title: Impact of the biased nucleotide composition of viral RNA genomes on RNA structure and codon usage.

text: We are interested in the influence of nucleotide composition on the fundamental characteristics of the virus RNA genome. Most RNA viruses have genomes with a distinct nucleotide composition, e.g. ranging from minimally 12.9 % to maximally 40.3 % (C- and U-count, respectively, in coronavirus HKU). We present a global analysis of diverse virus types, including plus-strand, minus-strand and double-strand RNA viruses, for the impact of this nucleotide preference on the predicted structure of the RNA genome that is packaged in virion particles and on the codon usage in the viral open reading frames. Several virus-specific features will be described, but also some general conclusions were drawn. Without exception, the virus-specific nucleotide bias was enriched in the unpaired, single-stranded regions of the RNA genome, thus creating an even more striking virus-specific signature. We present a simple mechanism that is based on elementary aspects of RNA structure folding to explain this general trend. In general, the nucleotide bias was the major determinant of the virus-specific codon usages, thus limiting a role for codon selection and translational control. We will discuss molecular and evolutionary scenarios that may be responsible for the diverse nucleotide biases of RNA viruses.


title: Isothermal nucleic acid amplification technologies for point-of-care diagnostics: a critical review.

text: Nucleic Acid Testing (NAT) promises rapid, sensitive and specific diagnosis of infectious, inherited and genetic disease. The next generation of diagnostic devices will interrogate the genetic determinants of such conditions at the point-of-care, affording clinicians prompt reliable diagnosis from which to guide more effective treatment. The complex biochemical nature of clinical samples, the low abundance of nucleic acid targets in the majority of clinical samples and existing biosensor technology indicate that some form of nucleic acid amplification will be required to obtain clinically relevant sensitivities from the small samples used in point-of-care testing (POCT). This publication provides an overview and thorough review of existing technologies for nucleic acid amplification. The different methods are compared and their suitability for POCT adaptation are discussed. Current commercial products employing isothermal amplification strategies are also investigated. In conclusion we identify the factors impeding the integration of the methods discussed in fully automated, sample-to-answer POCT devices.


title: Seeding and Implantation of a Biosynthetic Tissue-engineered Tracheal Graft in a Mouse Model.

text: Treatment options for congenital or secondary long segment tracheal defects have historically been limited due to an inability to replace functional tissue. Tissue engineering holds great promise as a potential solution with its ability to integrate cells and signaling molecules into a 3-dimensional scaffold. Recent work with tissue engineered tracheal grafts (TETGs) has seen some success but their translation has been limited by graft stenosis, graft collapse, and delayed epithelialization. In order to investigate the mechanisms driving these issues, we have developed a mouse model for tissue engineered tracheal graft implantation. TETGs were constructed using electrospun polymers polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polyurethane (PU) in a mixture of PET and PU (20:80 percent weight). Scaffolds were then seeded using bone marrow mononuclear cells isolated from 6-8 week-old C57BL/6 mice by gradient centrifugation. Ten million cells per graft were seeded onto the lumen of the scaffold and allowed to incubate overnight before implantation between the third and seventh tracheal rings. These grafts were able to recapitulate the findings of stenosis and delayed epithelialization as demonstrated by histological analysis and lack of Keratin 5 and Keratin 14 basal epithelial cells on immunofluorescence. This model will serve as a tool for investigating cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in host remodeling.


title: Coagulation Abnormalities and Thrombosis in Patients Infected With SARS-CoV-2 and Other Pandemic Viruses.

text: The world is amid a pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2. Severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus causes serious respiratory tract infections that can lead to viral pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, and death. Some patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have an activated coagulation system characterized by elevated plasma levels of d-dimer-a biomarker of fibrin degradation. Importantly, high levels of D-dimer on hospital admission are associated with increased risk of mortality. Venous thromboembolism is more common than arterial thromboembolism in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Pulmonary thrombosis and microvascular thrombosis are observed in autopsy studies, and this may contribute to the severe hypoxia observed in COVID-19 patients. It is likely that multiple systems contribute to thrombosis in COVID-19 patients, such as activation of coagulation, platelet activation, hypofibrinolysis, endothelial cell dysfunction, inflammation, neutrophil extracellular traps, and complement. Targeting these different pathways may reduce thrombosis and improve lung function in COVID-19 patients.


title: Transurethral removal of a cystic urolith in a mare using a laparoscopic specimen pouch.

text: CASE REPORT Cystic urolithiasis is the most common form of urolithiasis reported in horses. In contrast to the gelding or stallion, clinical disease is less common in the mare and manual removal techniques are possible because of their shorter, wider urethral anatomy. However, these manual removal techniques can be traumatic and are limited by the size of the urolith. This report describes the use of a commercial laparoscopic specimen pouch to remove a cystic urolith in a mare. CONCLUSION This approach may allow the extraction of larger uroliths per urethra in the mare, while affording some protection to the mucosa of the bladder neck and urethra.


title: Development of a Sterile Personal Protective Equipment Donning and Doffing Procedure to Protect Surgical Teams from SARS-CoV-2 Exposure during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

text: Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has become an increasingly challenging problem throughout the world. Because of the numerous potential modes of transmission, surgeons and all procedural staff represent a unique population that requires standardized procedures to protect themselves and their patients. Although several protocols have been implemented during other infectious disease outbreaks, such as Ebola virus, no standardized protocol has been published in regard to the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A multidisciplinary team of two surgeons, an anesthesiologist, and an infection preventionist was assembled to create a process with sterile attire adapted from the National Emerging Special Pathogen Training and Education Center (NETEC) donning and doffing process. After editing, a donning procedure and doffing procedure was created and made into checklists. The procedures were simulated in an empty operating room (OR) with simulation of all personnel roles. A "dofficer" role was established to ensure real-time adherence to the procedures. Results: The donning and doffing procedures were printed as one-page documents for easy posting in ORs and procedural areas. Pictures from the simulation were also obtained and made into flow chart-style diagrams that were also posted in the ORs. Conclusions: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a quickly evolving pandemic that has spread all over the globe. With the rapid increase of infections and the increasing number of severely ill individuals, healthcare providers need easy-to-follow guidelines to keep themselves and patients as safe as possible. The processes for donning and doffing personal protective equipment (PPE) presented here provide an added measure of safety to surgeons and support staff to provide quality surgical care to positive and suspected COVID-19-positive patients.


Covid-19: Public health must be "at the core" of global recovery plans, say doctors.


title: Abdominal oxygen saturation for monitoring return of spontaneous circulation in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest using near infrared spectrophometry.

text: AIM We used near-infrared spectrophotometry to assess the initial and final abdominal and cerebral saturations during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) of patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest to determine if there is a correlation between increase in these saturation values and return of spontaneous circulation. MATERIALS AND METHODS We evaluated 34 patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest without witnesses brought to our emergency department. Abdominal and cerebral saturations were measured using near-infrared spectrophotometry from the start of CPR. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation was performed for a maximum of 30 minutes. The effect of abdominal saturations in patients with or without spontaneous circulation restored through CPR was then assessed. RESULTS Thirty-four patients (17 males + females) with a mean age of 63.06 ± 11.66 years were included in the study. A significant correlation was determined between increase in abdominal saturations measured at the start and end of CPR and the return of spontaneous circulation (P < .001). A good positive correlation was also identified between abdominal saturation and return of spontaneous circulation. CONCLUSION Patients with increased abdominal and cerebral saturation values have a higher survival rate after appropriate CPR. This noninvasive measurement system and monitoring of patients during CPR may be a good method of predicting return of spontaneous circulation and assessing abdominal perfusion.


title: Retroperitoneoscopic donor nephrectomy with a gel-sealed hand-assist access device.

text: BACKGROUND The hand-assisted technique enables the rapid extraction of the graft, shortening the warm ischemia time (WIT), and the retroperitoneoscopic approach is potentially associated with a less incidence of postoperative ileus in donor nephrectomy for living kidney transplantation. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of retroperitoneoscopic donor nephrectomy with a gel-sealed hand-assist access device (GelPort), which is a wound sealing device that permits the access of the hand to the surgical field, free trocar site choice within it, and rapid conversion to open surgery if necessary, while preserving the pneumoperitoneum/pneumoretroperitoneum. METHODS Seventy-five consecutive donors receiving this procedure were retrospectively studied. A 2-cm skin incision was made at the midpoint between the tip of the 12th rib and superior border of the iliac bone in the midaxillary line, through which retroperitoneal space was made. Preperitoneal wound with a 6 - 7-cm pararectal incision in the upper abdominal region was connected to the retroperitoneal space. A GelPort was put inside the pararectal surgical wound. The principle was pure retroperitoneoscopic surgery; hand-assist was applied for retraction of the kidney in the renal vessel control and graft extraction. RESULTS The mean operation time including waiting time for recipient preparation was 242.2±37.0 (range: 214.0-409.0) min, and the mean amount of blood loss was 164.3±146.6 (range: 10.0-1020.0) ml. The mean WIT was 2.8±1.0 (range: 1.0-6.0) min. The shortage of renal vessels or ureter was observed in none of the grafts. No donor experienced blood transfusion, open conversion, or injury of other organs. Blood loss was greater in patients with body mass index (BMI) of 25 kg/m2 or higher than in those with BMI of <25 kg/m2 (218.4±98.8 vs. 154.8±152.1 ml, P=0.031). No donor had postoperative ileus or reported wound pain leading to decreased activity of daily life or wound cosmetic problem. CONCLUSIONS Retroperitoneoscopic hand-assisted donor nephrectomy with the mentioned approach was suggested to be a feasible option without compromising safety, although further improvement in surgical techniques is warranted.


title: Treatment in patients who are not eligible for intravenous alteplase: MR CLEAN subgroup analysis.

text: BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Patients with acute ischemic stroke due to intracranial large vessel occlusion benefit from intra-arterial therapy. Uncertainty exists about the effect of intra-arterial therapy in patients with contraindications for treatment with intravenous alteplase treatment. Our aim was to describe the clinical characteristics of this subgroup of patients and whether intra-arterial therapy is as safe and effective as it is after intravenous alteplase treatment. METHODS All 500 MR CLEAN patients were included and we distinguished between patients who were and were not treated with intravenous alteplase treatment. We estimated the effect of intra-arterial therapy on the shift on the modified Rankin Scale score with ordinal logistic regression analysis and tested for interaction of intravenous alteplase treatment with intra-arterial therapy on outcome. Furthermore, safety parameters and serious adverse events were analyzed. RESULTS Fifty-five patients (11%) were not treated with intravenous alteplase treatment, mostly because of prolonged coagulation time tests or recent surgery. These patients were older and more often had atrial fibrillation or other vascular comorbidity. There was no interaction between intravenous alteplase treatment and intervention effect (p = 0.927). Intra-arterial therapy effect size in patients without intravenous alteplase treatment was 2.06 [95% CI: 0.69-6.13] and in patients with intravenous alteplase treatment 1.71 [95% CI: 1.22-2.40]. There were no safety issues. CONCLUSIONS For patients with acute ischemic anterior circulation stroke caused by intracranial large vessel occlusion, who have contraindications for intravenous alteplase, intra-arterial treatment is not less effective or less safe than in patients who receive the treatment after intravenous alteplase. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION Clinical trial registration-URL: http://www.trialregister.nl. Unique identifier: (NTR)1804.Clinical trial registration-URL: http://www.controlled-trials.com. Unique identifier: ISRCTN10888758.


