Clinical and surgical outcomes of splenectomy for autoimmune hemolytic anemia.

Introduction: We investigated short and long-term remission rates after splenectomy in patients with primary and secondary autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA).

Methods: All adults who underwent splenectomy for primary or secondary AIHA at a single center (2004-2018) were retrospectively reviewed. Short-term response was determined at 30-day postoperatively and long-term at one year.

Validation of the novel Deep Reality Viewer (DRV) 3D digital stereo viewer in otology surgery.

Purpose: Magnification with accurate optic reproduction of the surgical field is essential in otology surgery, but current technologies are subject to specific disadvantages. This study aims to evaluate a novel 3D digital stereo viewer, the Deep Reality Viewer (DRV), in otology surgery, in comparison to both a 2D monitor and the gold standard of microscopy.

Methods: In this prospective clinical research study, ENT consultants and trainees evaluated visual and practical applications of the DRV.

Identification of genomic signatures in bone marrow associated with clinical response of CD19 CAR T-cell therapy.

CD19 CAR T-cell immunotherapy is a breakthrough treatment for B cell malignancies, but relapse and lack of response remain a challenge. The bone marrow microenvironment is a key factor in therapy resistance, however, little research has been reported concerning the relationship between transcriptomic profile of bone marrow prior to lymphodepleting preconditioning and clinical response following CD19 CAR T-cell therapy. Here, we applied comprehensive bioinformatic methods (PCA, GO, GSEA, GSVA, PAM-tools) to identify clinical CD19 CAR T-cell remission-related genomic signatures.

Psychiatric comorbidities among patients with complex drug-resistant tuberculosis in Mumbai, India.

Background: People with drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) are known to suffer from many mental-health disorders. This study aims to describe the proportion of patients diagnosed with psychiatric comorbidities, the different psychiatric diagnoses made, and treatment outcomes among DR-TB patients with or without psychiatric comorbidity and initiated on DR-TB treatment between January 2012 and March 2019 at Médecins Sans Frontières independent clinic in Mumbai, India.

Methods: This is a retrospective study using routinely collected clinical data.

Consequences of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor treatment lapse in patients with retinal vein occlusion.

Background: Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) treatments are the first-line treatment for Retinal Vein Occlusion (RVO). Although effectiveness and safety of these treatments is well documented, knowledge regarding the effect of lapses in anti-VEGF treatment among RVO patients is lacking. The purpose of this study is to analyse the anatomic and visual outcomes from a lapse in anti-VEGF treatment in patients with RVO.

Characterization of ophthalmology virtual visits during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Objectives: To characterize the use of virtual visits, as well as compare the characteristics to in-person visits during the pandemic period.

Methods: This retrospective study included patients who had virtual and in-person ophthalmology visits from March 19, 2020, to July 31, 2020, in a large multispecialty ophthalmic center. Exclusion criteria included patients aged less than 18 years old; canceled, incomplete, mislabelled, and duplicated visits.

A systematic review of screen-time literature to inform educational policy and practice during COVID-19.

There is an urgent need for consensus around the matter of screen time (ST) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some governments announced restrictions for online schooling time per day to protect students from perceived risks of prolonged screen-use, but critics and an emerging body of research question such regulations. Our review of 52 empirical studies found (a) an overwhelming majority of literature shows effect sizes too small to be of practical or clinical significance, and (b) findings more specifically on educational ST are inconclusive and critically underrepresented.

HLA-independent T cell receptors for targeting tumors with low antigen density.

Chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) are receptors for antigen that direct potent immune responses. Tumor escape associated with low target antigen expression is emerging as one potential limitation of their efficacy. Here we edit the TRAC locus in human peripheral blood T cells to engage cell-surface targets through their T cell receptor-CD3 complex reconfigured to utilize the same immunoglobulin heavy and light chains as a matched CAR.

Ocular occupational injuries in the United States between 2011-2018.

Background: Current advocacy literature in occupational eye injury focuses on demographics and industries with the largest number of injuries. Additional demographics may also benefit from targeted advocacy that experience a greater proportion of eye injuries relative to all other occupational injuries.

Aims: To characterize which demographic groups are experiencing occupational ocular injuries in the United States.

Clonotype pattern in T-cell lymphomas map the cell of origin to immature lymphoid precursors.

Mature T-cell lymphomas (TCLs) are rare, clinically heterogeneous hematologic cancers with high medical need. TCLs have an inferior prognosis which is attributed to poor understanding of their pathogenesis. On the basis of phenotypic similarities between normal and neoplastic lymphocytes, it has been assumed that TCLs develop in the periphery, directly from various subtypes of normal T cells.

Ultrasound Echogenicity as an Indicator of Muscle Fatigue during Functional Electrical Stimulation.

Functional electrical stimulation (FES) is a potential neurorehabilitative intervention to enable functional movements in persons with neurological conditions that cause mobility impairments. However, the quick onset of muscle fatigue during FES is a significant challenge for sustaining the desired functional movements for more extended periods. Therefore, a considerable interest still exists in the development of sensing techniques that reliably measure FES-induced muscle fatigue.

