Assessment of thermochromic phantoms for characterizing microwave ablation devices.

Background And Purpose: Thermochromic gel phantoms provide a controlled medium for visual assessment of thermal ablation device performance. However, there are limited studies reporting on the comparative assessment of ablation profiles assessed in thermochromic gel phantoms against those in ex vivo tissue. The objective of this study was to compare microwave ablation zones in a thermochromic tissue-mimicking gel phantom and ex vivo bovine liver and to report on measurements of the temperature-dependent dielectric and thermal properties of the phantom.

Dynamic heterogeneity in COVID-19: Insights from a mathematical model.

Critical illness, such as severe COVID-19, is heterogenous in presentation and treatment response. However, it remains possible that clinical course may be influenced by dynamic and/or random events such that similar patients subject to similar injuries may yet follow different trajectories. We deployed a mechanistic mathematical model of COVID-19 to determine the range of possible clinical courses after SARS-CoV-2 infection, which may follow from specific changes in viral properties, immune properties, treatment modality and random external factors such as initial viral load.

Assessment of thermochromic phantoms for characterizing microwave ablation devices.

Background And Purpose: Thermochromic gel phantoms provide a controlled medium for visual assessment of thermal ablation device performance. However, there are limited studies reporting on the comparative assessment of ablation profiles assessed in thermochromic gel phantoms against those in tissue. The objective of this study was to compare microwave ablation zones in a thermochromic tissue mimicking gel phantom and bovine liver, and to report on measurements of the temperature dependent dielectric and thermal properties of the phantom.

In silico clinical studies for optimal COVID-19 vaccination schedules in patients with cancer.

This study introduces a tailored COVID-19 model for patients with cancer, incorporating viral variants and immune-response dynamics. The model aims to optimize vaccination strategies, contributing to personalized healthcare for vulnerable groups.

How Treatment Effect Heterogeneity Works.

How Treatment Effect Heterogeneity WorksThis Stats, STAT! animated video explores the concept of treatment effect heterogeneity. Differences in the effectiveness of treatments across participants in a clinical trial is important to understand when deciding how to apply clinical trial results to clinical practice.

How Statistical Power Works.

How Statistical Power WorksThis Stats, STAT! animated video explores the concept of statistical power and explains how clinical investigators determine how many participants to enroll in a randomized trial.

How Censoring Works.

How Censoring WorksA common challenge in clinical research is determining the time to occurrence of a given event. This animated video explores the concept of censoring in survival analysis and how investigators deal with ambiguity in the time of an event's occurrence.

Large Language Models.

Large Language ModelsIn the latest edition of Stats, STAT!, Fralick and colleagues explain the statistics behind large language models - used in chat bots like ChatGPT and Bard. While these new tools may seem remarkably intelligent, at their core they just assemble sentences based on statistics from large amounts of text.

Good Intentions to Treat.

Good Intentions to Treat This Stats, STAT! animated video explores common approaches to analyzing data from randomized controlled trials, including intention-to-treat, per-protocol, and as-treated analyses.

Bayesian Way.

Bayesian WayThis animated video explores two possible approaches to analyzing data in a randomized controlled trial: "Frequentist" versus "Bayesian."

Pathophysiology of Hypoxemia in COVID-19 Lung Disease.

As the pandemic has progressed, our understanding of hypoxemia in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) lung disease has become more nuanced, although much remains to be understood. In this article, we review ventilation-perfusion mismatching in COVID-19 and the evidence to support various biologic theories offered in explanation. In addition, the relationship between hypoxemia and other features of severe COVID-19 lung disease such as respiratory symptoms, radiographic abnormalities, and pulmonary mechanics is explored.

A Prospective Observational Study on Short and Long-Term Outcomes of COVID-19 Patients with Acute Hypoxic Respiratory Failure Treated with High-Flow Nasal Cannula.

(1) The use of high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) combined with frequent respiratory monitoring in patients with acute hypoxic respiratory failure due to COVID-19 has been shown to reduce intubation and mechanical ventilation. (2) This prospective, single-center, observational study included consecutive adult patients with COVID-19 pneumonia treated with a high-flow nasal cannula. Hemodynamic parameters, respiratory rate, inspiratory fraction of oxygen (FO), saturation of oxygen (SO), and the ratio of oxygen saturation to respiratory rate (ROX) were recorded prior to treatment initiation and every 2 h for 24 h.

Mechanistic model for booster doses effectiveness in healthy, cancer, and immunosuppressed patients infected with SARS-CoV-2.

SARS-CoV-2 vaccines are effective at limiting disease severity, but effectiveness is lower among patients with cancer or immunosuppression. Effectiveness wanes with time and varies by vaccine type. Moreover, previously prescribed vaccines were based on the ancestral SARS-CoV-2 spike-protein that emerging variants may evade.

Of Climate Change and Competing Risks.

Of Climate Change and Competing Risks This Stats, STAT! animated video explores the concept of competing risks - and discusses why it is so important for investigators to consider whether the occurrence of one event can prevent or change the likelihood of the occurrence of another.

Prolonged Prone Position Ventilation Is Associated With Reduced Mortality in Intubated COVID-19 Patients.

Background: Prone position ventilation (PPV) is resource-intensive, yet the optimal strategy for PPV in intubated patients with COVID-19 is unclear.

Research Question: Does a prolonged (24 or more h) PPV strategy improve mortality in intubated COVID-19 patients compared with intermittent (∼16 h with daily supination) PPV?

Study Design And Methods: Multicenter, retrospective cohort study of consecutively admitted intubated COVID-19 patients treated with PPV between March 11 and May 31, 2020. The primary outcome was 30-day all-cause mortality.

Threats to Blinding.

Blinding is a critical strategy used to limit certain types of bias in randomized controlled trials. This animated video explores the rationale and examines potential threats to keeping group allocation concealed - from study participants and investigators.