Delivering healthcare at distance to cardiac patients during the COVID-19 pandemic: Experiences from clinical practice.


Prevalence of equine coronavirus in nasal secretions from horses with fever and upper respiratory tract infection.


title: Understanding the impact of simulated patients on health care learners' communication skills: a systematic review.

text: CONTEXT Effective communication skills are at the core of good health care. Simulated patients (SPs) are increasingly engaged as an interactive means of teaching, applying and practising communication skills with immediate feedback. There is a large body of research into the use of manikin-based simulation but a gap exists in the body of research on the effectiveness of SP-based education to teach communication skills that impact patient outcomes. The aim of this systematic review was to critically analyse the existing research, investigating whether SP-based communication skills training improves learner-patient communication, how communication skill improvement is measured, and who measures these improvements. METHODS The databases Medline, ProQuest (Health & Medical Complete, Nursing and Allied Health Source) and CINAHL (EBSCOhost) Education Resources Information Centre (ERIC) were searched for articles that investigated the effects of SP-based education on the communication skills of medical, nursing and allied health learners. RESULTS There were 60 studies included in the review. Only two studies reported direct patient outcomes, one reporting some negative impact, and no studies included an economic analysis. Many studies reported statistically significant third-party ratings of improved communication effectiveness following SP-based education; however, studies were unable to be pooled for meta-analysis because of the outcome collection methods. There were a small number of studies comparing SP with no training at all and there were no differences between communication skills, contradicting the results from studies reporting benefits. Of the 60 studies included for analysis, 54 (90%) met the minimum quality score of 7/11, with four articles (7%) scoring 11/11. CONCLUSION SP-based education is widely accepted as a valuable and effective means of teaching communication skills but there is limited evidence of how this translates to patient outcomes and no indication of economic benefit for this type of training over another method.


title: Single nanoparticle detection and sizing using a nanofiber pair in an aqueous environment.

text: Single-nanoparticle detection and sizing is demonstrated using a nanofiber pair in an aqueous environment. The sizing of nanoparticles with a single radius (100 nm) and of mixed nanoparticles with different radii (100 nm and 170 nm) are both realized, and the experimental results agree well with predictions of Rayleigh-Gans scattering, by taking the inhomogeneous field distribution of the nanofibers into account.


title: Developing and assessing a cadaveric training model for transanal total mesorectal excision: initial experience in the UK and USA.

text: AIM Transanal total mesorectal excision (taTME) has become one of the most promising technical advancements in the surgical treatment of rectal cancer, with rising numbers of surgeons seeking training. We describe our experience with human cadaveric courses for taTME delivered in two countries. METHOD Four fresh human cadaveric workshops conducted in Oxford, UK, in 2015 and two in Chicago, USA, in 2013-2014, trained a total of 52 surgeons. Parameters of operative performance for each delegate were recorded. Previous surgical experience and uptake of taTME in the surgeons' clinical setting were surveyed. RESULTS Forty-seven taTME cases were performed on cadaveric models. Participating surgeons had previous experience in laparoscopic TME surgery and transanal approaches but limited taTME exposure. The purse-string remained occluded throughout in 93% of UK and 60% of US cases. Operative timings for key procedural steps were similar between the two countries with a mean time from start of circumferential dissection to peritoneal entry of 79.5 min (range 25-155). 96% of surgeons dissected transanally to a level S2 or above. The TME specimen quality was complete or near complete in 81%, with improvements noted between the first and second procedure performed. 81% of surgeons surveyed are currently performing taTME in their local hospitals. CONCLUSION Fresh-frozen cadavers provide excellent teaching models for complex pelvic surgery. A structured training curriculum including reading material, dry-lab purse-string practice and postcourse mentorship will provide surgeons with a more complete training package and ongoing support, to ultimately ensure the safe introduction of taTME in the clinical setting.


title: Flow Re-direction Endoluminal Device in treatment of cerebral aneurysms: initial experience with short-term follow-up results.

text: OBJECT Flow diverter (FD) stents are relatively new and important devices in the treatment of cerebral aneurysms. The Flow Re-Direction Endoluminal Device has been recently released for clinical use. The authors' aim in this paper is to report their initial single-center FRED experience with short-term results. METHODS Between February 2012 and May 2013, 33 patients with 37 aneurysms (35 unruptured and 2 previously ruptured aneurysms) were treated with the FRED. Clinical and radiological data of the patients were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS In all patients only 1 device was used without any additional device or material, such as a stent or coil. All procedures were successfully performed. The procedural complication rate was 3% (1 of 33). Thirty patients underwent clinical and radiological follow-up. During the follow-up period, changes in stent morphology, such as "fish mouth" and "foreshortening" phenomena, occurred in 5 patients. The mortality and permanent morbidity rates were 0%. The complete occlusion rates were 32% (6 of 19) at 0-1 month, 67% (8 of 12) at 2-3 months, 80% (4 of 5) at 4-6 months, and 100% (8 of 8) at 7-12 months. The rates for some aneurysms were assessed at more than one time point. CONCLUSIONS The FRED has an ability to serve neurointerventionalists in the treatment of cerebral aneurysms with its different technical advantages. The occlusion rates with FRED are similar to those with other FD devices. However, these short-term results need to be confirmed with mid- and long-term follow-up results of multicenter large series.


title: Stomach Intestinal Pylorus Sparing (SIPS) Surgery for Morbid Obesity: Retrospective Analyses of Our Preliminary Experience.

text: BACKGROUND Although the duodenal switch (DS) has been the most effective weight loss surgical procedure, it is a small minority of the total bariatric surgical cases performed. Modifications that can make the operation technically simpler and reduce a long-term risk of short bowel syndrome would be of benefit. The aim of this study was to detail our initial experience with a modified DS called stomach intestinal pylorus sparing (SIPS) procedure. METHODS Data from patients who underwent a primary SIPS procedure performed by two surgeons at two centers from January 2013 to August 2014 were retrospectively analyzed. All revisions of prior bariatric procedures were excluded. Regression analyses were performed for all follow-up weight loss data. RESULTS One hundred twenty-three patients were available. One hundred two patients were beyond 1 year postoperative, with data available for 64 (62 % followed up). The mean body mass index (BMI) was 49.4 kg/m(2). Two patients had diarrhea (1.6 %), four had abdominal hematoma (3.2 %), and one had a stricture (0.8 %) in the gastric sleeve. Two patients (1.6 %) were readmitted within 30 days. One patient (0.8 %) was reoperated due to an early postoperative ulcer. At 1 year, patients had an average change in BMI of 19 units (kg/m(2)), which was compared to an average of 38 % of total weight loss or 72 % of excess weight loss. CONCLUSIONS Modification of the classic DS to one with a single anastomosis and a longer common channel had effective weight loss results. Morbidity seems comparable to other stapling reconstructive procedures. Future analyses are needed to determine whether a SIPS procedure reduces the risk of future small bowel obstructions and micronutrient deficiencies.


title: High-Risk Aerosol-Generating Procedures in COVID-19: Respiratory Protective Equipment Considerations.

text: The correct selection and utilization of respiratory personal protective equipment is of the utmost importance in the current COVID-19 pandemic. This is especially true for health care workers exposed to high-risk aerosol-generating procedures, including otolaryngologists, ophthalmologists, neurosurgeons, maxillofacial surgeons, and laparoscopic surgeons. This communication provides a review of approved forms of respiratory protection and compares their characteristics, including surgical masks, N95 respirator, elastomeric respirators, powered air-purifying respirators, and controlled air-purifying respirators. For standard airborne precautions, N95 respirator are appropriate for respiratory protection. However, high-risk aerosol-generating procedures may create aerosolization of high viral loads that represent increased risk to health care workers. In these situations, enhanced respiratory protection with filters certified as 99, 100, or HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) may be appropriate.


title: RNA interference-mediated silencing of the respiratory syncytial virus nucleocapsid defines a potent antiviral strategy.

text: We describe the design and characterization of a potent human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) nucleocapsid gene-specific small interfering RNA (siRNA), ALN-RSV01. In in vitro RSV plaque assays, ALN-RSV01 showed a 50% inhibitory concentration of 0.7 nM. Sequence analysis of primary isolates of RSV showed that the siRNA target site was absolutely conserved in 89/95 isolates, and ALN-RSV01 demonstrated activity against all isolates, including those with single-mismatch mutations. In vivo, intranasal dosing of ALN-RSV01 in a BALB/c mouse model resulted in potent antiviral efficacy, with 2.5- to 3.0-log-unit reductions in RSV lung concentrations being achieved when ALN-RSV01 was administered prophylactically or therapeutically in both single-dose and multidose regimens. The specificity of ALN-RSV01 was demonstrated in vivo by using mismatch controls; and the absence of an immune stimulatory mechanism was demonstrated by showing that nonspecific siRNAs that induce alpha interferon and tumor necrosis factor alpha lack antiviral efficacy, while a chemically modified form of ALN-RSV01 lacking measurable immunostimulatory capacity retained full activity in vivo. Furthermore, an RNA interference mechanism of action was demonstrated by the capture of the site-specific cleavage product of the RSV mRNA via rapid amplification of cDNA ends both in vitro and in vivo. These studies lay a solid foundation for the further investigation of ALN-RSV01 as a novel therapeutic antiviral agent for clinical use by humans.


