Validation of Inter-Reader Agreement/Consistency for Quantification of Ellipsoid Zone Integrity and Sub-RPE Compartmental Features Across Retinal Diseases.

Background: An unmet need exists when clinically assessing retinal and layer-based features of retinal diseases. Therefore, quantification of retinal-layer-thicknesses/fluid volumes using deep-learning-augmented platforms to reproduce human-obtained clinical measurements is needed.

Methods: In this analysis, 210 spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) scans (30 without pathology, 60 dry age-related macular degeneration [AMD], 60 wet AMD, and 60 diabetic macular edema [total 23,625 B-scans]) were included.

The efficacy and safety of isotonic and hypotonic fluids in intravenous maintenance fluid therapy in term newborns: national multicenter observational "neofluid" study.

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of isotonic and hypotonic intravenous fluids in maintenance fluid therapy for term infants.

Methods: This was a multi-centre, prospective, observational study conducted in 21 participating centres from December 30, 2020, to June 30, 2023. The study included term newborns requiring parenteral fluid therapy for maintenance (NCT04781361).

Emergent endovascular treatment versus medical treatment for acute large vessel occlusions with nondisabling symptoms.

Objectives: The aim of this study is to analyze the effectiveness and safety of medical treatment (MT) versus endovascular treatment (EVT) in acute large vessel occlusion patients with mild nondisabling stroke symptoms.

Methods: This study is a multicenter observational study in which data from patients at three stroke centers were prospectively obtained and retrospectively analyzed. Patients were included if they arrived for treatment within 6 h of stroke onset or last known well time and had a baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score of ≤5.

Combination of optical coherence tomography-derived shape and texture features are associated with development of sub-foveal geographic atrophy in dry AMD.

Geographic atrophy (GA) is an advanced form of dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD) that leads to progressive and irreversible vision loss. Identifying patients with greatest risk of GA progression is important for targeted utilization of emerging therapies. This study aimed to comprehensively evaluate the role of shape-based fractal dimension features ( ) of sub-retinal pigment epithelium (sub-RPE) compartment and texture-based radiomics features ( ) of Ellipsoid Zone (EZ)-RPE and sub-RPE compartments for risk stratification for subfoveal GA (sfGA) progression.

Optical coherence tomography-derived texture-based radiomics features identify eyes with intraocular inflammation in the HAWK clinical trial.

Background And Objective: Intravitreal injection of anti-VEGF agents is the first-line treatment for patients with neovascular-age related macular degeneration (nAMD). One unique serious adverse event that may be associated with these agents is intraocular inflammation (IOI). The main purpose of this analysis was to evaluate the potential presence of texture-based radiomics features characterizing heterogeneity within the vitreous compartment of spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) images that may precede or develop in association with IOI and might serve as OCT biomarkers for IOI.

Ellipsoid Zone Integrity and Visual Function in Dry Age-Related Macular Degeneration.

In this longitudinal retrospective image analysis, conducted on patients diagnosed with dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and 5 years of follow-up imaging data, the study aimed to investigate the relationship between ellipsoid zone (EZ) integrity on spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) and visual acuity (VA). Using a machine learning-enabled feature extraction tool, quantitative EZ parameters were derived from SD-OCT images. The analysis revealed significant correlations between EZ integrity metrics and VA.

Automated Evaluation of Ellipsoid Zone At-Risk Burden for Detection of Hydroxychloroquine Retinopathy.

Background: Screening for hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) retinopathy is crucial to detecting early disease. A novel machine-learning-based optical coherence tomography (OCT) biomarker, Ellipsoid Zone (EZ) At-Risk, can quantitatively measure EZ alterations and at-risk areas for progressive EZ loss in a fully automated fashion. The purpose of this analysis was to compare the EZ At-Risk burden in eyes with HCQ toxicity to eyes without toxicity.

Compartmental Exudative Dynamics in Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration: Volumetric Outcomes and Impact of Volatility in a Phase III Clinical Trial.

Purpose: To examine retinal feature dynamics in eyes with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) treated with anti-VEGF therapy and the relationship of these features with visual acuity.

