The Effect of Health Insurance on Racial Disparities in Patients With Isolated Colorectal Liver Metastases.

Background And Objectives: Although resection of colorectal liver metastases (CRLM) improves survival, factors including race and health insurance are associated with disparities in care. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of health insurance on racial disparities in CRLM resection.

Methods: A retrospective study of patients with CRC with synchronous CRLM was performed using the National Cancer Database (2004-2020).

Barriers to Offering Organ Preservation for Rectal Cancer in a Predominantly Hispanic Safety Net Hospital.

Background: Total neoadjuvant therapy (TNT) for locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) has shown promise in achieving pathologic complete response (pCR) and enabling organ preservation through watch-and-wait (WW) strategies. However, implementation of WW protocols in diverse patient populations and safety-net hospitals faces unique challenges. The objective of this study is to evaluate TNT outcomes and identify barriers to WW implementation in a predominantly Hispanic safety-net hospital in South Texas.

Oncogenic pathway signatures predict the risk of progression and recurrence in well-differentiated pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors.

Background: Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (pNETs) are genomically diverse tumors. The management of newly diagnosed well-differentiated pNETs is limited by a lack of sensitivity of existing biomarkers for prognostication. Our goal was to investigate the potential utility of genetic markers as a predictor of progression-free survival (PFS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS).

Lumbar Vertebral Fracture Through a Pre-Existing Schmorl's Node Mimicking Histopathologically a Low-Grade Chondrosarcoma.

The aim of this paper is to present a unique, to the best of our knowledge, case of a patient with a fracture of the first lumbar vertebra (L1), which occurred through a pre-existing Schmorl's node (SN), with histopathological characteristics mimicking a low-grade chondrosarcoma that initially led to a false diagnosis. A 54-year-old woman tripped and fell to the ground, sustaining a fracture of the L1 vertebral body. She was treated conservatively with gradual mobilization using a thoracolumbar brace for six weeks.

Cross-sectional study examining the association between diet quality and the prevalence of anxiety and depression in UK undergraduate students.

The prevalence of mental health issues among UK undergraduate students is growing, and poor diet quality appears to be a risk factor for poor mental health although with limited research in this area. Therefore, the objective of this study was to examine the cross-sectional associations between diet quality and common mental disorders (CMD) such as depression and anxiety in UK undergraduate students. A cross-sectional survey consisting of demographic information and validated questionnaires (the Short-Form Food Frequency Questionnaire [SFFFQ] and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale [HADS]) was conducted to measure diet quality and anxiety and depression in young adults in 44 UK-based universities.

Treatment of localized hepatocellular carcinoma: resection vs. ablation vs. radiation.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common malignancy with many patients presenting with local disease. As of date, the use of radiation is not included in the commonly utilized Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) classification but is in the National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines. Radiation can volumetrically cover the entire tumor and with novel technologic advances can be administered non-invasively with excellent clinical outcomes with few adverse events.

Reconstitution of human PDAC using primary cells reveals oncogenic transcriptomic features at tumor onset.

Animal studies have demonstrated the ability of pancreatic acinar cells to transform into pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). However, the tumorigenic potential of human pancreatic acinar cells remains under debate. To address this gap in knowledge, we expand sorted human acinar cells as 3D organoids and genetically modify them through introduction of common PDAC mutations.

New technique of En bloc vertebral resection in the thoracolumbar region assisted by retroperitoneal laparoscopy in a single prone position: first results.

Purpose: To describe the technique and review the oncological and surgical results of the En Bloc resection assisted by retroperitoneal laparoscopy in a single prone position for tumors in the thoracolumbar region.

Methods: Monocentric retrospective case study. Procedure was performed in a single prone position by a dual team of spine and thoracovascular surgeons.

Inflammatory low back pain with radiculopathy revealing epidural disintegration of a bullet complicated by lead poisoning.

Inflammatory low back pain with radiculopathy is suggestive of cancer, infection or inflammatory diseases. We report a unique case of a 42-year-old patient with an acute inflammatory low back pain with bilateral radiculopathy associated with weight loss and abdominal pain, revealing the disintegration of a lead bullet along the epidural space and the S1 nerve root complicated by lead poisoning. Because of the high blood lead level of intoxication (>10 times over the usual lead levels) and the failure of repeated lead chelator cycles, a surgical treatment to remove bullet fragments was performed.

Association between Mutations and Expression in Paired Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Tumor Specimens: Data from Two Independent Molecularly-Characterized Cohorts.

Several molecular biomarkers have been identified to guide induction treatment selection for localized pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). alterations and low expression/modified "Moffitt" basal-like phenotype have each been associated with inferior survival uniquely for patients receiving 5-FU-based therapies. may directly regulate the expression of in PDAC, pointing to a common predictive biomarker.