title: Investigation of surgical technique for bronchial stump closure after lobectomy in animal model.

text: OBJECTIVE Bronchial fistulae following lung surgery are associated with high mortality. We examined the histological effects of mucosal ablation as a technique for closing bronchial stumps to prevent bronchial fistulae in an animal model. METHODS Left lower lobectomy was performed in beagles under general anesthesia. The bronchial stumps were closed using one of the following four methods: (A) manual suturing using 3-0 absorbable sutures, (B) ablation of bronchial mucosa with electric cautery and manual sutures, (C) stapling and reinforcement with manual sutures, or (D) ablation and stapling followed by reinforcement with manual sutures. Bronchial stumps were histologically evaluated on postoperative day 14. RESULTS No bronchial fistulae were noted in the animals during the observation period. Histologically, there were no adhesions between the bronchial mucosae at the suture and staple lesions in groups A and C. The bronchial mucosae were adherent at the ablation sites in groups B and D. Inflammatory cells, myofibroblasts, and neovascular vessels were abundant around the ablated lesions. CONCLUSIONS Bronchial mucosal ablation may play a key role in mucosal adhesion and tight union of the bronchial stump.


docid: iiqbasbl

title: Clinical Features of Respiratory Viral Infections Among Inpatients at a Major US Tertiary Care Hospital.

text: OBJECTIVES Respiratory viral illnesses (RVI) are reliably diagnosed by respiratory viral panel using polymerase chain reaction (RVP-PCR); however, owing to the scant data, clinical presentation alone is unreliable in establishing viral etiology. The primary objective of this study was to characterize signs and symptoms of RVI among inpatients in a major tertiary care hospital. METHODS Between 2013 and 2015, adult inpatients with RVI undergoing RVP-PCR were prospectively enrolled in our study. Clinical data were collected by interviews and electronic medical record reviews. Data analysis was performed using χ(2) testing, analysis of variance for continuous variables, and logistic regression modeling. RESULTS Of 421 patients analyzed, 175 (41.7%) had a positive RVP-PCR. Patients were evenly matched at baseline except for renal disease. Multivariate logistic regression modeling demonstrated the following positive correlations: positive RVP-PCR with renal disease (odds ratio [OR] 2.08), cough (OR 2.28), and wheezing (OR 1.8); influenza with cough (OR 5.04), and renal disease (OR 2.17); metapneumovirus with age older than 65 (OR 3.24); respiratory syncytial viruses with wheezing (OR 3.42) and immunosuppression (OR 3.11); and parainfluenza with smoking (OR 3.16). Negative correlations included influenza with anosmia (OR 0.41); rhinovirus/enterovirus with feeling confined to bed (OR 0.3); metapneumovirus with smoking (OR 0.29); and parainfluenza with male sex (OR 0.22). CONCLUSIONS In this descriptive study, we noted specific viral associations with clinical signs and symptoms among 421 inpatients with RVIs. With increasing RVP-PCR use, studies similar to ours may be able to better define the clinical presentation of RVIs and lead to evidence-based, clinical presentation-guided diagnostic and management algorithms.


title: Outcome and Complications of Combined Modified Deep Sclerectomy and Trabeculectomy for Surgical Management of Glaucoma: A Pilot Study.

text: Purpose To report the outcome and complications of a combined surgical technique of modified deep sclerectomy and trabeculectomy (mDST) for glaucoma. Patients and Methods Retrospective study of 44 eyes of 43 patients with open and closed angle glaucoma who underwent mDST. Outcome measures were: Surgical Success with 3 criteria - (i) criterion 1 = intraocular pressure (IOP) ≤21 mmHg or reduced by ≥20% of pre-operative IOP or IOP ≥6 mmHg on 2 consecutive time points after 3 months; (ii) criterion 2 = IOP ≤18 mmHg or reduced by ≥30% of pre-operative IOP or IOP ≥6 mmHg on 2 consecutive time points after 3 months and (iii) criterion 3 = IOP ≤15 mmHg or reduced by ≥40% of pre-operative IOP or IOP ≥6 mmHg on 2 consecutive time points after 3 months; IOP Reduction; Use of Anti-glaucoma Medication; Complications; Visual Acuity and Postoperative Interventions. Results Median follow-up was 40 months (range 24-77 months). At the final follow-up visit, the mean postoperative IOP was 11.5 ± 4.7 mmHg (p<0.0001). Mean number of anti-glaucoma medications decreased from 2.45 ± 1.21 to 0.54 ± 0.95 (p<0.0001). Surgical success in terms of IOP reduction was 50%; 43.2%; 36.4% for the 3 criteria respectively (complete success) and 70.5%; 56.8%; 47.7% for the 3 criteria respectively (qualified success). The complications noted were shallow/flat anterior chamber in 2 (4.54%), hyphema & bleb leak in 3 (6.81%), aqueous misdirection in 1 (2.27%), hypotonic maculopathy in 2 (4.45%) and hypotony requiring intervention in 6 (13.63%) eyes. Conclusion Combined mDST was found to be an effective surgical procedure in reducing IOP. It was associated with complications commonly encountered in glaucoma filtering surgery. The use of intra-scleral space maintainer may help lower the risk of flat or shallow anterior chamber during the early postoperative period.


title: Hepatic capsular avulsion after video-assisted thoracic biopsy of the lung.

text: We report a life-threatening subcapsular hepatic hemorrhage after VATS, successfully treated with Gelfoam embolization of the right hepatic artery. The postprocedure course was complicated by infarction of the right hepatic lobe.


Single port laparoscopic repair of primary and incisional ventral hernia.


title: Prevalence, Characteristics, Risk Factors, and Outcomes of Invasively Ventilated COVID-19 Patients with Acute Kidney Injury and Renal Replacement Therapy.

text: BACKGROUND There is no information on acute kidney injury (AKI) and continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) among invasively ventilated coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients in Western healthcare systems. OBJECTIVE To study the prevalence, characteristics, risk factors and outcome of AKI and CRRT among invasively ventilated COVID-19 patients. METHODS Observational study in a tertiary care hospital in Milan, Italy. RESULTS Among 99 patients, 72 (75.0%) developed AKI and 17 (17.7%) received CRRT. Most of the patients developed stage 1 AKI (33 [45.8%]), while 15 (20.8%) developed stage 2 AKI and 24 (33.4%) a stage 3 AKI. Patients who developed AKI or needed CRRT at latest follow-up were older, and among CRRT treated patients a greater proportion had preexisting CKD. Hospital mortality was 38.9% for AKI and 52.9% for CRRT patients. CONCLUSIONS Among invasively ventilated COVID-19 patients, AKI is very common and CRRT use is common. Both carry a high risk of in-hospital mortality.


title: The incidence of unacceptable movement with motor evoked potentials during craniotomy for aneurysm clipping.

text: OBJECTIVE To review the experience at a single institution with motor evoked potential (MEP) monitoring during intracranial aneurysm surgery to determine the incidence of unacceptable movement. METHODS Neurophysiology event logs and anesthetic records from 220 craniotomies for aneurysm clipping were reviewed for unacceptable patient movement or reason for cessation of MEPs. Muscle relaxants were not given after intubation. Transcranial MEPs were recorded from bilateral abductor hallucis and abductor pollicis muscles. MEP stimulus intensity was increased up to 500 V until evoked potential responses were detectable. RESULTS Out of 220 patients, 7 (3.2%) exhibited unacceptable movement with MEP stimulation-2 had nociception-induced movement and 5 had excessive field movement. In all but one case, MEP monitoring could be resumed, yielding a 99.5% monitoring rate. CONCLUSIONS With the anesthetic and monitoring regimen, the authors were able to record MEPs of the upper and lower extremities in all patients and found only 3.2% demonstrated unacceptable movement. With a suitable anesthetic technique, MEP monitoring in the upper and lower extremities appears to be feasible in most patients and should not be withheld because of concern for movement during neurovascular surgery.


COVID-19 pneumonia: a risk factor for pulmonary thromboembolism?


title: Viruses causing childhood diarrhoea in the developing world.

text: PURPOSE OF REVIEW Acute gastroenteritis is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in children in the developing world. With improvements in hygiene and sanitation, the burden of disease due to bacterial and parasitic infections has decreased and an increasing proportion of diarrhoea hospitalizations are attributed to viruses. This review focuses on enteric viruses and their role in childhood diarrhoea in the developing world. RECENT FINDINGS With the use of sensitive molecular techniques, it is evident that a significant proportion of childhood diarrhoea is attributable to enteric viruses, with at least one viral agent in nearly 43% of samples from childhood diarrhoea in developing countries. Rotaviruses remain the most common pathogens in children, followed by noroviruses in almost all countries. There is increasing evidence that both rotaviruses and caliciviruses spread beyond the gut in a large proportion of infections. SUMMARY The review highlights the importance of viral agents of gastroenteritis in developing countries. Wider use of molecular techniques is resulting in rapid identification of new or emerging strains and in the detection of extra-intestinal spread. There is a need to better understand susceptibility and immune response to these agents to be able to design suitable interventions.


Approaching Surgical Triage During the COVID-19 Pandemic.


Trainee-Directed Educational Pursuits and Advocacy During the COVID-19 Pandemic.


title: Hospital pharmacist challenges in evaluation of scientific evidence and its incorporation to pharmacotherapeutic protocols through therapeutic committees in COVID-19 times.

text: Type 2 coronavirus pandemics that is plaguing almost all the world has caused qualitative and quantitative strains in health systems that have had to be responded to. The lack of known vaccines and effective treatments has generated the need to use drugs with very little evidence for their incorporation into pharmacotherapeutic protocols agreed by the clinical team. The hospital pharmacist, within the multidisciplinary team, has been responsible for critically evaluating the alternatives and positioning them in these protocols. Finally, some ethical and legal questions that should be considered in this scenario are analyzed in this article.


title: Protocol for a systematic review of randomized trials of knee arthroplasty decision aids and shared decision-making approaches.

text: BACKGROUND Shared decision-making is an approach to making treatment-based decisions that rely on the patient encounter and clear discussions between the patient and the healthcare provider. Patients with arthritis of the knee frequently seek care, and depending on arthritis severity and impact on daily life, joint arthroplasty may be considered as a treatment option. We will conduct a systematic review of shared decision-making trials in knee arthroplasty to determine the types of shared decision-making approaches used and their impact on care received. METHODS Our systematic review will describe and critically appraise shared decision approaches used in randomized trials of patients undergoing knee arthroplasty, the types of outcomes reported, and the impact of these approaches on the patients' care. We will use the following databases: PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and the Cochrane Library, from inception through December 2018. Additionally, we will assess ongoing research by querying experts and searching trial registries. DISCUSSION This study will characterize shared decision-making (SDM) approaches in knee arthroplasty randomized clinical trials and will summarize their effects of SDM on clinical and patient-reported outcomes. We anticipate this review will bring to light knowledge gaps and inform further research into the design and use of shared decision-making approaches in lower extremity arthroplasty. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION PROSPERO CRD42019123586.