Sexual Dimorphism in Small-intestinal Neuroendocrine Tumors: Lower Prevalence of Mesenteric Disease in Premenopausal Women.

Context: Small-intestinal neuroendocrine tumors (SI-NETs) have a modest but significantly higher prevalence and worse prognosis in male patients.

Objective: This work aims to increase understanding of this sexual dimorphism in SI-NETs.

Patients And Methods: Retrospectively, SI-NET patients treated in a single tertiary center were included and analyzed for disease characteristics.

Tubercular skull base osteomyelitis - A case report.

Skull base osteomyelitis (SBO) is a complex and fatal clinical entity caused by infections in the structures surrounding the skull base. It is mainly seen in immune compromised individuals. We report one such rare case of an atypical skull base osteomyelitis in a young, immune-competent female child of 12 years of age, who presented in the ER with misleading symptoms of stroke and was diagnosed incidentally to have SBO on imaging.

Endoscopic Retroperitoneal Necrosectomy for Infected Pancreatic Necrosis Using a Self-Expandable Metal Stent.

Infected walled-off pancreatic necrosis (WOPN) is a severe complication of acute pancreatitis. Surgery in these critically ill patients can be associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Hence, minimally invasive therapies have emerged as an alternative to surgery.

Ultrasound Echogenicity-based Assessment of Muscle Fatigue During Functional Electrical Stimulation.

The rapid onset of muscle fatigue during functional electrical stimulation (FES) is a major challenge when attempting to perform long-term periodic tasks such as walking. Surface electromyography (sEMG) is frequently used to detect muscle fatigue for both volitional and FES-evoked muscle contraction. However, sEMG contamination from both FES stimulation artifacts and residual M-wave signals requires sophisticated processing to get clean signals and evaluate the muscle fatigue level.

Patient Satisfaction in the Era of COVID-19: Virtual Visit versus In-person Visit Satisfaction.

Significance: Teleophthalmology became widely used during the coronavirus 2019 pandemic; however, the quality of this care remains to be understood.

Purpose: This study aimed to compare patient satisfaction levels from virtual and in-person visits based on post-visit surveys, as well as investigate demographic characteristics that may predict patient satisfaction with virtual visits.

Methods: Virtual (n = 2943) and in-person (n = 56,175) visits from March 19, 2020, to July 31, 2020, were identified using the electronic health record system.

Surface-enhanced mid-infrared absorption spectroscopy using miniaturized-disc metasurface.

Surface-enhanced infrared spectroscopy is an important technique for improving the signal-to-noise ratio of spectroscopic material identification measurements in the mid-infrared fingerprinting region. However, the lower bound of the fingerprinting region receives much less attention due to a scarcity of transparent materials, more expensive sources, and weaker plasmonic effects. In this paper, we present a miniaturized metasurface unit cell for surface-enhanced infrared spectroscopy of the 15-[Formula: see text]m vibrational band of CO[Formula: see text].

Acetazolamide-Challenged Arterial Spin Labeling Detects Augmented Cerebrovascular Reserve After Surgery for Moyamoya.

Background: Cerebrovascular reserve (CVR) inversely correlates with stroke risk in children with Moyamoya disease and may be improved by revascularization surgery. We hypothesized that acetazolamide-challenged arterial spin labeling MR perfusion quantifies augmentation of CVR achieved by revascularization and correlates with currently accepted angiographic scoring criteria.

Methods: We retrospectively identified pediatric patients with Moyamoya disease or syndrome who received cerebral revascularization at ≤18 years of age between 2012 and 2019 at our institution.

Discovery of a new flavin N5-adduct in a tyrosine to phenylalanine variant of d-Arginine dehydrogenase.

d-Arginine dehydrogenase from Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PaDADH) catalyzes the flavin-dependent oxidation of d-arginine and other d-amino acids. Here, we report the crystal structure at 1.29 Å resolution for PaDADH-Y249F expressed and co-crystallized with d-arginine.

Variation in glucocorticoid sensitivity and the relation with obesity.

Increasing evidence points to a relation between increased glucocorticoid (GC) exposure and weight gain. In support, long-term cortisol measurements using hair analysis revealed that many individuals with obesity appear to have cortisol values in the high physiological range. The mechanisms behind this relationship need to be determined in order to develop targeted therapy to reach sustainable weight loss in these subgroups.

Folate Functionalized Lipid Nanoparticles for Targeted Therapy of Methicillin-Resistant .

Methicillin-resistant (MRSA), commonly called a superbug, is a highly alarming antibiotic-resistant population of bacteria. Vancomycin (VAN) was first approved by the FDA in 1988, and it is still regarded as the treatment of choice for MRSA. The efficacy of VAN treatment has become less effective due to the development of VAN resistance in MRSA and the potential for nephrotoxicity.