Image-Based Detection and Classification of Malaria Parasites and Leukocytes with Quality Assessment of Romanowsky-Stained Blood Smears.

Malaria remains a global health concern, with 249 million cases and 608,000 deaths being reported by the WHO in 2022. Traditional diagnostic methods often struggle with inconsistent stain quality, lighting variations, and limited resources in endemic regions, making manual detection time-intensive and error-prone. This study introduces an automated system for analyzing Romanowsky-stained thick blood smears, focusing on image quality evaluation, leukocyte detection, and malaria parasite classification.

Avoiding Chest Wall Morbidity in Outpatient Microvascular Free-Flap Breast Reconstruction.

Removal of the rib and adjacent cartilage is a common step for exposure of the recipient chest vessels in free-flap breast reconstructions. However, this adds both short- and long-term morbidity to the procedure. We describe our experience in avoiding rib removal in microvascular breast reconstruction.

Early Versus Delayed Androgen Deprivation Therapy for Biochemical Recurrence After Local Curative Treatment in Non-Metastatic Hormone-Sensitive Prostate Cancer: A Systematic Review of the Literature.

Background: The ideal timing of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) for patients with biochemical recurrence (BCR) of prostate cancer (PCa) remains controversial due to its side effects and uncertain impact on survival outcomes.

Methods: We performed a review of the current literature by comprehensively searching the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane databases to determine the optimal timing of ADT initiation after biochemical recurrence. We selected 26 studies including systematic reviews, randomized controlled trials (RCTs), and retrospective studies, while also reviewing practice guidelines.

Evaluation of an Alternative Screening Method for Gestational Diabetes Diagnosis During the COVID-19 Pandemic (DIABECOVID STUDY): An Observational Cohort Study.

To evaluate the impact of applying alternative diagnostic criteria for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) during the COVID-19 pandemic on GDM prevalence, obstetrical and perinatal outcomes, and costs, as compared to the standard diagnostic method. A cohort of pregnant individuals undergoing GMD screening with the alternative GDM method, which uses plasma glucose (fasting or non-fasting) and HbA1c, was compared with a cohort of pregnant individuals undergoing the standard GDM screening method. Both cohorts were obtained from six hospitals across Catalonia, Spain, from April 2020 to April 2022.

Sources, levels, and determinants of indoor air pollutants in Europe: A systematic review.

Clean air is a requirement for life, and the quality of indoor air is a health determinant since people spend most of their daily time indoors. The aim of this study was to systematically review the available evidence regarding the sources, determinants and concentrations of indoor air pollutants in a set of scenarios under study in K-HEALTHinAIR project. To this end, a systematic review was performed to review the available studies published between the years 2013-2023, for several settings (schools, homes, hospitals, lecture halls, retirement homes, public transports and canteens), conducted in Europe, where sources and determinants of the indoor pollutants concentrations was assessed.