Caring for Loved Ones with Cancer during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Double Hit Risk for Social Isolation and Need for Action.


Data transparency: "Nothing has changed since Tamiflu".


title: Long Non-coding RNAs in Pulmonary Neuroendocrine Neoplasms.

text: Pulmonary neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) are classified into low-grade neuroendocrine tumors and high-grade neuroendocrine carcinomas (NECs). There are significant differences in therapeutic strategies of the different NEN subtypes, and therefore, precise classification of pulmonary NENs is critical. However, challenges in pulmonary NEN classification include overlap of diagnostic histological features among the subtypes and reduced or negative expression of neuroendocrine markers in poorly differentiated pulmonary NECs. Recently, transcription factor insulinoma-associated protein 1 (INSM1) was identified as a sensitive marker of neuroendocrine and neuroepithelial differentiation. In this study, INSM1 expression was detected by immunohistochemistry in greater than 94% of pulmonary NENs, indicating that it is a highly sensitive marker of pulmonary NENs and is useful to detect poorly differentiated pulmonary NECs. Although there are well-established morphological and immunohistologic criteria to diagnose pulmonary NENs, there is no universal consensus regarding prognostic markers of pulmonary NENs. Studies have shown that non-small cell lung cancers express long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), which regulate gene expression, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, and carcinogenesis. We characterized expression and function of lncRNAs, including HOX transcript antisense RNA (HOTAIR), maternally expressed 3 (MEG3), and prostate cancer antigen 3 (PCA3) in pulmonary NENs, including typical carcinoid tumors, atypical carcinoid tumors, small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC/NEC), and large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC/NEC). In situ hybridization and real-time polymerase chain reaction studies showed higher expression (p < 0.01) of all lncRNAs in SCLC/NEC. Small interfering RNA studies indicated a role for MEG3 and PCA3 in tumor proliferation. Therefore, these lncRNAs may serve as prognostic indicators of pulmonary NEN aggressiveness and as possible therapeutic targets.


title: [Renal denervation by trans-radial access for resistant hypertension].

text: Renal denervation which consists in the ablation of the sympathetic fibers located in the adventitia of renal arteries is a therapeutic strategy allowing improved arterial hypertension control in patients who do not respond to medical treatment. This technique is currently performed using the femoral approach in the majority of cases. The diameter and the length of the ablation catheters limit their use via the radial route. The most frequent peri-procedural complications are vascular problems. We report here two cases of renal denervation via the trans-humeral and trans-radial routes respectively.


title: Performance of the Minto model for the target-controlled infusion of remifentanil during cardiopulmonary bypass.

text: We studied the predictive performance of the Minto pharmacokinetic model during cardiopulmonary bypass in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Patients received remifentanil target-controlled infusion using the Minto model during total intravenous anaesthesia with propofol. From 56 patients, 275 arterial blood samples were drawn before, during and after bypass to determine the plasma concentration of remifentanil, and the predicted concentrations were recorded at each time. For pooled data, the median prediction error and median absolute prediction error were 21.3% and 21.8%, respectively, and 22.1% and 22.3% during bypass. Both were 148.4% during hypothermic circulatory arrest and measured concentrations were more than three times greater than predicted (26.9 (17.0) vs. 7.1 (1.6) ng.ml-1 ). The Minto model showed considerable bias but overall acceptable precision during bypass. The target concentration of remifentanil should be reduced when using the Minto model during hypothermic circulatory arrest.


title: Comparison of Bispectral Index and Entropy values with electroencephalogram during surgical anaesthesia with sevoflurane.

text: BACKGROUND Concomitantly recorded Bispectral Index® (BIS) and Entropy™ values sometimes show discordant trends during general anaesthesia. Previously, no attempt had been made to discover which EEG characteristics cause discrepancies between BIS and Entropy. We compared BIS and Entropy values, and analysed the changes in the raw EEG signal during surgical anaesthesia with sevoflurane. METHODS In this prospective, open-label study, 65 patients receiving general anaesthesia with sevoflurane were enrolled. BIS, Entropy and multichannel digital EEG were recorded. Concurrent BIS and State Entropy (SE) values were selected. Whenever BIS and SE values showed ≥10-unit disagreement for ≥60 s, the raw EEG signal was analysed both in time and frequency domain. RESULTS A ≥10-unit disagreement ≥60 s was detected 428 times in 51 patients. These 428 episodes accounted for 5158 (11%) out of 45 918 analysed index pairs. During EEG burst suppression, SE was higher than BIS in 35 out of 49 episodes. During delta-theta dominance, BIS was higher than SE in 141 out of 157 episodes. During alpha or beta activity, SE was higher than BIS in all 49 episodes. During electrocautery, both BIS and SE changed, sometimes in the opposite direction, but returned to baseline values after electrocautery. Electromyography caused index disagreement four times (BIS > SE). CONCLUSIONS Certain specific EEG patterns, and artifacts, are associated with discrepancies between BIS and SE. Time and frequency domain analyses of the original EEG improve the interpretation of studies involving BIS, Entropy and other EEG-based indices. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATIONCLINICALTRIALSGOVIDENTIFIER NCT01077674.


title: What we know about primary dysmenorrhea today: a critical review.

text: BACKGROUND Primary dysmenorrhea, or painful menstruation in the absence of pelvic pathology, is a common, and often debilitating, gynecological condition that affects between 45 and 95% of menstruating women. Despite the high prevalence, dysmenorrhea is often poorly treated, and even disregarded, by health professionals, pain researchers, and the women themselves, who may accept it as a normal part of the menstrual cycle. This review reports on current knowledge, particularly with regards to the impact and consequences of recurrent menstrual pain on pain sensitivity, mood, quality of life and sleep in women with primary dysmenorrhea. METHODS Comprehensive literature searches on primary dysmenorrhea were performed using the electronic databases PubMed, Google Scholar and the Cochrane Library. Full-text manuscripts published between the years 1944 and 2015 were reviewed for relevancy and reference lists were cross-checked for additional relevant studies. In combination with the word 'dysmenorrhea' one or more of the following search terms were used to obtain articles published in peer-reviewed journals only: pain, risk factors, etiology, experimental pain, clinical pain, adenomyosis, chronic pain, women, menstrual cycle, hyperalgesia, pain threshold, pain tolerance, pain sensitivity, pain reactivity, pain perception, central sensitization, quality of life, sleep, treatment, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. RESULTS Women with dysmenorrhea, compared with women without dysmenorrhea, have greater sensitivity to experimental pain both within and outside areas of referred menstrual pain. Importantly, the enhanced pain sensitivity is evident even in phases of the menstrual cycle when women are not experiencing menstrual pain, illustrating that long-term differences in pain perception extend outside of the painful menstruation phase. This enhanced pain sensitivity may increase susceptibility to other chronic pain conditions in later life; dysmenorrhea is a risk factor for fibromyalgia. Further, dysmenorrheic pain has an immediate negative impact on quality of life, for up to a few days every month. Women with primary dysmenorrhea have a significantly reduced quality of life, poorer mood and poorer sleep quality during menstruation compared with their pain-free follicular phase, and compared with the menstruation phase of pain-free control women. The prescribed first-line therapy for menstrual pain remains non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, which are effective in relieving daytime and night-time pain. CONCLUSION Further study is needed to determine whether effectively blocking dysmenorrheic pain ameliorates risk for the development of chronic pain disorders and to explore whether it is possible to prevent the development-and not just treat-severe dysmenorrheic pain in adolescent girls. In conclusion, we demonstrate the extensive multi-factorial impact of dysmenorrhea and we encourage and direct researchers to necessary future studies.


title: The Feasibility and Effectiveness of Web-Based Advance Care Planning Programs: Scoping Review.

text: BACKGROUND Advance care planning (ACP) is a process with the overall aim to enhance care in concordance with patients' preferences. Key elements of ACP are to enable persons to define goals and preferences for future medical treatment and care, to discuss these with family and health care professionals, and to document and review these if appropriate. ACP is usually conducted through personal conversations between a health care professional, a patient, and-if appropriate-family members. Although Web-based ACP programs have the potential to support patients in ACP, their effectiveness is unknown. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to assess the feasibility and effectiveness of Web-based, interactive, and person-centered ACP programs. METHODS We systematically searched for quantitative and qualitative studies evaluating Web-based, interactive, and person-centered ACP programs in seven databases including EMBASE, Web of Science, Cochrane Central and Google Scholar. Data on the characteristics of the ACP programs' content (using a predefined list of 10 key elements of ACP), feasibility, and effectiveness were extracted using a predesigned form. RESULTS Of 3434 titles and abstracts, 27 studies met the inclusion criteria, evaluating 11 Web-based ACP programs-10 were developed in the United States and one in Ireland. Studied populations ranged from healthy adults to patients with serious conditions. Programs typically contained the exploration of goals and values (8 programs), exploration of preferences for treatment and care (11 programs), guidance for communication about these preferences with health care professionals or relatives (10 programs), and the possibility to generate a document in which preferences can be recorded (8 programs). Reportedly, participants were satisfied with the ACP programs (11/11 studies), considering them as easy to use (8/8 studies) and not burdensome (7/8 studies). Designs of 13 studies allowed evaluating the effectiveness of five programs. They showed that ACP programs significantly increased ACP knowledge (8/8 studies), improved communication between patients and their relatives or health care professionals (6/6 studies), increased ACP documentation (6/6 studies), and improved concordance between care as preferred by the patients and the decisions of clinicians and health care representatives (2/3 studies). CONCLUSIONS Web-based, interactive, and person-centered ACP programs were mainly developed and evaluated in the United States. They contained the key elements of ACP, such as discussing and documenting goals and preferences for future care. As participants considered programs as easy to use and not burdensome, they appeared to be feasible. Among the 13 studies that measured the effectiveness of programs, improvement in ACP knowledge, communication, and documentation was reported. The concordance between preferred and received care is yet understudied. Studies with high-quality study designs in different health care settings are warranted to further establish the feasibility and effectiveness of Web-based ACP programs.