Design: Post hoc analysis of the phase III, randomized, HAWK nAMD clinical trial.

Participants: Participants randomized to the brolucizumab 6 mg or aflibercept 2 mg arms of the trial.

Bacillary Layer Detachment in Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration from a Phase III Clinical Trial.

Objective: To evaluate the incidence of bacillary layer detachment in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) and their response to anti-VEGF therapy.

Design: Post hoc analysis of the brolucizumab 6-mg and aflibercept 2-mg arms from the HAWK clinical trial, a 48-week, prospective, double-masked, phase III trial.

Participants: Participants (n = 652 and 652 eyes) randomized to brolucizumab 6-mg and aflibercept 2-mg arms from HAWK (NCT02307682).

Texture-Based Radiomic SD-OCT Features Associated With Response to Anti-VEGF Therapy in a Phase III Neovascular AMD Clinical Trial.

Purpose: The goal of this study was to evaluate the role of texture-based baseline radiomic features (Fr) and dynamic radiomics alterations (delta, FΔr) within multiple targeted compartments on optical coherence tomography (OCT) scans to predict response to anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy in neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD).

Methods: HAWK is a phase 3 clinical trial data set of active nAMD patients (N = 1082) comparing brolucizumab and aflibercept. This analysis included patients receiving 6 mg brolucizumab or 2 mg aflibercept and categorized as complete responders (n = 280) and incomplete responders (n = 239) based on whether or not the eyes achieved/maintained fluid resolution on OCT.

Novel Fractal-Based Sub-RPE Compartment OCT Radiomics Biomarkers Are Associated With Subfoveal Geographic Atrophy in Dry AMD.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to quantitatively characterize the shape of the sub-retinal pigment epithelium (sub-RPE, i.e., space bounded by RPE and Bruch's membrane) compartment on SD-OCT using fractal dimension (FD) features and evaluate their impact on risk of subfoveal geographic atrophy (sfGA) progression.

Automated Identification and Segmentation of Using Deep Learning on SD-OCT for Predicting Progression in Dry AMD.

Background: The development and testing of a deep learning (DL)-based approach for detection and measurement of regions of (EZ) to study progression in nonexudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Methods: Used in DL model training and testing were 341 subjects with nonexudative AMD with or without geographic atrophy (GA). An independent dataset of 120 subjects were used for testing model performance for prediction of GA progression.

Machine Learning-Based Automated Detection and Quantification of Geographic Atrophy and Hypertransmission Defects Using Spectral Domain Optical Coherence Tomography.

The current study describes the development and assessment of innovative, machine learning (ML)-based approaches for automated detection and pixel-accurate measurements of regions with geographic atrophy (GA) in late-stage age-related macular degeneration (AMD) using optical coherence tomography systems. 900 OCT volumes, 100266 B-scans, and OCT images from 341 non-exudative AMD patients with or without GA were included in this study from both Cirrus (Zeiss) and Spectralis (Heidelberg) OCT systems. B-scan and level ground truth GA masks were created on OCT B-scan where the segmented ellipsoid zone (EZ) line, retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) line, and bruchs membrane (BM) line overlapped.

OCT-Derived Radiomic Features Predict Anti-VEGF Response and Durability in Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration.

Purpose: No established biomarkers currently exist for therapeutic efficacy and durability of anti-VEGF therapy in neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD). This study evaluated radiomic-based quantitative OCT biomarkers that may be predictive of anti-VEGF treatment response and durability.

Design: Assessment of baseline biomarkers using machine learning (ML) classifiers to predict tolerance to anti-VEGF therapy.

Bacillary Detachment in Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration: Incidence, Clinical Features, and Response to Anti-VEGF Therapy.

Objective: To evaluate the incidence of bacillary layer detachment among patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) and their response to anti-VEGF therapy.

Design: Post hoc analysis of the OSPREY clinical trial, a prospective, double-masked, phase II study comparing 6-mg brolucizumab with 2-mg aflibercept over 56 weeks.

Participants: Participants with treatment-naive nAMD at the initiation of the trial were included in the analysis (n = 81).

