Quantifying the Number of Cancer Deaths Avoided Due to Improvements in Cancer Survival since the 1980s in the Australian Population, 1985-2014.

Background: This study quantifies the number of potentially "avoided"cancer deaths due to differences in 10-year relative survival between three time periods, reflecting temporal improvements in cancer diagnostic and/or treatment practices in Australia.

Methods: National population-based cohort of 2,307,565 Australians ages 15 to 89 years, diagnosed with a primary invasive cancer from 1985 to 2014 with mortality follow-up to December 31, 2015. Excess mortality rates and crude probabilities of cancer deaths were estimated using flexible parametric relative survival models.

An evaluation of live porcine simulation training for robotic surgery.

To assess the role of live porcine simulation in robotic surgical skills training. A qualitative and quantitative survey was conducted of participants of a live porcine robotic simulation course undertaken in a regional training centre. Data on participants' experience, robotic surgical ability, the educational impact and outcomes from the course were collected.

Optimization of oxalic acid pre-treatment and enzymatic saccharification in Typha latifolia for production of reducing sugar.

Background: Plants with high biomass can be manipulated for their reducing sugar content which ultimately upon fermentation produces ethanol. This concept was used to enhance the production of reducing sugar from cattail (Typha latifolia) by oxalic acid (OAA) pre-treatment followed by enzymatic saccharification.

Result: The optimum condition of total reducing sugar released from OAA pre-treatment was found to be 22.

Understanding the early cold response mechanism in IR64 indica rice variety through comparative transcriptome analysis.

Background: Cellular reprogramming in response to environmental stress involves alteration of gene expression, changes in the protein and metabolite profile for ensuring better stress management in plants. Similar to other plant species originating in tropical and sub-tropical areas, indica rice is highly sensitive to low temperature that adversely affects its growth and grain productivity. Substantial work has been done to understand cold induced changes in gene expression in rice plants.

Multi-colour extrusion fused deposition modelling: a low-cost 3D printing method for anatomical prostate cancer models.

Three-dimensional (3D) printed prostate cancer models are an emerging adjunct for urological surgical planning and patient education, however published methods are costly which limits their translation into clinical practice. Multi-colour extrusion fused deposition modelling (FDM) can be used to create 3D prostate cancer models of a quality comparable to more expensive techniques at a fraction of the cost. Three different 3D printing methods were used to create the same 3D prostate model: FDM, colour jet printing (CJP) and material jetting (MJ), with a calculated cost per model of USD 20, USD 200 and USD 250 respectively.

Current status of wet lab and cadaveric simulation in urological training: A systematic review.

Introduction: We undertook a systematic review of the use of wet lab (animal and cadaveric) simulation models in urological training, with an aim to establishing a level of evidence (LoE) for studies and level of recommendation (LoR) for models, as well as evaluating types of validation.

Methods: Medline, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases were searched for English-language studies using search terms including a combination of "surgery," "surgical training," and "medical education." These results were combined with "wet lab," "animal model," "cadaveric," and "in-vivo.

Activation of the Erk/MAPK signaling pathway is a driver for cadmium induced prostate cancer.

Purpose: Cadmium (Cd) is reported to be associated with carcinogenesis. The molecular mechanisms associated with Cd-induced prostate cancer (PCa) remain elusive.

Materials And Methods: RWPE1, PWR1E and DU 145 cells were used.

Agonist-induced phosphorylation bar code and differential post-activation signaling of the delta opioid receptor revealed by phosphosite-specific antibodies.

The δ-opioid receptor (DOP) is an attractive pharmacological target due to its potent analgesic, anxiolytic and anti-depressant activity in chronic pain models. However, some but not all selective DOP agonists also produce severe adverse effects such as seizures. Thus, the development of novel agonists requires a profound understanding of their effects on DOP phosphorylation, post-activation signaling and dephosphorylation.

Society of Robotic Surgery review: recommendations regarding the risk of COVID-19 transmission during minimally invasive surgery.