title: Repurpose Open Data to Discover Therapeutics for COVID-19 using Deep Learning.

text: There have been more than 2.2 million confirmed cases and over 120,000 deaths from the human coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), in the United States alone. However, there are currently lack of proven effective medications against COVID-19. Drug repurposing offers a promising way for the development of prevention and treatment strategies for COVID-19. This study reports an integrative, network-based deep learning methodology to identify repurposable drugs for COVID-19 (termed CoV-KGE). Specifically, we built a comprehensive knowledge graph that includes 15 million edges across 39 types of relationships connecting drugs, diseases, proteins/genes, pathways, and expression, from a large scientific corpus of 24 million PubMed publications. Using Amazon's AWS computing resources and a network-based, deep learning framework, we identified 41 repurposable drugs (including dexamethasone, indomethacin, niclosamide, and toremifene) whose therapeutic association with COVID-19 were validated by transcriptomic and proteomic data in SARS-CoV-2 infected human cells and data from ongoing clinical trials. While this study, by no means recommends specific drugs, it demonstrates a powerful deep learning methodology to prioritize existing drugs for further investigation, which holds the potential of accelerating therapeutic development for COVID-19.


docid: qzzwbsnd

title: Ultrasonic versus monopolar energy-based surgical devices in terms of surgical smoke and lateral thermal damage (ULMOST): a randomized controlled trial.

text: BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to compare the degree of surgical smoke or vapor and lateral thermal damage caused by two different energy-based surgical devices (ESDs) used in colpotomy during total laparoscopic hysterectomy. METHODS Patients undergoing laparoscopic hysterectomy were randomly assigned to an ultrasonic ESD group (n = 20) or monopolar ESD group (n = 20). Colpotomy was performed using the assigned ESD. The degree of surgical smoke or vapor obstructing the laparoscopic view was assessed by two independent reviewers using a 5-point Likert scale, in which a higher score indicates worse visibility. The degree of the lateral thermal damage was measured as the width from the point of instrument application to the margins of the unchanged nearby tissue using a light microscope. RESULTS The baseline characteristics did not statistically differ between the two groups. The degree of surgical smoke or vapor obstructing vision was 1.2 ± 0.8 points in the ultrasonic group and 3.9 ± 0.7 points in the monopolar groups (p < 0.001). The lateral thermal damage was significantly increased in the monopolar group compared to in the ultrasound group (1500 µm [1200-2500 µm] vs. 950 µm [650-1725 µm], p = 0.037). CONCLUSION Ultrasonic ESD had better laparoscopic visibility and caused less lateral thermal damage during colpotomy compared to monopolar device.


title: Disease progression in mice exposed to low-doses of aerosolized clinical isolates of Burkholderia pseudomallei.

text: Mouse models have been essential to generate supporting data for the research of infectious diseases. Burkholderia pseudomallei, the etiological agent of melioidosis, has been studied using mouse models to investigate pathogenesis and efficacy of novel medical countermeasures to include both vaccines and therapeutics. Previous characterization of mouse models of melioidosis have demonstrated that BALB/c mice present with an acute infection, whereas C57BL/6 mice have shown a tendency to be more resistant to infection and may model chronic disease. In this study, either BALB/c or C57BL/6 mice were exposed to aerosolized human clinical isolates of B. pseudomallei. The bacterial strains included HBPUB10134a (virulent isolate from Thailand), MSHR5855 (virulent isolate from Australia), and 1106a (relatively attenuated isolate from Thailand). The LD50 values were calculated and serial sample collections were performed in order to examine the bacterial burdens in tissues, histopathological features of disease, and the immune response mounted by the mice after exposure to aerosolized B. pseudomallei. These data will be important when utilizing these models for testing novel medical countermeasures. Additionally, by comparing highly virulent strains with attenuated isolates, we hope to better understand the complex disease pathogenesis associated with this bacterium.


title: Feasibility of single-site laparoscopic colectomy with complete mesocolic excision for colon cancer: a prospective case-control comparison.

text: BACKGROUND Single-site laparoscopic colectomy (SLC) is an emerging concept that, compared with conventional multiport laparoscopic colectomy (MLC), yields reduced postoperative pain and improved cosmesis. Complete mesocolic excision (CME) is a novel concept for colon cancer surgery that provides improved oncologic outcomes; however, there are no reports of SLC with CME. We conducted a prospective case-control study to evaluate the feasibility and safety of SLC with CME for colon cancer. METHODS Prospectively collected data of patients with stage I-III colon cancer who underwent SLC (n = 150) or MLC (n = 150) between June 2008 and March 2012 were analyzed. Patients who underwent SLC were, in terms of clinical characteristics and tumor location, matched as closely as possible with those undergoing MLC. Within each group, patients were classified as having right-sided (n = 69 in each group) or left-sided (n = 81 in each group) colon cancer, and short-term outcomes were compared between the two procedures overall and per side. RESULTS Overall perioperative outcomes, including operation time, blood loss, number of lymph nodes harvested, length of the resected specimen, and complications, were similar between the two procedures, whereas postoperative pain was significantly lower with SLC. Operation time for right-sided SLC was significantly shortened. SLC with CME was completed successfully in 94 % (65/69) of right-sided cases and in 88 % (71/81) of left-sided cases. Conversion rates were 1.4 % (1/69) and 1.1 % (1/81), respectively. The umbilical scars were nearly invisible 3 months after the procedure, and most patients reported being quite satisfied with the cosmetic outcomes. CONCLUSIONS SLC with CME for colon cancer is feasible when performed by experienced surgeons in selected patients. Excellent cosmesis and reduced postoperative pain as well as oncologic clearance can be expected. A large-scale, prospective, randomized, controlled trial should be conducted to confirm the superiority of this procedure over MLC with CME.


title: Transanal Minimally Invasive Surgery for Rectal Lesions.

text: BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Transanal minimally invasive surgery (TAMIS) has emerged as an alternative to transanal endoscopic microsurgery (TEM). The authors report their experience with TAMIS for the treatment of mid and high rectal tumors. METHODS From November 2011 through May 2016, 31 patients (21 females, 68%), with a median age of 65 years who underwent single-port TAMIS were prospectively enrolled. Mean distance from the anal verge of the rectal tumors was 9.5 cm. Seventeen patients presented with T1 cancer, 10 with large adenoma, 2 with gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) and 2 with carcinoid tumor. Data concerning demographics, operative procedure and pathologic results were analyzed. RESULTS TAMIS was successfully completed in all cases. In 4 (13%) TAMIS was converted to standard Park's transanal technique. Median postoperative stay was 3 days. The overall complication rate was 9.6%, including 1 urinary tract infection, 1 subcutaneous emphysema, and 1 hemorrhoidal thrombosis. TAMIS allowed an R0 resection in 96.8% of cases (30/31 cases) and a single case of local recurrence after a large adenoma resection was encountered. CONCLUSION TAMIS is a safe technique, with a short learning curve for laparoscopic surgeons already proficient in single-port procedures, and provides effective oncological outcomes compared to other techniques.


Profile: Gary Kobinger - "My goal became to prevent death".


title: The emerging relationship between the airway microbiota and chronic respiratory disease: clinical implications.

text: Until recently, relationships between evidence of colonization or infection by specific microbial species and the development, persistence or exacerbation of pulmonary disease have informed our opinions of airway microbiology. However, recent applications of culture-independent tools for microbiome profiling have revealed a more diverse microbiota than previously recognized in the airways of patients with chronic pulmonary disease. New evidence indicates that the composition of airway microbiota differs in states of health and disease and with severity of symptoms and that the microbiota, as a collective entity, may contribute to pathophysiologic processes associated with chronic airway disease. Here, we review the evolution of airway microbiology studies of chronic pulmonary disease, focusing on asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cystic fibrosis. Building on evidence derived from traditional microbiological approaches and more recent culture-independent microbiome studies, we discuss the implications of recent findings on potential microbial determinants of respiratory health or disease.


title: Rapid purification of myxoma virus DNA.

text: A rapid and efficient procedure for the purification of myxoma virus DNA from infected cell cultures is described. The traditional method used for recovery of myxoma virus DNA involves multiple freeze-thawing cycles to disrupt cells and release virions followed by ultracentrifugation to concentrate virions for DNA extraction. Freeze-thaw cycles are time consuming and reduce viral titers, while ultracentrifugation steps limit the number of samples that can be processed at one time, reducing efficiency. In this report an optimized method circumventing the time-consuming techniques and replacing them with rapid, efficient steps adequate for the processing of larger numbers of samples is described. The traditional method was compared with the optimized protocol, which was found to be more efficient in terms of time required to complete the process and in the quantities of DNA purified.


title: Utility of an organ retraction sponge (endoractor) in gynecologic laparoscopic surgery.

text: Because it is minimally invasive, laparoscopic surgery is preferred over open surgery. However, it is often difficult to maintain an adequate surgical field during the procedure. As in open laparotomy, securing an adequate surgical field is important for adequate visualization. We evaluated the effectiveness and safety of the Endoractor, an organ retraction sponge that can be inserted through a 12-mm trocar to secure a surgical field in gynecologic laparoscopic surgery. The Endoractor, a 100% cellulose compressed sponge, can be expanded using physiologic saline solution, with the result that the swollen sponge displaces organs away from the surgical field. Between October 2009 and April 2010, we used the Endoractor in 24 patients, placed in a Trendelenberg position, during laparoscopic surgery. In no patients, even with return to a horizontal position, did the intestines fall into the pelvis, and surgery was easily performed. Mean (SD; 95% CI) operative time was 92.7 (44.5; 74.0-111.6) minutes, and blood loss was 54.1 (73.1; 22.9-82.1) mL. All patients were discharged on postoperative day 3. Even with the patient in a horizontal position without use of the Trendelenberg position, the Endoractor enables a good surgical field to be secured. It remains to be seen whether this device works as well in obese patients.


