Reliability of colour Doppler ultrasonography of the major salivary glands in Sjögren's disease.

Objectives: To analyse intraobserver and interobserver reliability of colour Doppler (CD) ultrasonography of the major salivary glands (SGUS) in patients clinically suspected of Sjögren's disease (SjD).

Methods: One hundred consecutive outpatients visiting the University Medical Center Groningen for a diagnostic trajectory because of a suspicion of SjD were evaluated using CD ultrasonography of the submandibular and parotid salivary glands. All images were independently assessed by four observers (two experienced observers, one lesser experienced resident, one inexperienced trainee) in two sessions using the Outcome Measures in Rheumatology (OMERACT) CD scoring system (scale 0-3).

Assessment of Tissue Eosinophilic Infiltration in Invasive Mammary Carcinoma.

Stromal inflammatory cells in malignant tissue have recently gained increasing interest. Unlike the extensive research on tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, published data about tumor-infiltrating eosinophils in breast cancer are scarce. Furthermore, similar studies have yet to be conducted in Iraq.

Metastatic Ductal Eccrine Adenocarcinoma with Excellent Response to Immunotherapy.

Eccrine carcinoma, a subtype of which is ductal eccrine adenocarcinoma (DEA), is a rare cutaneous malignancy. For metastatic eccrine carcinoma, there are very limited data to guide treatment. Conventional chemotherapy is of limited benefit and there is only a small body of evidence for the use of immunotherapy in non-DEA eccrine carcinomas.

Air pollution forecasting based on wireless communications: review.

The development of contemporary artificial intelligence (AI) methods such as artificial neural networks (ANNs) has given researchers around the world new opportunities to address climate change and air quality issues. The small size, low cost, and low power consumption of sensors can facilitate obtaining the values of polluting gases in the atmosphere. However, several problems with using air pollution technique relate to various effects such as sensing accuracy, sensor drifts, and sluggish reactions to changes in pollution levels.

Expression pattern of long non-coding RNAs MALAT1 and MEG3 in COVID-19 patients.

Background: COVID-19 is a novel infectious disease for which no specific treatment exists. It is likely that a combination of genetic and non-genetic factors predispose to it. Expression levels of genes that are involved in the interaction with SARS-CoV-2 or the host response are thought to play a role in disease susceptibility and severity.

Synthesis and Application of Levofloxacin-Tin Complexes as New Photostabilizers for Polyvinyl Chloride.

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is a synthetic polymer with a wide range of applications with impact on our daily life. It can undergo photodegradation with toxic products that are hazardous to both human health and the environment. In addition, photodegradation shortens the useful lifetime of the material.

Endometrial Cancer in Pre-Menopausal Women and Younger: Risk Factors and Outcome.

Endometrial cancer is the sixth most common malignancy in women, and it is known to be a disease among postmenopausal women, but there is rising in the number of endometrial cancers among premenopausal women. This study aims to determine the clinical characteristic, risk factors, outcomes, and survival in pre and postmenopausal women with endometrial cancer in Malaysia. A retrospective study was conducted in Hospital Melaka that involved all women who were diagnosed with endometrial cancer in Hospital Melaka from January 2002 until July 2020.

Synthesis of New Norfloxacin-Tin Complexes to Mitigate the Effect of Ultraviolet-Visible Irradiation in Polyvinyl Chloride Films.

Polyvinyl chloride is used in the manufacturing of a wide range of products, but it is susceptible to degradation if exposed to high temperatures and sunlight. There is therefore a need to continuously explore the design, synthesis, and application of new and improved additives to reduce the photodegradation of polyvinyl chloride in harsh environments and for outdoor applications. This research investigates the use of new norfloxacin-tin complexes as additives to inhibit the photodegradation of polyvinyl chloride to make it last longer.

Systematic review of head and neck lymphedema assessment.

Head and neck lymphedema (HNL) is an increasingly recognized complication of head and neck cancer and its treatment. However, no consensus exists on the "gold-standard" assessment tool for the purposes of diagnosis, classification, or monitoring of HNL. We conducted a systematic review of the literature regarding HNL assessment to determine the optimal method/s of assessment for patients with HNL.

Timing of Ansa Cervicalis-to-recurrent Laryngeal Nerve Reinnervation: A Systematic Review.

Background: Ansa cervicalis-to-recurrent laryngeal nerve anastomosis (ARA) is an established technique for the treatment of recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) injury after head and neck surgery. However, the optimal timing of ARA remains unclear, and the evidence bases for ARA performed at each timepoint after RLN injury have not previously been clearly distinguished. We conducted a systematic review of the literature to evaluate the efficacy of ARA performed at different timepoints on postoperative voice outcomes.

The Ethyl Acetate Fraction of Marine Sponge Stylissa carteri Induces Breast Cancer Cell Death via Upregulation of Mcl-1S: an In vitro Study.