Objectives: To determine the risk of COVID-19 transmission during minimally invasive surgical (MIS) procedures METHODS: Surgical society statements regarding the risk of COVID transmission during MIS procedures were reviewed. In addition, the available literature on COVID-19 and other viral transmission in CO2 pneumoperitoneum, as well as the presence of virus in the plume created by electrocautery during MIS was reviewed. The society recommendations were compared to the available literature on the topic to create our review and recommendations to mitigate COVID-19 transmission.

Health awareness and the transition towards clean cooking fuels: Evidence from Rajasthan.

Ensuring affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all by 2030 is part of the internationally agreed Sustainable Development Goals (SDG7). With roughly 3 billion people still lacking access to clean cooking solutions in 2017, this remains an ambitious task. The use of solid biomass such as wood and cow dung for cooking causes household air pollution resulting in severe health hazards.

Global trends in incidence rates of childhood liver cancers: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Childhood liver cancers are relatively rare, hence inferences on incidence trends over time are limited by lack of precision in most studies.

Objective: To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of published contemporary trends on childhood liver cancer incidence rates worldwide.

Data Sources: PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, Web of Science.

Predicting intra-operative and postoperative consequential events using machine-learning techniques in patients undergoing robot-assisted partial nephrectomy: a Vattikuti Collective Quality Initiative database study.

Objective: To predict intra-operative (IOEs) and postoperative events (POEs) consequential to the derailment of the ideal clinical course of patient recovery.

Materials And Methods: The Vattikuti Collective Quality Initiative is a multi-institutional dataset of patients who underwent robot-assisted partial nephectomy for kidney tumours. Machine-learning (ML) models were constructed to predict IOEs and POEs using logistic regression, random forest and neural networks.

Optimum Cell Pathlength or Volume for Absorbance Detection in Liquid Chromatography: Transforming Longer Cell Results to Virtual Shorter Cells.

The cell volume permissible for a specified degree of loss of efficiency can be computed from response volume considerations. For an open tubular column, the permissible illuminated length can be computed for the unretained peak. Similar estimations can be made for the maximum permissible cell volume with a packed column for a given column efficiency and flow rate.

The genetic landscapes of urological cancers and their clinical implications in the era of high-throughput genome analysis.

Objective: With the advent of high-throughput genome analysis, we are increasingly able to sequence and hence understand the pathogenic processes underlying individual cancers. Recently, consortiums such as The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) have performed large-scale projects to this end, providing significant amounts of information regarding the genetic landscapes of several cancers.

Patients And Methods: We performed a narrative review of studies from the TCGA and other major studies.

A comparative propensity score-matched analysis of perioperative outcomes of intracorporeal vs extracorporeal urinary diversion after robot-assisted radical cystectomy: results from the International Robotic Cystectomy Consortium.

Objective: To compare the perioperative outcomes of intracorporeal (ICUD) vs extracorporeal urinary diversion (ECUD) after robot-assisted radical cystectomy (RARC).

Patients And Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the prospectively maintained International Robotic Cystectomy Consortium (IRCC) database. A total of 972 patients from 28 institutions who underwent RARC were included.

Immunotherapy for Neuro-Oncology.

Immunotherapy has changed the landscape of treatment of many solid and hematological malignancies and is at the forefront of cancer breakthroughs. Several circumstances unique to the central nervous system (CNS) such as limited space for an inflammatory response, difficulties with repeated sampling, corticosteroid use for management of cerebral edema, and immunosuppressive mechanisms within the tumor and brain parenchyma have posed challenges in clinical development of immunotherapy for intracranial tumors. Nonetheless, the success of immunotherapy in brain metastases (BMs) from solid cancers such as melanoma and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) proves that the CNS is not an immune-privileged organ and is capable of initiating and regulating immune responses that lead to tumor control.

Workplace absenteeism amongst patients undergoing open vs. robotic radical prostatectomy, hysterectomy, and partial colectomy.

Background: There is controversy regarding the widespread uptake of robotic surgery across several surgical disciplines. While it has been shown to confer clinical benefits such as decreased blood loss and shorter hospital stays, some argue that the benefits of this technology do not outweigh its high cost. We performed a retrospective insurance-based analysis to investigate how undergoing robotic surgery, compared to open surgery, may impact the time in which an employed individual returns to work after undergoing major surgery.