title: Evaluation for the Clinical Efficacy of Colon Capsule Endoscopy in the Detection of Laterally Spreading Tumors.

text: BACKGROUND AND AIM The manner in which colorectal lesions are being detected with PillCam COLON2 capsule endoscopy (CCE2) has markedly improved in recent days. However, limited data are available on CCE2 for detecting laterally spreading tumors (LSTs). The aim of this study was to compare CCE2 with optical colonoscopy (OC), which is currently the gold standard used in the detection of LSTs. METHODS We performed a prospective, single-academic center study comparing CCE2 with OC in patients with LSTs diagnosed using OC, which was performed during the 3-month period prior to CCE2. We focused on the sensitivity and specificity of CCE2 for detecting LSTs. LSTs were classified into the LST-granular type (LST-G) or the LST-non-granular type (LST-NG). RESULTS Thirty patients (mean age 59.5 years) were enrolled. Of them, 21 LSTs (7 LST-Gs and 14 LST-NGs) were evaluated in this study. The mean diameter of the LSTs was 27 ± 15 mm (range 10-60 mm). Histopathological diagnoses of the LSTs were as follows: tubular adenoma, 12 cases (57%); sessile serrated adenoma/polyp (SSA/P), 4 cases (19%); Tis carcinoma, 1 case (5%); and T1 carcinoma, 4 cases (19 LSTs were found in the following locations: cecum, 1 case (5%); ascending colon, 6 cases (29%); transverse colon, 6 cases, (29%); descending colon, 1 case (5%); sigmoid colon, 3 cases (13%); and rectum, 4 cases (19%). The colon cleansing level was adequate in all cases. The sensitivity and specificity of CCE2 for detecting LSTs were 81 and 100% respectively. For detecting LST-Gs and LST-NGs, the sensitivity and specificity were 71 and 100%, and 86 and 100%, respectively. There were 4 false-negative cases (LST-G (18 mm), cecum; LST-G (20 mm), sigmoid colon; LST-NG (25 mm), transverse colon; LST-NG (20 mm), transverse colon). CONCLUSIONS The sensitivity for detecting LSTs is lower with CCE2 than it is with OC, especially for LSTs located on the right colon or for SSA/P.


title: Smell and taste dysfunction during the COVID-19 outbreak: a preliminary report.

text: In late December 2019, in Wuhan (China), health authorities reported several clusters of pneumo- nia of unknown cause, subsequently attributed to a novel coronavirus, identified as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus 2. Anosmia and dysgeusia have been reported as particular symptoms.4,5 Notably, these sensory symptoms seem to have a peculiar trend, such as usually precede the onset of respiratory symp- toms. So, they have been defined as "sentinel" symptoms. We presented a series of COVID-19 patients. Anos- mia and dysgeusia frequently preceded respiratory complaints. Anosmia and dysgeusia seem to be short-lived and self-resolving in COVID-19, thus a neurotoxic effect swiftly disappearing and/or cytopathic damage could be hypothesized similarly to other viral infections.


title: Garlic for the common cold.

text: BACKGROUND Garlic is alleged to have antimicrobial and antiviral properties that relieve the common cold, among other beneficial effects. There is widespread usage of garlic supplements. The common cold is associated with significant morbidity and economic consequences. On average, children have six to eight colds per year and adults have two to four. OBJECTIVES To determine whether garlic (allium sativum) is effective for either the prevention or treatment of the common cold, when compared to placebo, no treatment or other treatments. SEARCH METHODS We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (2011, Issue 4), which includes the Cochrane Acute Respiratory Infections Group Specialised Register, OLDMEDLINE (1950 to 1965), MEDLINE (January 1966 to November week 3, 2011), EMBASE (1974 to December 2011) and AMED (1985 to December 2011). SELECTION CRITERIA Randomised controlled trials of common cold prevention and treatment comparing garlic with placebo, no treatment or standard treatment. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS Two review authors independently reviewed and selected trials from searches, assessed and rated study quality and extracted relevant data. MAIN RESULTS Of the six trials identified as potentially relevant from our searches, only one trial met the inclusion criteria. This trial randomly assigned 146 participants to either a garlic supplement (with 180 mg of allicin content) or a placebo (once daily) for 12 weeks. The trial reported 24 occurrences of the common cold in the garlic intervention group compared with 65 in the placebo group (P < 0.001), resulting in fewer days of illness in the garlic group compared with the placebo group (111 versus 366). The number of days to recovery from an occurrence of the common cold was similar in both groups (4.63 versus 5.63). Only one trial met the inclusion criteria, therefore limited conclusions can be drawn. The trial relied on self reported episodes of the common cold but was of reasonable quality in terms of randomisation and allocation concealment. Adverse effects included rash and odour. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS There is insufficient clinical trial evidence regarding the effects of garlic in preventing or treating the common cold. A single trial suggested that garlic may prevent occurrences of the common cold but more studies are needed to validate this finding. Claims of effectiveness appear to rely largely on poor-quality evidence.


title: The reliability of the Glasgow Coma Scale: a systematic review.

text: INTRODUCTION The Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) provides a structured method for assessment of the level of consciousness. Its derived sum score is applied in research and adopted in intensive care unit scoring systems. Controversy exists on the reliability of the GCS. The aim of this systematic review was to summarize evidence on the reliability of the GCS. METHODS A literature search was undertaken in MEDLINE, EMBASE and CINAHL. Observational studies that assessed the reliability of the GCS, expressed by a statistical measure, were included. Methodological quality was evaluated with the consensus-based standards for the selection of health measurement instruments checklist and its influence on results considered. Reliability estimates were synthesized narratively. RESULTS We identified 52 relevant studies that showed significant heterogeneity in the type of reliability estimates used, patients studied, setting and characteristics of observers. Methodological quality was good (n = 7), fair (n = 18) or poor (n = 27). In good quality studies, kappa values were ≥0.6 in 85%, and all intraclass correlation coefficients indicated excellent reliability. Poor quality studies showed lower reliability estimates. Reliability for the GCS components was higher than for the sum score. Factors that may influence reliability include education and training, the level of consciousness and type of stimuli used. CONCLUSIONS Only 13% of studies were of good quality and inconsistency in reported reliability estimates was found. Although the reliability was adequate in good quality studies, further improvement is desirable. From a methodological perspective, the quality of reliability studies needs to be improved. From a clinical perspective, a renewed focus on training/education and standardization of assessment is required.


Cardiology integration challenge and opportunity.


title: Potential uses of G-quadruplex-forming aptamers.

text: Guanine quadruplex (G-quadruplex) structures are one of a number of structures which are capable of adopting aptamers. G-rich DNA or RNA has an increased propensity to form quadruplex structures which have unusual biophysical and biological properties. G-rich aptamers which form G-quadruplexes have several advantages over unstructured sequences: G-quadruplexes are non-immunogenic, thermodynamically and chemically stable and they have both higher resistance to various serum nucleases and an enhanced cellular uptake. These advantages have led to a number of synthetic oligonucleotides being studied for their potential use as therapeutic agents for cancer therapy and in the treatment of various other diseases. In addition to their suitability in the fields of medicine and biotechnology, these, highly specified, aptameric G-quadruplexes also have great potential in the further development of nano-devices; e.g. basic components in microarrays, microfluidics, sandwich assays and electrochemical biosensors. This review summarizes the biophysical properties of G-quadruplexes and highlights the importance of the stability and recognition properties of aptamers. Examples of the application of aptamers in medical therapy and in biosensors are also discussed.


title: SARS, MERS, COVID-19: Clinical Manifestations and Organ-System Complications: A Mini Review.

text: Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) are caused by three distinct coronaviruses belonging to the same genus. COVID-19 and its two predecessors share many important features in their clinical presentations, and in their propensity for progression to severe disease which is marked by high rates of morbidity and mortality. However, comparison of the three viral illnesses also reveals a number of specific differences in clinical manifestations and complications, which suggest variability in the disease process. This narrative review delineates the pulmonary, cardiac, renal, gastrointestinal, hepatic, neurological, and hematologic complications associated with these three respiratory coronaviruses. It further describes the mechanisms of immune hyperactivation-particularly cytokine release syndrome-implicated in the multi-organ system injury seen in severe cases of MERS, SARS, and COVID-19.


title: Emerging viruses in transplantation: there is more to infection after transplant than CMV and EBV.

text: Transplant physicians and surgeons are familiar with the risks, clinical behavior, and management of cytomegalovirus in transplant recipients. Donor-transmitted viral infections are uncommon but in recent years have brought to light the clinical manifestations of rabies, West Nile virus, and lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus in the early posttransplant period. Later posttransplant, infection with viruses circulating in the community can occur with a number of pathogens, including some vaccine-preventable illnesses such as measles and mumps. Recent advances in molecular microbiology have made it possible to diagnose a growing number of community-acquired viral pathogens infecting transplant recipients. This article reviews some of the emerging and reemerging viral pathogens infecting solid organ and hematopoietic stem-cell recipients, including adenovirus, bocavirus, coronavirus, human herpesvirus-6, lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus, measles, mumps, metapneumovirus, parainfluenza, rotavirus, respiratory syncytial virus, and West Nile virus.


title: Hospitalization for Chagas disease, dengue, filariasis, leishmaniasis, schistosomiasis, strongyloidiasis, and Taenia solium taeniasis/cysticercosis, Italy, 2011-2016.

text: PURPOSE To analyze epidemiology and burden of Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) in Italy. METHODS We used Hospital Discharge Records and number of residents in Italy to calculate number and rate of hospitalization for Chagas disease, dengue, filariasis, leishmaniasis, schistosomiasis, strongyloidiasis, Taenia solium taeniasis, and cysticercosis by sex, citizenship group, and region in the period 2011-2016. RESULTS 7195 hospitalizations for NTDs were retrieved, accounting for 7375 diagnoses, 60% in Italians and 40% in foreigners. Male-to-female ratio was 2; the age group more commonly affected was 25-44 years (32.5%). The most common diagnoses were leishmaniasis (34%), schistosomiasis (29%), strongyloidiasis (12%), Chagas disease (8%), and dengue (8%). Average yearly hospitalization rate per 100,000 residents for all NTDs was 2.05, 1.33, and 10.39 in general population, Italians, and foreign citizens, respectively. Hospitalization rates higher than 100 per 100,000 subjects were found in citizens from Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and Bolivia. CONCLUSIONS NTDs have a not negligible burden in Italy. The most clinically relevant NTDs in Italy are leishmaniasis and schistosomiasis, followed by strongyloidiasis, Chagas disease, and dengue. Cystic echinococcosis, that was not included in the analysis since a similar study on this disease was recently published, should also be listed among the leading NTD in Italy. While schistosomiasis has its highest burden on population coming from highly endemic areas such as SSA, leishmaniasis is especially relevant in Italian-born residents of southern regions. Education at university and post-graduate levels, to increase the awareness of healthcare professionals on these topics, as well as targeted public health interventions (such as screening or presumptive treatment in high-risk groups), are an asset to improve clinical management and control of these diseases.


