Thematic description of factors linked with extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae in humans.

Background: Extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacteriaceae are associated with serious antimicrobial-resistant infections in Canadians. Humans are exposed to ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae through many interconnected pathways. To better protect Canadians, it is important to generate an understanding of which sources and activities contribute most to ESBL exposure and infection pathways in Canada.

Five-year outcomes of the Bi- versus Trimodular EndurantTM stent-graft in 100 patients with infrarenal abdominal aortic repair.

Background: Recent studies on the Endurant™ endografts mainly compared outcomes of the bimodular stent-graft to other manufacturer's endografts or reported results for cases outside manufacturer's instructions for use (IFU), while data on the experience of standard endovascular aortic repair (EVAR) of infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) inside manufacturer's IFU comparing the bi- with the trimodular device is limited.

Methods: Inclusion criteria were: 1) infrarenal aneurysms (>50 mm diameter) treated by Endurant II (END II) or Endurant IIs (END IIs) stent-graft inside manufacturer's IFU; 2) available CTA with 1 mm reconstruction of the entire aorta prior to intervention. Endpoints comparing the devices included technical success, 30-day mortality, rate of complications (bleeding with conversion to open repair, stent-graft stenosis/occlusion, acute distal embolism, infection or postprocedural necessity of dialysis), endoleaks and reinterventions (5-year follow-up).

Radiation-Free Thoracic Endovascular Aneurysm Repair with Fiberoptic and Electromagnetic Guidance: A Phantom Study.

Purpose: To evaluate the feasibility and accuracy of a radiation-free implantation of a thoracic aortic stent graft employing fiberoptic and electromagnetic tracking in an anthropomorphic phantom.

Materials And Methods: An anthropomorphic phantom was manufactured based on computed tomography (CT) angiography data from a patient. An aortic stent graft application system was equipped with a fiber Bragg gratings and 3 electromagnetic sensors.

Retrograde Revascularization of Tibial Arteries in Patients with Critical Limb Ischemia: Plantar-Arch Versus Transpedal Approach.

Purpose: To compare retrograde plantar-arch and transpedal-access approach for revascularization of below-the-knee (BTK) arteries in patients with critical limb ischemia (CLI) after a failed antegrade approach.

Materials And Methods: Retrospectively we identified 811 patients who underwent BTK revascularization between 1/2014 and 1/2020. In 115/811 patients (14.

Automated segmentation and quantification of the healthy and diseased aorta in CT angiographies using a dedicated deep learning approach.

Objectives: To develop and validate a deep learning-based algorithm for segmenting and quantifying the physiological and diseased aorta in computed tomography angiographies.

Methods: CTA exams of the aorta of 191 patients (68.1 ± 14 years, 128 male), performed between 2015 and 2018, were retrospectively identified from our imaging archive and manually segmented by two investigators.

Accuracy of registration techniques and vascular imaging modalities in fusion imaging for aortic endovascular interventions: a phantom study.

Background: This study aimed to assess the error of different registration techniques and imaging modalities for fusion imaging of the aorta in a standardized setting using a anthropomorphic body phantom.

Materials And Methods: A phantom with the 3D printed vasculature of a patient suffering from an infrarenal aortic aneurysm was constructed. Pulsatile flow was generated via an external pump.

Local Surveillance and Control of Raccoon Rabies Virus in Striped Skunks (Mephitis mephitis) in Southwestern New Brunswick, Canada.

Targeted surveillance for raccoon rabies virus was conducted between February and May 2017, near Waweig, New Brunswick, Canada, in response to detection of a rabid striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis) on 8 February 2017. A total of six skunks, 11 raccoons (Procyon lotor), and two porcupines (Erethizon dorsatum) were live-trapped, euthanized, and tested for rabies virus antigens using the direct rapid immunohistochemical test. Of these, only two skunks tested positive for rabies.

Disasters without Borders: The Coronavirus Pandemic, Global Climate Change and the Ascendancy of Gradual Onset Disasters.

Throughout much of its history, the sociological study of human communities in disaster has been based on events that occur rapidly, are limited in geographic scope, and their management understood as phased stages of response, recovery, mitigation and preparedness. More recent literature has questioned these concepts, arguing that gradual-onset phenomena like droughts, famines and epidemics merit consideration as disasters and that their exclusion has negative consequences for the communities impacted, public policy in terms of urgency and visibility and for the discipline itself as the analytical tools of sociological research are not brought to bear on these events. We agree that gradual-onset disasters merit greater attention from social scientists and in this paper have addressed the two most significant ongoing disasters that are gradual in onset, global in scope and have caused profound impacts on lives, livelihoods, communities and the governments that must cope with their effects.

Visualizing a joint future of neuroscience and neuromorphic engineering.

Recent research resolves the challenging problem of building biophysically plausible spiking neural models that are also capable of complex information processing. This advance creates new opportunities in neuroscience and neuromorphic engineering, which we discussed at an online focus meeting.

Mechanical rotational thrombectomy in long femoropopliteal artery and bypass occlusions: risk factors for periprocedural peripheral embolization.

Purpose: We aimed to examine lesion characteristics influencing technical outcome and periprocedural peripheral embolization (PPE) during percutaneous mechanical rotational thrombectomy (PMT) of long femoropopliteal artery and bypass occlusions.

Methods: Retrospectively, 65 consecutive patients (43 male patients, mean age 70±12 years; Rutherford category I-III), undergoing PMT (Rotarex®, Straub Medical AG) with acutely/subacutely occluded femoropopliteal arteries/bypasses were included. Occlusions (mean length, 217±98 mm) were treated by PMT followed by percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) plus drug-coated balloon or PTA plus stenting/stentgrafting.

