Matched-pair dosimetric comparison of cardiac radiation exposure between deep-inspiration breath-hold whole-breast radiation therapy with Active Breathing Coordinator and interstitial multicatheter high-dose-rate brachytherapy as accelerated partial breast irradiation in adjuvant treatment of left-sided breast cancer after breast-conserving surgery.

Background And Purpose: To compare dosimetrically the radiation exposure to heart, left ventricle (LV), and left anterior descending artery (LAD) between whole-breast radiotherapy (WBRT) with Active Breathing Coordinator (ABC; ABC-WBRT) and interstitial multicatheter high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy as accelerated partial breast irradiation (ABPI; imHDR-APBI) for left-sided breast cancer (BCA) after breast-conserving surgery (BCS).

Materials And Methods: Between January 2016 and December 2019, 32 and 20 patients were treated with ABC-WBRT (63 Gy/2.25 Gy) and imHDR-APBI (32 Gy/4 Gy), respectively.

Purse-string closure technique reduces the incidence of incisional hernias following the reversal of temporary ileostomy.

Purpose: The incidence of incisional hernia (IH) at ileostomy closure site has not been sufficiently evaluated. Temporary loop ileostomy is routinely used in patients after low anterior resection for rectal cancer. The goal of this study was to compare the IH rates of standard suture skin closure and purse-string skin closure techniques.

Isolation and characterization of a rare waterborne lytic phage of Salmonella enterica serovar Paratyphi B.

A lytic phage of Salmonella serovar Paratyphi B, named φSPB, was isolated from surface waters of the Pavana River in India. Phage φSPB is a member of the Podoviridae family and is morphologically similar to the 7-11 phages of the C3 morphotype of tailed phages, characterized by a very long, cigar-shaped head. The head measured approximately 153 × 57 nm, and the tail size was 12 × 7 nm.

Portal vein thrombosis and arterioportal shunts: effects on tumor response after chemoembolization of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Aim: To evaluate the effect of portal vein thrombosis and arterioportal shunts on local tumor response in advanced cases of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma treated by transarterial chemoembolization.

Methods: A retrospective study included 39 patients (mean age: 66.4 years, range: 45-79 years, SD: 7) with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who were treated with repetitive transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) in the period between March 2006 and October 2009.

In vitro management of hospital Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm using indigenous T7-like lytic phage.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a human pathogen capable of forming biofilm and contaminating medical settings, is responsible for 65% mortality in the hospitals all over the world. This study was undertaken to isolate lytic phages against biofilm forming Ps. aeruginosa hospital isolates and to use them for in vitro management of biofilms in the microtiter plate.

Leiomyoma volume changes at follow-up after uterine artery embolization: correlation with the initial leiomyoma volume and location.

Purpose: To study the changes in uterine leiomyoma volume after uterine artery embolization (UAE) and to correlate these changes with the initial tumor volume and location within the uterus.

Materials And Methods: The study was performed retrospectively on 28 consecutive patients (age, 37-57 years; mean, 48 y +/- 4.81) with 84 uterine leiomyomas.

Classification of Myoviridae bacteriophages using protein sequence similarity.

Background: We advocate unifying classical and genomic classification of bacteriophages by integration of proteomic data and physicochemical parameters. Our previous application of this approach to the entirely sequenced members of the Podoviridae fully supported the current phage classification of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV). It appears that horizontal gene transfer generally does not totally obliterate evolutionary relationships between phages.

Prospective multicenter study evaluating fecal calprotectin in adult acute bacterial diarrhea.

Background: Every year, about 2.2 million deaths occur worldwide due to diarrhea. Reliable diagnosis of patients with acute infectious diarrhea remains a formidable challenge to the clinicians.

New introducer PEG gastropexy does not require prophylactic antibiotics: multicenter prospective randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study.

Background: Peristomal infections are the most common complications of PEG, despite prophylactic antibiotics. The "introducer" PEG-placement technique avoids the sojourn of a PEG catheter through the oropharynx, and hence minimizes the chances of infectious complications. Despite the obvious potential advantage, this technique failed to gain popularity, mainly as a result of other associated risks and complications.

Salmonella phages examined in the electron microscope.

Out of 177 surveyed bacteriophages, 161 (91%) are tailed and belong to the Myoviridae, Siphoviridae, and Podoviridae families (43, 55, and 59 viruses, respectively). Sixteen filamentous or isometric phages are members of the Inoviridae, Leviviridae, Microviridae, and Tectiviridae families (9%). Many tailed phages belong to established phage genera (P22, T1, T5, and T7), which are widespread in enterobacteria and other Gram-negatives of the Proteobacteria phylum.

Impact of patient-prosthesis mismatch and aortic valve design on coronary flow reserve after aortic valve replacement.

Objectives: This prospective-randomized study investigated the effect of aortic valve design and patient-prosthesis mismatch (PPM) on coronary flow reserve (CFR) after mechanical or biological aortic valve replacement (AVR) in patients with aortic stenosis (AS).

Background: Coronary flow reserve may be an important parameter of long-term survival after AVR in patients with AS. Reduced CFR may contribute to more cardiovascular events and greater rates of mortality.

Stentless bioprostheses improve postoperative coronary flow more than stented prostheses after valve replacement for aortic stenosis.

Objective: In some randomized studies, stentless aortic valves have demonstrated hemodynamic advantages in comparison with stented prostheses. The effect of more physiologic flow dynamics on coronary artery flow has not been investigated yet. This study compares coronary perfusion after aortic valve replacement with stented or stentless porcine bioprostheses in a prospective randomized study.

Effect of mechanical aortic valve orientation on coronary artery flow: comparison of tilting disc versus bileaflet prostheses in pigs.

Objective: Orientation for optimal systolic performance of tilting disc and bileaflet aortic valves was defined in previous studies. The present study investigates the influence of valve orientation on coronary artery flow in an animal model.

Methods: A rotation device holding either a Medtronic Hall tilting disc (n = 4; Medtronic, Inc, Minneapolis, Minn), a St Jude Medical bileaflet (n = 4; St Jude Medical, Inc, St Paul, Minn), or a Medtronic Advantage bileaflet (n = 3) aortic valve was implanted.