docid: oikstukt

title: Single-port versus multiport laparoscopic resection for gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumors: a case-matched comparison.

text: PURPOSE The aim of this study was to compare the outcomes of single-port laparoscopic gastric resection (SPLGR) with multiport laparoscopic gastric resection (MPLGR) for gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs). METHODS Between April 2009 and December 2012, 16 consecutive patients with gastric GISTs underwent SPLGR. The patients undergoing the SPLGR were case-matched for age, sex, body mass index and tumor location with those undergoing MPLGR. The demographic and surgical outcomes were analyzed and compared from the review of a prospectively collected database of 16 patients who underwent MPLGR. RESULTS All 16 patients underwent complete SPLGR without any intraoperative complications. No significant differences were observed in the mean length of the operation (91.4 vs. 94.1 min), blood loss (6.3 vs. 10.1 ml) and length of postoperative hospital stay (4.7 vs. 5.4 days) between the SPLGR and MPLGR groups. The tumor size was similar (37.8 vs. 32.1 mm) and negative surgical margins were achieved in all patients. At a mean follow-up of 27 months, all 16 SPLGR patients were disease-free. CONCLUSIONS Our initial comparison demonstrated that SPLGR, when performed by experienced surgeons, is a safe and feasible procedure for patients with gastric GISTs, resulting in good surgical and oncological outcomes.


title: Repurposing of clinically developed drugs for treatment of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus infection.

text: Outbreaks of emerging infections present health professionals with the unique challenge of trying to select appropriate pharmacologic treatments in the clinic with little time available for drug testing and development. Typically, clinicians are left with general supportive care and often untested convalescent-phase plasma as available treatment options. Repurposing of approved pharmaceutical drugs for new indications presents an attractive alternative to clinicians, researchers, public health agencies, drug developers, and funding agencies. Given the development times and manufacturing requirements for new products, repurposing of existing drugs is likely the only solution for outbreaks due to emerging viruses. In the studies described here, a library of 290 compounds was screened for antiviral activity against Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV). Selection of compounds for inclusion in the library was dependent on current or previous FDA approval or advanced clinical development. Some drugs that had a well-defined cellular pathway as target were included. In total, 27 compounds with activity against both MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV were identified. The compounds belong to 13 different classes of pharmaceuticals, including inhibitors of estrogen receptors used for cancer treatment and inhibitors of dopamine receptor used as antipsychotics. The drugs identified in these screens provide new targets for in vivo studies as well as incorporation into ongoing clinical studies.


title: Impact of newer unidirectional and bidirectional barbed suture on vesicourethral anastomosis during robot-assisted radical prostatectomy and its comparison with polyglecaprone-25 suture: an initial experience.

text: OBJECTIVE To evaluate impact of unidirectional barbed suture on vesicourethral anastomosis (VUA) during robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) and its comparison with Polyglecaprone-25 suture. PATIENTS AND METHODS The study was initiated as pilot study; the participants were grouped into three based on the suture material used for VUA, i.e., monofilament Polyglecaprone-25 (group 1), unidirectional barbed Glycolic acid-trimethylene carbonate (group 2), and bidirectional barbed Polyglycolic acid-polycaprolactone (group 3), respectively. Group 1 was included retrospectively and the latter two prospectively. All cases were operated upon by the same surgeon, proficient in RARP. Patient-demographics, intraoperative and peri-operative data were collected. Our technique of mucosa-to-mucosa VUA is carried out in a choreographed manner using unibarbed suture. RESULTS Fifty-five patients were included; 25 each in group 1 and 2. The group 3 was prematurely closed after 5 cases due to perceived inappropriateness of needle characteristics of the suture material. Therefore, the statistical analysis was performed between group 1 and 2 only. Preoperative characteristics including age, PSA, clinical stage, and biopsy grade were similar between the groups. The anastomosis time was significantly less in group 2 (8.4 ± 1.7 min vs. 14.3 ± 4.8 min; P = 0.0001; t test). Postoperative hospital stay was less in group 2 (2.7 ± 1.1 days vs. 1.9 ± 0.8 days; P = 0.023; Mann-Whitney U). None of the patient had presented with urinary leaks, urinary retention, or anastomotic strictures at follow-up of 6 months. CONCLUSION VUA with unidirectional barbed suture is safe and takes less time compared to monofilament suture as repeated cinching; help of assistance and knot tying are not required by virtue of its self-retaining characteristics.


title: Helium-rich mixtures for improved batch-mode clinical-scale spin-exchange optical pumping of Xenon-129.

text: We present studies of spin-exchange optical pumping (SEOP) using ternary xenon-nitrogen-helium gas mixtures at high xenon partial pressures (up to 1330 Torr partial pressure at loading, out of 2660 Torr total pressure) in a 500-mL volume SEOP cell, using two automated batch-mode clinical-scale 129Xe hyperpolarizers operating under continuous high-power (~170 W) pump laser irradiation. In this pilot study, we explore SEOP in gas mixtures with up to 45% 4He content under a wide range of experimental conditions. When an aluminum jacket cooling/heating design was employed (GEN-3 hyperpolarizer), 129Xe polarization (%PXe) of 55.9 ± 0.9% was observed with mono-exponential build-up rate γSEOP of 0.049 ± 0.001 min-1 for the 4He-rich mixture (1000 Torr Xe/900 Torr He, 100 Torr N2), compared to %PXe of 49.3 ± 3.3% at γSEOP of 0.035 ± 0.004 min-1 for the N2-rich gas mixture (1000 Torr Xe/100 Torr He, 900 Torr N2). When forced-air cooling/heating was used (GEN-2 hyperpolarizer), %PXe of 83.9 ± 2.7% was observed at γSEOP of 0.045 ± 0.005 min-1 for the 4He-rich mixture (1000 Torr Xe/900 Torr He, 100 Torr N2), compared to %PXe of 73.5 ± 1.3% at γSEOP of 0.028 ± 0.001 min-1 for the N2-rich gas mixture (1000 Torr Xe and 1000 Torr N2). Additionally, %PXe of 72.6 ± 1.4% was observed at a build-up rate γSEOP of 0.041 ± 0.003 min-1 for a super-high-density 4He-rich mixture (1330 Torr Xe/1200 Torr 4He/130 Torr N2), compared to %PXe = 56.6 ± 1.3% at a build-up rate of γSEOP of 0.034 ± 0.002 min-1 for an N2-rich mixture (1330 Torr Xe/1330 Torr N2) using forced air cooling/heating. The observed SEOP hyperpolarization performance under these conditions corresponds to %PXe improvement by a factor of 1.14 ± 0.04 at 1000 Torr Xe density and by up to a factor of 1.28 ± 0.04 at 1330 Torr Xe density at improved SEOP build-up rates by factors of 1.61 ± 0.18 and 1.21 ± 0.11 respectively. Record %PXe levels have been obtained here: 83.9 ± 2.7% at 1000 Torr Xe partial pressure and 72.6 ± 1.4% at 1330 Torr Xe partial pressure. In addition to improved thermal stability for SEOP, the use of 4He-rich gas mixtures also reduces the overall density of produced inhalable HP contrast agents; this property may be desirable for HP 129Xe inhalation by human subjects in clinical settings-especially in populations with heavily impaired lung function. The described approach should enjoy ready application in the production of inhalable 129Xe contrast agent with near-unity 129Xe nuclear spin polarization.


title: The SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) pandemic in Hong Kong: effects on the subjective wellbeing of elderly and younger people.

text: OBJECTIVES This study examined the impact of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak in Hong Kong in 2003, on the subjective wellbeing (SWB) of elderly people and a younger comparative sample. The Personal Wellbeing Index (PWI), a contemporary instrument employed to measure SWB, was also examined for its psychometric performance to substantiate its use. METHOD A total of 302 older adults (age 65 + years) and 158 younger adults (age 35-46 years) were recruited from different districts. Data were collected by individual face-to-face interviews. RESULT While elderly people living in severely infected districts showed significantly lower levels of SWB, these levels and those of the younger sample were found to remain within the normative range. A major mitigating factor was an increased sense of community-connectedness. Other characteristics linked to low wellbeing levels included chronic illness, female gender, low education and unemployment. The living districts, characterized by varying extents of infection, had stronger associations with SWB than participants' age. The PWI demonstrated good psychometric performance and also more robustness with elderly people, including its sensitivity to the sense of population threat. CONCLUSION Psychological resilience was identified among both the elderly and younger age-groups in Hong Kong during the SARS pandemic. The PWI is verified as a suitable instrument for SWB measurements.


title: A randomized clinical trial comparing Ligasure versus stapled hemorrhoidectomy.

text: Stapled hemorrhoidectomy (SH) and Ligasure hemorrhoidectomy (LH) are standard for hemorrhoidal disease treatment, but the surgical principle is different. This randomized clinical trial compared the 2 methods. We included 98 patients with grade 3 hemorrhoidal disease: 46 patients treated by SH and 52 patients by LH. Incidence of complications, recurrence, postoperative pain, wound healing time, and time off everyday activity were observed. The follow-up period was 24 months. We found that LH has a significantly shorter wound healing time. The recurrence rate and the overall postoperative complication rate was higher after SH but not significantly (recurrence LH vs. SH: 1.9% vs. 11.1%; complications LH vs. SH: 13.5% vs. 23.9%). Postoperative pain level, analgesic consumption, and time off everyday activity were practically the same in both groups. Both procedures can be used to treat grade 3 hemorrhoidal disease with the same efficacy, but analysis of recurrence after SH is necessary.


title: New method for calcium on the ADVIA analyzer is free from interference of gadolinium-type contrast agents.

text: Recently, Siemens Diagnostics released a new calcium assay (CA_2) based on complex formation of calcium with Arsenazo III dye for use on the three automated, random access ADVIA Chemistry analyzers (1650, 2400, and 1200). We evaluated this method for analytical performance as well as potential interference from gadolinium-containing magnetic contrast agents. With Siemens Chemistry serum and urine controls, 2-levels each, the imprecision for the new method was (n=40 each): within-run and total CV of <2.2 and <3.8%, respectively, over all three platforms. The analytical range/linearity of the method (all three systems) was 1-16 mg/dl (serum or plasma) and 1-32 mg/dl (urine). The new method on all three platforms correlated well with a reference (Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy) method (n=61, range 4.03-10.30 mg/dl). The ADVIA 1650 CA_2 method also correlated well with the Roche Modular system((R)) Calcium method. The new method showed <10% interference with unconjugated or conjugated bilirubin (50 mg/dl), hemoglobin (1,000 mg/dl), lipids (1,000 mg/dl), and two magnetic resonance contrast agents containing Gadolinium (OptiMARK((R)) 1 mmol/l and Omniscan 1.5 mmol/l). On the contrary, the Roche Calcium method showed significant negative interference with gadolinium-containing contrast agents. We conclude that the ADVIA Ca_2 method can measure serum, plasma, or urine calcium concentrations accurately and is also free from interferences of gadolinium-containing agents.


