Academic writing: Key components, structure, and avoiding plagiarism.

This article aims to provide perioperative practitioners with an overview of the fundamentals of academic writing in undertaking academic work, conducting research or producing evidence-based essays in their professional activity (such as to support business cases, innovation or improvement work). It focuses on the key components and the structure of a piece of academic quality, on the review of the literature and on the fundamentals of avoiding plagiarism.

Poly-skilling and advanced practice roles in perioperative care: protocol for a realist synthesis of evidence.

Introduction: An ageing population and a workforce crisis have triggered an ambitious UK strategy for sustained delivery of healthcare. In perioperative care (the management of patients from contemplation of surgery until full recovery), it is recognised that interventions are needed to place the workforce on a more sustainable footing through cross-functionality and skill-shifting, namely with advanced practice roles. However, despite some reports and reviews in the literature, it is unclear how skills development efforts may potentially support workforce transformation for an effective and resilient perioperative care workforce.

Clinical effects of pediatric commercial food-based formulas: A systematic review.

Blenderized tube feeding (BTF) uses a feeding tube to deliver blended whole foods directly to the gastrointestinal (GI) system and has had renewed interest over the last two decades. This was initially delivered in the form of homemade BTF (HBTF) and led to the development of commercial food-based formula (CFBF). The safety and clinical outcome data for CFBF are limited.

The education café: A novel model to provide specialist perioperative continuing professional development during theatre downtime.

Recent healthcare staff industrial action disrupted operating theatres activity, delaying procedures, and increasing waiting lists due to cancellations. Strike days have also led to inadvertent idling of theatre practitioners during decreased activity. To maximise paid staff working time during down-times, the Theatres Education Team devised the Education Café for self-directed online specialist continuing professional development activities compiled into menus of QR codes.

Soft tissue mass resembling myxochondroid metaplasia in Achilles tendon.

The Achilles tendon is the strongest and largest tendon in the human body, composed of the distal confluence of the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles and may also include the plantaris longus tendons. Despite its tremendous strength, it is frequently injured. Soft tissue tumors or tumor-like conditions of Achilles tendon are much less common in comparison to traumatic and infectious/inflammatory lesions.

The parasitic nematode Haemonchus contortus lacks molybdenum cofactor synthesis, leading to sulphite sensitivity and lethality in vitro.

Sulphite oxidase has an essential role in detoxifying environmental and endogenously generated sulphite into sulphate and requires the molybdenum cofactor (Moco) to function. Until recently it was believed that the synthesis pathway for Moco was so important for survival that it was conserved in all multicellular animals. Here we report the use of comparative genomics to identify the absence of the first enzyme involved in Moco synthesis in Haemonchus contortus, a highly pathogenic and economically important helminth of livestock that, similar to many parasitic nematode species, has proved difficult to maintain in vitro.

In-field prostate cancer recurrence following radical prostatectomy and salvage radiation.

Objective: To define the natural history, patterns of recurrence and treatment modalities for local prostate cancer (PCa) recurrence following radical prostatectomy (RP) and radiation therapy (RT), and to investigate factors that could predict metastasis-free survival (MFS) in this unique patient population.

Methods: We queried a prospectively maintained PCa registry to identify men developing in-field recurrence (IFR) following RP and RT from 2008 to 2021 at a single institution. IFR was defined as biopsy-proven recurrent PCa or the presence of persistent positron emission tomography-avid lesions in the prior radiation field without evidence of metastasis.

Evaluation of American Urological Association Renal Cell Carcinoma Risk Groups for Chromophobe Renal Cell Carcinoma.

Objective: To develop and compare various models for risk stratification in chromophobe renal cell carcinoma (chrRCC). Models have been developed to predict progression-free (PFS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) following surgery for localized renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Notably, chromophobe RCC (chrRCC) is not included in American Urological Association (AUA) risk stratification, as nuclear grading is not recommended.

Incidence and predictors of ipsilateral local recurrence following partial nephrectomy.

Purpose: Ipsilateral local recurrence (LR) after partial nephrectomy (PN) for renal cell carcinoma (RCC) may result from a metachronous tumor or PN bed recurrence. To date, literature has predominantly reported ipsilateral LRs collectively, although the pathophysiology and prognostic implications of these event may be distinct. We sought to assess variables associated with LR and evaluated associations of LR with metastasis and death from RCC.

End-Stage Kidney Disease After Partial and Radical Nephrectomy Among Patients With Severe Chronic Kidney Disease.

Purpose: AUA guidelines prioritize nephron sparing in patients with preexisting chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, few studies analyze long-term renal function in patients with preoperative severe CKD who undergo extirpative renal surgery. Herein, we compare the hazard of progression to end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) following partial nephrectomy (PN) and radical nephrectomy (RN) among patients with preoperative severe CKD.

Mayo Clinic Validation of the AUA Risk Groups for Localized Renal Cell Carcinoma.

Purpose: The AUA guidelines introduced a new risk group stratification system based primarily on tumor stage and grade to guide surveillance for patients treated surgically for localized renal cell carcinoma (RCC). We sought to evaluate the predictive ability of these risk groups using progression-free survival (PFS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS), and to compare their performance to that of our published institutional risk models.

Materials And Methods: We queried our Nephrectomy Registry to identify adults treated with radical or partial nephrectomy for unilateral, M0, clear cell RCC, or papillary RCC from 1980 to 2012.

Tuft cell acetylcholine is released into the gut lumen to promote anti-helminth immunity.

Upon parasitic helminth infection, activated intestinal tuft cells secrete interleukin-25 (IL-25), which initiates a type 2 immune response during which lamina propria type 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) produce IL-13. This causes epithelial remodeling, including tuft cell hyperplasia, the function of which is unknown. We identified a cholinergic effector function of tuft cells, which are the only epithelial cells that expressed choline acetyltransferase (ChAT).

The evolving role of advanced clinical practitioners: challenges and opportunities.

This editorial reviews the roles of advanced clinical practitioners, suggesting how the debate could evolve, returning to the original intent behind these roles and progressing towards ways of sustaining high-quality, equitable and safe care under strong medical leadership.

First identification of Strongyloides stercoralis infection in a pet dog in Argentina, using integrated diagnostic approaches.

Background: Strongyloides stercoralis is a soil-transmitted intestinal nematode with a complex life cycle that primarily affects humans, non-human primates, dogs, and occasionally cats. This study presents, to the best of our knowledge, the first case of S. stercoralis infection and its genotyping in a domestic dog from Argentina.