Mortality in people with mental disorders in Poland during the COVID-19 pandemic: a nationwide, register-based cohort study.

Purpose Of Review: People with mental disorders in Poland have increased standardized mortality ratios (SMRs). This is the first study to assess all-cause mortality in people with mental disorders in Poland during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Recent Findings: A nationwide, register-based cohort study utilizing data from the registry of healthcare services (2011-2020) and the all-cause death registry (2021) in Poland was conducted.

Allogeneic serum-based eye drops may give better results than autologous drops in Sjögren's syndrome dry eye.

Purpose: Sjögren's syndrome (SS) may cause severe dry eye symptoms. One of the therapeutic option known for almost 40 years are autologous serum eye drops (ASEDs). Due to the presence of many pro-inflammatory factors in the autologous serum of SS patients, the use of allogeneic serum is often considered a better option.

Elective Irradiation of Retropharyngeal Lymph Nodes as an Indication for Adjuvant Radiation Therapy After Transoral Surgery for Tonsil Cancer.

Treatment of squamous cell carcinoma of the tonsil involves primary radiation therapy (RT) or surgical resection. Historically, if RT was the primary or adjuvant treatment modality, most of the bilateral retropharyngeal lymph nodes (RPLNs) were treated electively with a therapeutic dose for subclinical disease, regardless of whether radiographically pathologic lymph nodes were seen on initial diagnostic imaging. De-escalation strategies include the incorporation of transoral surgery with the goal to either eliminate or reduce the dose of adjuvant RT or chemotherapy.

Long-term outcome of primary clival chordomas: a single-center retrospective study with an emphasis on the timing of recurrences based on the primary treatment.

Objective: This study aimed to provide data on extended outcomes in primary clival chordomas, focusing on progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS).

Methods: A retrospective single-center analysis was conducted on patients with clival chordoma treated between 1987 and 2022 using surgery, stereotactic radiosurgery, or proton radiation therapy (PRT).

Results: The study included 100 patients (median age 44 years, 51% male).

Predicting the Need for Occipitocervical Fusion for Patients with Lower Clival Chordoma: A Single-Center Retrospective Study.

Objective: To assess the impact of tumor extension into the occipital condyle (OC) in lower clival chordoma management and the need for occipito-cervical fusion (OCF).

Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 35 patients with lower clival chordoma. The preoperative area of the intact OCs, Hounsfield units, and the integrity of the apical ligament and the tectorial membrane were assessed using preoperative imaging.

Evaluation of mental health services delivered before and after the introduction of pilot Mental Health Centers in Poland using monitoring indicators.

Objectives: The study assessed the performance of Mental Health Centres compared to previous non-integrated mental health facilities.

Methods: The study used National Health Fund (NHF) data of individuals over 18 years treated in 27 centres (January 2017 - February 2020). Performance indicators from 19 months before (N = 124,497) and after the introduction of Mental Health Centres (N = 182,789) were compared for outpatient care, community treatment teams, inpatient wards and day wards.

Correlation between serum cytokine levels and the effect of allogeneic serum-based eye drops.

Introduction: The Institute of Hematology and Transfusion Medicine (IHTM) in Warsaw has produced autologous serum eye drops (ASEDs) for the treatment of Dry Eye Syndrome (DES) since 1991. In 2019, IHTM introduced allogeneic tears (alloSEDs) for patients on long-term treatment.

Materials And Methods: 114 patients who applied alloSEDs were included in the study.

The Mayo Clinic Salivary Tissue-Organoid Biobanking: A Resource for Salivary Regeneration Research.

The salivary gland (SG) is an essential organ that secretes saliva, which supports versatile oral function throughout life, and is maintained by elusive epithelial stem and progenitor cells (SGSPC). Unfortunately, aging, drugs, autoimmune disorders, and cancer treatments can lead to salivary dysfunction and associated health consequences. Despite many ongoing therapeutic efforts to mediate those conditions, investigating human SGSPC is challenging due to lack of standardized tissue collection, limited tissue access, and inadequate purification methods.

Robotic Slide Tracheoplasty for Pediatric Tracheal Stenosis in Three-Dimensional Printed and Pig Trachea Models.

Purpose: Pediatric long-segment tracheal stenosis often requires operative repair with a slide tracheoplasty performed through median sternotomy. We hypothesized that this operation can be performed through a transcervical approach with use of a single-port robotic system.