ISTH interim guidance on recognition and management of coagulopathy in COVID-19.


title: Scoping review protocol: effectiveness of individualised nutritional care plans to reduce malnutrition during hospitalisation and up to 3 months after discharge.

text: INTRODUCTION More than 20% of patients are malnourished after hospitalisation. Malnutrition may negatively impact patients' outcomes as it increases the risk of complications, morbidity, mortality and loss of function. However, hospital-initiated transitional care can improve some outcomes in hospitalised adult patients. The objective of this scoping review is to map the literature that assesses the effectiveness of individualised nutritional care plans to reduce malnutrition during hospitalisation and for the first 3 months after discharge. METHODS AND ANALYSIS This protocol is based on the framework outlined by Arksey and O'Malley. The search strategy was developed by a medical librarian. We will search for relevant literature from the following databases: MEDLINE via PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and Embase. We will also search the reference lists of included studies. Two independent reviewers will screen abstracts and full articles in parallel, from the included studies using specific inclusion and exclusion criteria. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis Protocols checklist facilitated the preparation of this research protocol. The scoping review will provide a narrative account of the findings from the existing literature through thematic content analysis of the extracted literature. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION Since all data will be obtained from publicly available materials, research ethics approval is not required for this scoping review. The research findings will be submitted for publication in a relevant open-access peer-reviewed journal and presented at relevant conferences.


title: Predictors and clinical relevance of hemorrhagic transformation after endovascular therapy for anterior circulation large vessel occlusion strokes: a multicenter retrospective analysis of 1122 patients.

text: BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Endovascular techniques are frequently employed to treat large artery occlusion in acute ischemic stroke (AIS). We sought to determine the predictors and clinical impact of intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) after endovascular therapy. METHODS Retrospective analysis of consecutive patients presenting to 13 high volume stroke centers with AIS due to proximal occlusion in the anterior circulation who underwent endovascular treatment within 8 h from symptom onset. Logistic regression was performed to determine the variables associated with ICH, hemorrhagic infarction (HI), and parenchymal hematomas (PHs), as well as 90 day poor outcome (modified Rankin Scale score ≥3) and mortality. RESULTS There were a total of 363 ICHs (overall rate 32.3%; HI=267, 24%; PH=96, 8.5%) among the 1122 study patients (mean age 67±15 years; median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score 17 (IQR 13-20)). Independent predictors for HI included diabetes mellitus (OR 2.27, 95% CI (1.58 to 3.26), p<0.0001), preprocedure IV tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) (1.43 (1.03 to 2.08), p<0.037), Merci thrombectomy (1.47 (1.02 to 2.12), p<0.032), and longer time to puncture (1.001 (1.00 to 1.002), p<0.026). Patients with atrial fibrillation (1.61 (1.01 to 2.55), p<0.045) had a higher risk of PH while the use of IA tPA (0.57 (0.35 to 0.90), p<0.008) was associated with lower chances of PH. Both the presence of HI (2.23 (1.53 to 3.25), p<0.0001) and PH (6.24 (3.06 to 12.75), p<0.0001) were associated with poor functional outcomes; however, only PH was associated with higher mortality (3.53 (2.19 to 5.68), p<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS Greater understanding about the predictors and consequences of ICH post endovascular stroke therapy is essential to improve risk assessment, patient selection/clinical outcomes, and early prognostication. Our data suggest that patients with atrial fibrillation are particularly prone to severe ICH and question the 'benign' nature of HI suggested by earlier studies.


Critical role of laboratory medicine in the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic.


title: Intrapleural migration of a percutaneous transhepatic hemodialysis catheter.

text: Percutaneous transhepatic catheters are a form of nonconventional access for patients requiring hemodialysis. We report a complication of these catheters which has not been previously described in the literature. The mechanism for intrapleural migration and a way to avoid this potential complication are discussed.


title: Single-port cholecystectomy: small scar, short learning curve.

text: BACKGROUND This past year has borne witness to the acceptance of single-port laparoscopic surgery into mainstream clinical practice. This study describes a surgeon's experience with single-port laparoscopic cholecystectomy and delineates a learning curve for this technically demanding procedure utilizing improvements in operative time as a proxy for technical facility. METHODS Through a 2-cm vertical transumbilical incision, three 5-mm ports or SILS™ Ports were placed using the Veress technique. One extracorporeal stay suture was utilized to provide cephalad retraction of the gallbladder fundus, and a roticulating instrument was used at the infundibulum for lateral retraction. The hilum was dissected and the cystic duct and artery were clipped and divided. One 5-mm port was removed and another upgraded to one 10-mm port to allow the introduction of a retrieval bag to facilitate the removal of the gallbladder from the abdomen. Patient demographic data, operative time, length of stay, surgical pathology, and complications were recorded. RESULTS Fifty-two of 54 patients successfully underwent single-port cholecystectomies. Two patients required conversion to either a conventional laparoscopic cholecystectomy or open cholecystectomy. The average age was 41 years and average BMI was 30.2 kg/m(2). Mean operative time was 80 min. Length of stay was 0.3 days. The complication rate was 3/54 (5.5%). When patients were divided into sequential quintiles (n = 10), operative times decreased significantly after the first 10 patients (p = 0.0001) and then remained flat (p = 0.233). Operative times for obese patients (BMI >30) were greater than those for nonobese patients, but these results failed to reach statistical significance (85.3 vs. 69.7 min, p = 0.07). CONCLUSION The significant improvement in operative times after the first quintile followed by consistent results without subsequent variability suggests that the learning curve for the single-port cholecystectomy, in the hands of a fellowship-trained laparoscopic surgeon, is approximately ten cases.


title: Pipeline embolization device for the treatment of vertebral artery aneurysms: the fate of covered branch vessels.

text: INTRODUCTION Preliminary studies suggest that flow-diverting stents may be suitable for the treatment of aneurysms of the posterior circulation. The safety and efficacy of using flow-diverting stents for vertebral artery (VA) aneurysms is not well defined. OBJECTIVE To examine the fate of covering the posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA) in patients undergoing placement of a flow-diverting stent for VA aneurysm. METHODS Consecutive patients who underwent placement of a Pipeline Embolization Device (PED) for treatment of an aneurysm of the V4 segment of the VA between April 2012 and June 2015 at our institution were retrospectively evaluated. Angiograms were reviewed to determine the patency of the PICA when the vessel origin was covered by the PED. RESULTS 11 patients with VA aneurysms who underwent treatment with the PED were identified. In each case the device covered the origin of the PICA. Follow-up angiography in eight patients demonstrated thrombosis of the aneurysm with patency of the PICA. CONCLUSIONS Flow-diverting stents can be used for the treatment of VA aneurysms. When appropriately sized to the vessel wall and positioned in the VA, the device may cover the origin of the PICA without impairing flow through the branching artery.


title: Physical activity for primary dysmenorrhea: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

text: BACKGROUND Primary dysmenorrhea is cramping abdominal pain associated with menses. It is prevalent, affects quality of life, and can cause absenteeism. Although evidence-based medical treatment options exist, women may not tolerate these or may prefer to use nonmedical treatments. Physical activity has been recommended by clinicians for primary dysmenorrhea since the 1930s, but there is still no high-quality evidence on which to recommend its use. OBJECTIVE We sought to determine the effectiveness of physical activity for the treatment of primary dysmenorrhea. STUDY DESIGN Systematic literature searches of MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane, Web of Science, CINAHL, PsycINFO, SPORTDiscus, PEDro, Allied and Complimentary Medicine Database, World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform, Clinicaltrials.gov, and OpenGrey were performed, from database inception to May 24, 2017. Google searches and citation searching of previous reviews were also conducted. Studies were selected using the following PICOS criteria: participants were nonathlete females experiencing primary dysmenorrhea; intervention was physical activity delivered for at least 2 menstrual cycles; comparator was any comparator; outcomes were pain intensity or pain duration; and study type was randomized controlled trials. Study quality was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. Random effects meta-analyses for pain intensity and pain duration were conducted, with prespecified subgroup analysis by type of physical activity intervention. Strength of the evidence was assessed using GRADE. RESULTS Searches identified 15 eligible randomized controlled trials totaling 1681 participants. Data from 11 studies were included in the meta-analyses. Pooled results demonstrated effect estimates for physical activity vs comparators for pain intensity (-1.89 cm on visual analog scale; 95% CI, -2.96 to -1.09) and pain duration (-3.92 hours; 95% CI, -4.86 to -2.97). Heterogeneity for both of these results was high and only partly mitigated by subgroup analysis. Primary studies were of low or moderate methodological quality but results for pain intensity remained stable during sensitivity analysis by study quality. GRADE assessment found moderate-quality evidence for pain intensity and low-quality evidence for pain duration. CONCLUSION Clinicians can inform women that physical activity may be an effective treatment for primary dysmenorrhea but there is a need for high-quality trials before this can be confirmed.