outcomes, while the RCTs and crossover subgroups supported the overall results. Heterogeneity was assessed through subgrouping and sensitivity analysis. Conclusion: Our meta-analysis found that etomidate is superior to propofol in terms of motor and EEG seizure duration in ECT, implying potentially better efficacy. Hence, etomidate should be considered the preferred induction agent in ECT, but larger studies are needed to further validate our findings.

Case Report: It's not always about the veins; intervention of bilateral May-Thurner Syndrome secondary to iliac aneurysm.

May-Thurner Syndrome (MTS) remains evasive because of the insidiousness and variable etiologies by which it can manifest. In this study, we examine a unique presentation of MTS resulting from compression of both common iliac veins by a right common iliac artery aneurysm that required complex endovascular venous and arterial intervention.

Factors Associated With Fecal Microbiota Transplant Failure in the Treatment of Recurrent Clostridioides difficile Infection: A Single-Center Retrospective Study.

Background Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is a major cause of hospital-acquired diarrhea and is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. Recurrences following treatment are common. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is a therapeutic intervention in which stool from a healthy donor is administered to a patient with recurrent CDI. Studies to date of predictors of FMT failure have primarily included inpatients. In this study, we aimed to describe FMT failure rates within one year of FMT and evaluate factors associated with FMT failure. Methodology We conducted an exploratory retrospective study of consecutive patients who underwent outpatient FMT at a single tertiary care center in Western Massachusetts from December 2014 through September 2018. We collected patient data including demographics, CDI-related factors, and FMT-related factors. FMT failure was defined as non-response or recurrence of diarrhea, associated with positive stool C. difficile toxin or polymerase chain reaction. Unadjusted relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence intervals for factors associated with FMT failure were estimated using log-binomial regression. Results A total of 92 patients were included with a mean age of 64 years. CDI severity was mild or moderate in 73% and severe or fulminant in 27%. The most common FMT indication was recurrent CDI in 76% of patients. FMT failure occurred in 25 of 92 (27%) patients, with half occurring within 11 days. Factors associated with FMT failure were active malignancy (RR = 2.56), prior hospitalizations (RR = 2.42), and receipt of non-CDI antibiotics within six months of FMT (RR = 2.80). We did not observe strong associations for risk of FMT failure with age ≥65, sex, use of proton pump inhibitors or H2 receptor agonists, history of colectomy, immunosuppression, history of malignancy, diabetes, appendectomy, CDI severity, or probiotic use. Conclusions Active malignancy, prior CDI hospitalizations, and non-CDI antibiotics within six months before FMT were associated with FMT failure in the outpatient setting. Knowledge of the above factors may help inform shared decision-making with patients at risk for FMT failure.