Objective: To evaluate the potency of the fraction of marine sponge Stylissa carteri in inducing cell death, inhibiting spheroid growth, and its impact on pro-apoptotic protein Mcl-1S in breast cancer cells.

Methods: Stylissa carteri were collected from Pramuka Island followed by ethanol extraction and ethyl acetate fractionation. To evaluate the cytotoxic effect of fraction, the HCC-1954, MDA MB 231, and MCF-7 cells were treated with the fraction of Stylissa carteri and MTT assay was then performed.

Does Direct Surgical Decompression After Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury Influence Post-Traumatic Syringomyelia Rates? An 18-Year Single-Center Experience.

Objective: Risk factors for post-traumatic syringomyelia (PTS) development after traumatic spinal cord injury (tSCI) are incompletely understood. This study aimed to investigate the influence of direct surgical decompression after tSCI, as well as demographic, clinical, and other management-related factors, on rates of PTS development.

Methods: A single-center case-control study was conducted on patients who presented with tSCI to a tertiary referral center over an 18-year period and received adequate follow-up.

Systematic review of laryngocele and pyolaryngocele management in the age of robotic surgery.

Objective: A laryngocele is a space that develops as a result of pathological dilatation of the laryngeal saccule. However, the reported management of laryngoceles varies. We conducted a systematic review of the literature regarding the surgical management of laryngoceles and pyolaryngoceles, to understand the evolving nature of treatment for this rare condition.

Meta-analysis on the rate of pharyngocutaneous fistula in early oral feeding in laryngectomy patients.

Background: Laryngectomy remains a common operation in head and neck units. The operation holds significant risk of post-operative morbidity including swallowing dysfunction. The most significant post-operative concern is the formation of a pharyngocutaneous fistula [PCF], the reported incidence of which is between 3% and 65%.

Association between polymorphisms of Myf5, MSTN and CAST genes and fattening performance in Brown Swiss and Holstein cattle breeds.

This study determined the association between Myf5, CAST and MSTN genes and fattening performance traits in 228 (Holstein = 103 and Brown = 125) cattle breeds. Classification and regression tree (CART) was used to determine association between genes and fattening performance. The allele frequencies of Holstein cattle in terms of Myf5, CAST and MSTN genes were A:0.

Clinical value of peripheral blood M2/M1 like monocyte ratio in the diagnosis of breast cancer and the differentiation between benign and malignant breast tumors.

Background: During tumor progression, circulating monocytes and macrophages are actively recruited into tumors where they alter the tumor microenvironment to accelerate tumor progression. In response to multiple microenvironmental signals from the tumor and stromal cells, macrophages change their functional phenotypes. Based on their function, macrophages are commonly classified into both, classical M1 and alternative M2 macrophages.

Systematic review of cortical bone trajectory versus pedicle screw techniques for lumbosacral spine fusion.

Fusion of the lumbosacral spine is a common surgical procedure to address a range of spinal pathologies. Fixation in lumbar fusion has traditionally been performed using pedicle screw (PS) augmentation. However, an alternative method of screw insertion via cortical bone trajectory (CBT) has been advocated as a less invasive approach which improves initial fixation and reduces neurovascular injury.

Effect of Smoking Status on Successful Arthrodesis, Clinical Outcome, and Complications After Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion (ALIF).

Background: Anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF) is a surgical technique indicated for the treatment of several lumbar pathologies. Smoking has been suggested as a possible cause of reduced fusion rates after ALIF, although the literature regarding the impact of smoking status on lumbar spine surgery is not well established. This study aims to assess the impact of perioperative smoking status on the rates of perioperative complications, fusion, and adverse clinical outcomes in patients undergoing ALIF surgery.

Epidural Steroids at Closure After Microdiscectomy/Laminectomy for Reduction of Postoperative Analgesia: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: This review assessed the efficacy of epidural steroid administration on the reduction of pain, hospital stay time, and use of opioid analgesics postoperatively.

Methods: We searched Medline, PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews for studies using epidural steroids through any route after lumbar surgery. The primary study outcomes included preoperative and postoperative pain as assessed with a visual analogue scale (VAS), length of hospital stay (LOS), and postoperative use of opioid analgesics.

Hodgkin's lymphoma. An immunohistochemical profile in northern Iraq.

Objective: To evaluate the expression of several immunohistochemical markers in Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL), and to determine the relative frequency of HL subtypes.

Methods: From January 2010 through January 2013, 42 HL cases were included in this case series study. Cases were collected from Al-Jumhori Teaching Hospital and private laboratories in Nineveh province, Iraq.

Comparative study between coaptive film versus suture for wound closure after long bone fracture fixation.

Background: Coaptive film (i.e., Steri-Strips™) is an adhesive tape used to replace sutures in wound closure.