Risk Classification for Progression to Subfoveal Geographic Atrophy in Dry Age-Related Macular Degeneration Using Machine Learning-Enabled Outer Retinal Feature Extraction.

Background And Objective: To evaluate the utility of spectral-domain optical coherence tomography biomarkers to predict the development of subfoveal geographic atrophy (sfGA).

Patients And Methods: This was a retrospective cohort analysis including 137 individuals with dry age-related macular degeneration without sfGA with 5 years of follow-up. Multiple spectral-domain optical coherence tomography quantitative metrics were generated, including ellipsoid zone (EZ) integrity and subretinal pigment epithelium (sub-RPE) compartment features.

COVID-19-associated multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children: Experiences of three centres in Turkey.

Background: The pathogenesis and clinical manifestations of the multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) has not yet been fully elucidated and there is no clear consensus on its treatment yet.

Objectives: To evaluate our patients diagnosed with MIS-C and present them to the literature in order to contribute to the better understanding of this new disease, which entered paediatric practice with the SARS-CoV-2 peak.

Methods: In this study, 17 MIS-C cases diagnosed according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria were included.

Comparison of Lipid and Lipoprotein Values of Wrestlers and Soccer Players.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare the lipid and lipoprotein values of wrestlers and soccer players.

Materials And Methods: A total of 35 subjects, 17 male wrestlers who are sporting for 11.5 years and 18 male soccer player students who are sporting for 11.

Effects of Boxing Matches on Metabolic, Hormonal, and Inflammatory Parameters in Male Elite Boxers.

Boxing is a popular combat sport that requires high intensity and cooperation. However, there are limited data about the influence of boxing matches on blood parameters. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the match-induced changes in the metabolic, hormonal, and inflammatory status in male elite boxers.

Amikacin induced renal damage and the role of the antioxidants on neonatal rats.

Amikacin (AK) is frequently used on the treatment of Gram-negative infections on neonates, but its usage is restricted because of nephrotoxicity. In this study, on neonatal rats, we aimed to investigate the effects of erythropoietin and vitamin E on AK induced nephrotoxicity. A total of 35 newborn Wistar Albino rats were divided into four groups: (1) injected with saline (serum physiological was administered to placebo controls), (2) injected with AK (1200 mg/kg), (3) injected with AK + vitamin E (150 mg/kg), (4) injected with AK + erythropoietin (EPO) (300 IU/kg/day).

Low serum sclerostin levels in newborns with vitamin D deficiency.

Background: Sclerostin is a glycoprotein produced by osteocytes that is being evaluated as a potential clinical marker of bone turnover. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between neonatal vitamin D status and levels of circulating sclerostin.

Methods: Forty newborns were recruited for the study.

Serum Sclerostin Levels in Newborns Born to Mothers With Vitamin D Deficiency.

Aim: Sclerostin inhibits osteoblast functions, differentiations, and survival rates. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between circulating sclerostin (an emerging biomarker and important regulator of bone formation) and neonatal parameters in mothers with vitamin D deficiency.

Method: Forty-five mothers and their newborns were recruited in the study.

Laparoscopic Nephron-sparing Surgery for Metanephric Adenoma in Children: A Report of 2 Cases.

Metanephric adenoma (MA) is an epithelial benign tumor of the kidney and very rare in children. Here we present 2 cases of MA treated by laparoscopic nephron-sparing surgery in children. To the best of our knowledge, we report the first cases of laparoscopic nephron-sparing surgery for MA in children.

Liver antioxidant stores protect the brain from electromagnetic radiation (900 and 1800 MHz)-induced oxidative stress in rats during pregnancy and the development of offspring.

Objectives: The present study determined the effects of mobile phone (900 and 1800 MHz)-induced electromagnetic radiation (EMR) exposure on oxidative stress in the brain and liver as well as the element levels in growing rats from pregnancy to 6 weeks of age.

Methods: Thirty-two rats and their offspring were equally divided into three different groups: the control, 900 MHz, and 1800 MHz groups. The 900 MHz and 1800 MHz groups were exposed to EMR for 60 min/d during pregnancy and neonatal development.