Prognostic value of coronary computed tomography angiography compared to radionuclide myocardial perfusion imaging in patients With coronary stents.

Objectives: The aim of this study is to compare the prognostic value of coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) with single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) in predicting cardiovascular events in patients with stents.

Design: Retrospective analysis.

Setting: University Hospital, London, Ontario Canada

Participants: Between January 2007 and December 2018, 119 patients post-percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) who were referred for hybrid imaging with CTA and 2-day rest/stress SPECT were enrolled.

Parallel Line Sign-A New MRI Sign Associated With Chronic Sacroiliitis: Prevalence, Characteristics, and Associations.

The purpose is to demonstrate the existence of the parallel line sign (PLS), a dark line parallel to the sacroiliac joint (SIJ), and determine its prevalence, characteristics, and associations. 200 consecutive SIJ MRIs referred by rheumatologists were retrospectively reviewed for the presence of the PLS. Presence and extent of imaging features of sacroiliitis (bone marrow edema, fatty infiltration, erosions, sclerosis, and ankylosis) were evaluated.

Differential and Synergistic Effects of Low Birth Weight and Western Diet on Skeletal Muscle Vasculature, Mitochondrial Lipid Metabolism and Insulin Signaling in Male Guinea Pigs.

Low birth weight (LBW) offspring are at increased risk for developing insulin resistance, a key precursor in metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Altered skeletal muscle vasculature, extracellular matrix, amino acid and mitochondrial lipid metabolism, and insulin signaling are implicated in this pathogenesis. Using uteroplacental insufficiency (UPI) to induce intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and LBW in the guinea pig, we investigated the relationship between UPI-induced IUGR/LBW and later life skeletal muscle arteriole density, fibrosis, amino acid and mitochondrial lipid metabolism, markers of insulin signaling and glucose uptake, and how a postnatal high-fat, high-sugar "Western" diet (WD) modulates these changes.

Transcranial direct current stimulation for provoked vestibulodynia: What roles do psychosexual factors play in treatment response?

There is growing evidence that provoked vestibulodynia (PVD), a frequent and debilitating condition, is characterized by central sensitization. This study aimed to examine predictive factors of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) efficacy in this chronic pain population. Exploratory analysis derived from a randomized controlled trial was performed to assess predictors of pain reduction among 39 women with PVD who received 10 daily sessions of either active or sham tDCS.

Coronary artery calcium progression after coronary artery bypass grafting surgery.

Objectives: Accelerated atherosclerosis is a well-established phenomenon after coronary artery bypass grafting surgery (CABG). In this study, we analysed coronary artery calcium (CCS) progression after CABG.

Methods: We retrospectively measured the CCS Agatston score (AS), volume score (VS) and mass score (MS) of 39 patients before and after CABG.

Evaluation of Complications in Postpartum Women Receiving Therapeutic Anticoagulation.

Objective: To evaluate complications associated with early postpartum therapeutic anticoagulation.

Methods: A multicenter retrospective cohort study was done to evaluate the association between therapeutic anticoagulation postpartum and major complications (hemorrhagic and wound complications). Secondary outcomes included minor complications, risk factors associated with total complications (including the time to therapeutic anticoagulation resumption after delivery) and recurrent thrombotic events within 6 weeks postpartum.

Risk for Thyroid Cancer Recurrence Is Higher in Men Than in Women Independent of Disease Stage at Presentation.

Well-differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) presents at a more advanced stage in men than in women, and the mortality in men is higher than that in women. However, it is not clear whether DTC recurrence is affected by sex independent of stage at presentation. The objective of the present study was to assess if male sex is an independent risk factor for recurrence of DTC.

Western diet consumption through early life induces microvesicular hepatic steatosis in association with an altered metabolome in low birth weight Guinea pigs.

Uteroplacental insufficiency-induced low birth weight (LBW) and postnatal high saturated fat/high sucrose-fructose diet (Western Diet, WD) consumption have been independently associated with the development of hepatic steatosis, while their additive effect on fatty acid, acylcarnitine and amino acid profiles in early adulthood have not been widely reported. We employed LBW, generated via uterine artery ablation, and normal birth weight (NBW) male guinea pigs fed either a WD or control diet (CD) from weaning to postnatal day 150 (early adulthood). Hepatic steatosis was absent in CD-fed offspring, while NBW/WD offspring displayed macrovesicular steatosis and LBW/WD offspring exhibited microvesicular steatosis, both occurring in a lean phenotype.

Scale for retrospective assessment of immediate concussion symptoms.

The retrospective diagnosis of concussion is often missed by clinicians. We present a brief scale for retrospective assessment of the immediate concussion symptoms (ICS) to facilitate the diagnosis of patients without visible head injury or full loss of consciousness. We administered the scale to 90 survivors of car accidents (mean age 42.

Automated Metrics in a Virtual-Reality Myringotomy Simulator: Development and Construct Validity.

Objectives: The objectives of this study were: 1) to develop and implement a set of automated performance metrics into the Western myringotomy simulator, and 2) to establish construct validity.

Study Design: Prospective simulator-based assessment study.

Setting: The Auditory Biophysics Laboratory at Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.

Infraclavicular and supraclavicular approaches to brachial plexus for ambulatory elbow surgery: A randomized controlled observer-blinded trial.