Postoperative Liver Failure: Definitions, Risk factors, Prediction Models and Prevention Strategies.

Background: Liver resection is the treatment for a variety of benign and malignant conditions. Despite advances in preoperative selection, surgical technique, and perioperative management, post hepatectomy liver failure (PHLF) is still a leading cause of morbidity and mortality following liver resection.

Methods: A review of the literature was performed utilizing MEDLINE/PubMed and Web of Science databases in May of 2023.

Understanding a mass in the paraspinal region: an anatomical approach.

The paraspinal region encompasses all tissues around the spine. The regional anatomy is complex and includes the paraspinal muscles, spinal nerves, sympathetic chains, Batson's venous plexus and a rich arterial network. A wide variety of pathologies can occur in the paraspinal region, originating either from paraspinal soft tissues or the vertebral column.

StatelO - Open Source Economic Input-Output Models for the 50 States of the United States of America.

Subnational input-output (IO) tables capture industry- and region-specific production, consumption, and trade of commodities and serve as a common basis for regional and multi-regional economic impact analysis. However, subnational IO tables are not made available by national statistical offices, especially in the United States (US), nor have they been estimated with transparent methods for reproducibility or updated regularly for public availability. In this article, we describe a robust StateIO modeling framework to develop state and two-region IO models for all 50 states in the US using national IO tables and state industry and trade data from reliable public sources such as the US Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Impacts of COVID-19 on US agri-food supply chain businesses: Regional survey results.

Visible disruptions of appropriate food distribution for end consumers during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic prompted calls for an urgent, renewed look at how the U.S. agri-food system is impacted by and responds to pandemics, natural disasters, and human-made crises.

Genomic Biomarkers Associated with Response to Induction Chemotherapy in Patients with Localized Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma.

Purpose: There is increasing use of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in the management of localized pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), yet there are few validated biomarkers to guide therapy selection. We aimed to determine whether somatic genomic biomarkers predict response to induction FOLFIRINOX or gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel.

Experimental Design: This single-institution cohort study included consecutive patients (N = 322) with localized PDAC (2011-2020) who received at least one cycle of FOLFIRINOX (N = 271) or gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel (N = 51) as initial treatment.

En bloc video-assisted thoracoscopic vertebrectomy for a spinal tumour.

Complex thoracic vertebral tumours remain a surgical challenge in terms of the surgical approach to ensure a complete en bloc vertebrectomy with healthy margins, along with optimal control of the thoracic structures next to the spine. A combined three-port left thoracoscopic posterior approach, with the patient placed in a prone position with selective double-lumen intubation, can be performed in patients with spinal tumours involving soft tissues, for direct access to the thoracic structures, even with T10-T11 vertebral tumours next to the diaphragm. The video thoracoscopic technique with an enhanced view of the posterior mediastinum permits progressive dissection of the descending aorta, oesophagus, azygos vein, thoracic ductus and diaphragmatic pillars from the vertebral body that is involved by the spinal tumour.

Group Care in the first 1000 days: implementation and process evaluation of contextually adapted antenatal and postnatal group care targeting diverse vulnerable populations in high-, middle- and low-resource settings.

Background: Group care (GC) improves the quality of maternity care, stimulates women's participation in their own care and facilitates growth of women's social support networks. There is an urgent need to identify and disseminate the best mechanisms for implementing GC in ways that are feasible, context appropriate and sustainable. This protocol presents the aims and methods of an innovative implementation research project entitled Group Care in the first 1000 days (GC_1000), which addresses this need.

Deconstructing forearm casting task by videos with step-by-step simulation teaching improved performance of medical students: is making working student's memory work better similar to a process of artificial intelligence or just an improvement of the prefrontal cortex homunculus?

Purpose: To compare two teaching methods of a forearm cast in medical students through simulation, the traditional method (Trad) based on a continuous demonstration of the procedure and the task deconstruction method (Decon) with the procedure fragmenting into its constituent parts using videos.

Methods: During simulation training of the below elbow casting technique, 64 medical students were randomized in two groups. Trad group demonstrated the entire procedure without pausing.

Single-agent gemcitabine in patients with advanced, pre-treated angiosarcoma: A multicenter, retrospective study.

Gemcitabine has shown clinical activity against angiosarcoma in small series, alone, or combined with taxanes. We aimed to evaluate its activity as a single-agent in a larger series of patients with advanced angiosarcoma. We retrospectively reviewed the electronic medical records of consecutive adult patients with advanced angiosarcoma treated with single-agent gemcitabine at our institutions from January 2010 to January 2021.