Bioprosthetic Aortic Valve Degeneration After TAVR and SAVR: Incidence, Diagnosis, Predictors, and Management.

Bioprosthetic aortic valve degeneration (BAVD) is a significant clinical concern following both transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) and surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR). The increasing use of bioprosthetic valves in aortic valve replacement in younger patients and the subsequent rise in cases of BAVD are acknowledged in this review which aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the incidence, diagnosis, predictors, and management of BAVD. Based on a thorough review of the existing literature, this article provides an updated overview of the biological mechanisms underlying valve degeneration, including calcification, structural deterioration, and inflammatory processes and addresses the various risk factors contributing to BAVD, such as patient demographics, comorbidities, and procedural variables.

Correcting near vision impairment and women's empowerment: a before-after mixed-methods study among older Zanzibari craftswomen.

Objective: To understand if presbyopia correction could empower older craftswomen entrepreneurs living in Zanzibar.

Design: Mixed-method, before-after intervention study.

Setting: Unguja and Pemba islands, Zanzibar.

Machine Learning to Predict Interim Response in Pediatric Classical Hodgkin Lymphoma Using Affordable Blood Tests.

Purpose: Response assessment of classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) with positron emission tomography-computerized tomography (PET-CT) is standard of care in well-resourced settings but unavailable in most African countries. We aimed to investigate correlations between changes in PET-CT findings at interim analysis with changes in blood test results in pediatric patients with cHL in 17 South African centers.

Methods: Changes in ferritin, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), albumin, total white cell count (TWC), absolute lymphocyte count (ALC), and absolute eosinophil count were compared with PET-CT Deauville scores (DS) after two cycles of doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine in 84 pediatric patients with cHL.

Enhancing medical training in conflict zones and remote areas through innovation: introducing the Canadian Virtual Medical University Initiative.

Background: The WHO projects a global shortage of 4.3 million physicians by 2030, with the largest deficits in developing and conflict-affected regions. Our aim is to train competent physicians rapidly and affordably through remote education programs.