Study Objective: To compare the effectiveness of supraclavicular and infraclavicular approaches to brachial plexus block for elbow surgery.

Design: Prospective, parallel arm, observer-blinded, randomized controlled trial.

Setting: This study occurred in a designated block room at St.

Disinhibition in Alzheimer's Disease is Associated with Reduced Right Frontal Pole Cortical Thickness.

Neuropsychiatric symptoms in Alzheimer's disease are among the most disabling and difficult aspects for caregivers and treating health professionals to manage. Despite the high prevalence of these behaviors, little is known about the factors which lead some patients to develop florid behavioral symptoms while others may progress to severe dementia without such phenomenon. We examined whether regional brain volumes as measured by cortical thickness would predict the presence or absence of disinhibition in patients with Alzheimer's disease.

Mastery Learning - does the method of learning make a difference in skills acquisition for robotic surgery?

Background: Few studies compare the effectiveness of blocked vs random practice conditions in minimally invasive surgery training, and none have evaluated these in robotic surgery training.

Methods: The dV-Trainer and the da Vinci Surgical System (dVSS) were used to compare practice conditions. Forty-two participants were randomized into blocked and random practice groups.

Intra- and Interobserver Variability of Cochlear Length Measurements in Clinical CT.

Hypothesis: The cochlear A-value measurement exhibits significant inter- and intraobserver variability, and its accuracy is dependent on the visualization method in clinical computed tomography (CT) images of the cochlea.

Background: An accurate estimate of the cochlear duct length (CDL) can be used to determine electrode choice, and frequency map the cochlea based on the Greenwood equation. Studies have described estimating the CDL using a single A-value measurement, however the observer variability has not been assessed.

Efficacy of transcranial direct-current stimulation in women with provoked vestibulodynia.

Background: Provoked vestibulodynia is a highly prevalent condition characterized by acute recurrent pain located at the vaginal entrance in response to pressure application or attempted vaginal penetration. Despite a wide variety of treatments offered to women with provoked vestibulodynia, a high proportion of women are refractory to conventional treatment. Transcranial direct-current stimulation is a noninvasive brain stimulation technique that has been shown effective for improving various chronic pain conditions.

Reduction of total labor length through the addition of parenteral dextrose solution in induction of labor in nulliparous: results of DEXTRONS prospective randomized controlled trial.

Background: Prolonged labor is a significant cause of maternal and fetal morbidity and very few interventions are known to shorten labor course. Skeletal muscle physiology suggests that glucose supplementation might improve muscle performance in case of prolonged exercise and this situation is analogous to the gravid uterus during delivery. Therefore, it seemed imperative to evaluate the impact of adding carbohydrate supplements on the course of labor.

Joint blood flow is more sensitive to inflammatory arthritis than oxyhemoglobin, deoxyhemoglobin, and oxygen saturation.

Joint hypoxia plays a central role in the progression and perpetuation of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Thus, optical techniques that can measure surrogate markers of hypoxia such as blood flow, oxyhemoglobin, deoxyhemoglobin, and oxygen saturation are being developed to monitor RA. The purpose of the current study was to compare the sensitivity of these physiological parameters to arthritis.

Mapping Long-Term Functional Changes in Cerebral Blood Flow by Arterial Spin Labeling.

Although arterial spin labeling (ASL) is appealing for mapping long-term changes in functional activity, inter-sessional variations in basal blood flow, arterial transit times (ATTs), and alignment errors, can result in significant false activation when comparing images from separate sessions. By taking steps to reduce these sources of noise, this study assessed the ability of ASL to detect functional CBF changes between sessions. ASL data were collected in three sessions to image ATT, resting CBF and CBF changes associated with motor activation (7 participants).

Does the wait for lumbar degenerative spinal stenosis surgery have a detrimental effect on patient outcomes? A prospective observational study.

Background: Waits for elective spine surgery are common in Canada. We examined whether a prolonged wait for surgery for lumbar degenerative spinal stenosis was detrimental to outcome.

Methods: In this prospective observational study, we enrolled 166 consecutive patients referred to our centre for treatment of lumbar degenerative spinal stenosis between 2006 and 2010.

Efficacy of transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS) in women with provoked vestibulodynia: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Provoked vestibulodynia is the most common form of vulvodynia. Despite its high prevalence and deleterious sexual, conjugal, and psychological repercussions, effective evidence-based interventions for provoked vestibulodynia remain limited. For a high proportion of women, significant pain persists despite the currently available treatments.

Face and content validity of a virtual-reality simulator for myringotomy with tube placement.

Background: Myringotomy with tube insertion can be challenging for junior Otolaryngology residents as it is one of the first microscopic procedures they encounter. The Western myringotomy simulator was developed to allow trainees to practice microscope positioning, myringotomy, and tube placement. This virtual-reality simulator is viewed in stereoscopic 3D, and a haptic device is used to manipulate the digital ear model and surgical tools.

Basal Ganglia Perfusion in Fibromyalgia is Related to Pain Disability and Disease Impact: An Arterial Spin Labeling Study.

Objectives: Pain disability is a major impediment to fibromyalgia (FM) patients' quality of life. Neuroimaging studies have demonstrated abnormal pain processing in FM. However, it is not known whether there are brain abnormalities linked to pain disability.