Health Impacts of the Green Revolution: Evidence from 600,000 births across the Developing World.

What is the contribution of the 'Green Revolution' to improvements in child health during the 20 century? We provide global scale estimates of this relationship by constructing a novel, spatially-precise indicator of modern crop variety (MV) diffusion and leveraging child-level data from over 600,000 children across 21,604 sampling locations in 37 developing countries between 1961-2000. Results indicate that the diffusion of MVs reduced infant mortality by 2.4-5.

Post-dilatation of an interwoven nitinol stent using a paclitaxel-coated balloon for revascularization of complex femoro-popliteal lesions.

To evaluate technical success, safety and efficacy of post-dilatation of an interwoven nitinol stent using a paclitaxel-coated balloon (PCB) for revascularization of complex femoro-popliteal lesions. Thirty patients (26 male, mean age 70 ± 7 years) suffering from peripheral artery disease (PAD) (Rutherford category II-III) underwent revascularization of chronic total occlusions (n = 22, 73%) or severe stenosis (n = 8, 27%) of the femoro-popliteal segment. Mean lesion length was 251 ± 85 mm.

Exome and genome sequencing in adults with undiagnosed disease: a prospective cohort study.

Background: Exome and genome sequencing have been demonstrated to increase diagnostic yield in paediatric populations, improving treatment options and providing risk information for relatives. There are limited studies examining the clinical utility of these tests in adults, who currently have limited access to this technology.

Methods: Patients from adult and cancer genetics clinics across Toronto, Ontario, Canada were recruited into a prospective cohort study evaluating the diagnostic utility of exome and genome sequencing in adults.

Upper airway stimulation for obstructive sleep apnea-Can radiological position monitoring predict tongue motion one year after implantation?

Background: Tongue motion patterns (TMP) can influence the outcome of upper airway stimulation (UAS) in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). As a postoperative control, the cuff position of the stimulation lead is monitored via X‑ray imaging. A multidimensional X‑ray assessment system was established and the association between these positional assessments and TMP was investigated 1 year after implantation.

Navigation and visualisation with HoloLens in endovascular aortic repair.

Introduction: Endovascular aortic repair (EVAR) is a minimal-invasive technique that prevents life-threatening rupture in patients with aortic pathologies by implantation of an endoluminal stent graft. During the endovascular procedure, device navigation is currently performed by fluoroscopy in combination with digital subtraction angiography. This study presents the current iterative process of biomedical engineering within the disruptive interdisciplinary project , which includes advanced navigation, image techniques and augmented reality with the aim of reducing side effects (namely radiation exposure and contrast agent administration) and optimising visualisation during EVAR procedures.

[Upper Airway Stimulation for obstructive sleep apnea-Can radiological position monitoring predict tongue motion one year after implantation? German version].

Background: Tongue motion patterns (TMP) can influence the outcome of upper airway stimulation (UAS) in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). As a postoperative control the cuff position of the stimulation lead is monitored via X‑ray imaging. A multidimensional X‑ray assessment system was established and the association between these positional assessments and TMP was investigated 1 year after implantation.

Second generation antipsychotic-induced weight gain in youth with autism spectrum disorders: a brief review of mechanisms, monitoring practices, and indicated treatments.

The purpose of this review was to understand the impact of second generation antipsychotic (SGA)-induced weight gain on youth with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), including the clinical evidence, mechanisms, monitoring guidelines, and treatments. To achieve this, multiple MEDLINE/PUBMED and Google database searches were performed and analyzed articles from January 2001 to April 2018. Existing evidences indicates youth with ASDs may be more prone to SGA-induced weight gain than youth with other psychiatric illnesses.

Fusion Imaging Reduces Radiation and Contrast Medium Exposure During Endovascular Revascularization of Iliac Steno-Occlusive Disease.

Introduction: To evaluate feasibility, safety and efficacy of fusion imaging in order to guide endovascular revascularization of iliac steno-occlusive disease.

Materials And Methods: Retrospectively, we identified twenty-six patients (20 male, mean age 63 ± 8y; Rutherford II-V) who underwent revascularization of a chronic total occlusion (n = 6; 23%) or severe stenosis (n = 20; 77%) of the common and/or external iliac artery. Median lesion length was 33 mm (IQR 20-60).

Comparison of the Revenue Situation in Interventional Radiology Based on the Example of Peripheral Artery Disease in the Case of a DRG Payment System and Various Internal Treatment Charges.

Purpose:  Calculation of process-orientated costs for inpatient endovascular treatment of peripheral artery disease (PAD) from an interventional radiology (IR) perspective. Comparison of revenue situations in consideration of different ways to calculate internal treatment charges (ITCs) and diagnosis-related groups (DRG) for an independent IR department.

Materials And Methods:  Costs (personnel, operating, material, and indirect costs) for endovascular treatment of PAD patients in an inpatient setting were calculated on a full cost basis.

Initial Experience with the E-liac Iliac Branch Device for the Endovascular Aortic Repair of Aorto-iliac Aneurysm.

Purpose: Occlusion of internal iliac arteries during endovascular treatment (EVAR) of abdominal aortic (AAA) and common iliac artery aneurysms might be associated with ischemic pelvic complications. This study evaluates technical and clinical success, safety and mid-term results of a novel iliac branch device (IBD) for revascularization of the internal iliac artery (IIA) during EVAR.

Materials And Methods: Retrospectively, we identified 21 men (mean age 73.