Description: A transcervical single-port robotic slide tracheoplasty was performed in 2 models-a 3-dimensional (3D) printed pediatric tracheal stenosis model and a cadaveric pig trachea model.

Extent of Surgical Resection as a Predictor of Tumor Progression in Skull Base Chordomas: A Multicenter Volumetric Analysis.

Introduction: Skull-base chordomas are aggressive tumors with a propensity for recurrence/progression. Even with standard of care (SoC), 5-year recurrence rates are variable (19%-54%). This high recurrence/progression rate correlates with increased morbidity and mortality.

Longitudinal treatment outcomes of recurrent clival chordomas: a single-center retrospective study.

Objective: The objective of this study was to clarify the detailed clinical course of recurrent clival chordoma and the outcomes of each treatment modality.

Methods: A single-center retrospective analysis was conducted on patients seen for recurrent clival chordoma. The cohort was identified from those who underwent surgery, stereotactic radiosurgery, or proton therapy at the authors' institution between 1990 and 2022.

Patterns and distribution of regional nodal involvement and recurrence in a surgically treated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma cohort at a tertiary center.

Objectives: To investigate and describe the patterns of regional metastases and recurrences after surgical treatment of oropharyngeal squamous cell cancer (OPSCC).

Materials And Methods: Retrospective study of patients diagnosed with OPSCC from 2006 to 2021 at a tertiary referral center. Only patients treated with surgery including a neck dissection were included.

Prioritization of land consolidation projects using the multi-criteria Best-Worst Method: a case study from Poland.

In order to balance the needs of ecology, environment, and agricultural productivity with the aim of revitalizing rural areas, every local government unit that plans to implement a land consolidation (LC) project should decide where to start these projects as a priority. Traditionally, some of these decisions are made by groups of people connected to the consolidated area, while the others are made by groups of people from government departments, all trying to make the best possible decision. However, one of the most important conditions for the successful implementation of these projects, requiring large investment costs is, determining the priority areas for LC projects and allocating the investments to the appropriate areas meticulously.

Malignant Carotid Paraganglioma: A Case Report.

Carotid body tumors (CBTs) are rare neoplasms of the neuroectoderm accounting for 0.6% of head and neck tumors, with a 2%-12.5% risk of malignancy.

Comparison of Tumor Control After Stereotactic Radiosurgery or Pencil Beam Proton Therapy for Newly Diagnosed Clival Chordomas: A Single-Center Retrospective Study.

Objective: To compare outcomes of proton radiation therapy (PRT), stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), and x-ray-based radiation with an SRS boost (XRT + SRS) for newly diagnosed clival chordoma.

Methods: Consecutive patients who underwent PRT or SRS in our facility were retrospectively reviewed.

Results: A total of 59 patients were identified (PRT, 36; SRS, 11; XRT + SRS, 12).

Practice of prescribing antipsychotics in schizophrenia during 2013-2018 based on data from the National Health Fund.

Aim: The aim of the study was to analyse the prescribing pattern of antipsychotic drugs in patients with schizophrenia during the years 2013-2018.

Method: Schizophrenia is analysed as one of the diseases with the highest rate of Disability-Adjusted Life Years - DALY. In this study, the unitary data of the National Health Fund (NFZ) reported in the years 2013-2018 were used.

Analysis of psychiatric services for patients diagnosed with schizophrenia, reported to the National Health Fund in the years 2009-2018.

Aim.: Analysis of psychiatric services for patients diagnosed with schizophrenia, reported to the National Health Fund in the years 2009-2018.

Material And Methods: Schizophrenia is analyzed as one of the diseases with the highest rate of Disability-Adjusted Life Years - DALY.

Are portable ankle brachial pressure index measurement devices suitable for hypertension screening?

Objective: In a large-scale population cardiovascular screening programme, peripheral artery disease (PAD) and hypertension would ideally be rapidly assessed using a single device. The ankle-brachial pressure index (ABPI) is calculated by comparing the ankle and brachial blood pressure (BP). However, it is currently unclear whether brachial BP measurements provided by automated PAD screening systems are sufficiently accurate for simultaneous hypertension screening.

Impact of land consolidation on agricultural decarbonization: Estimation of changes in carbon dioxide emissions due to farm transport.

Areas used for agriculture are a large source of carbon emissions, but there is great potential for reducing them. Land consolidation, through the comprehensive reorganization of the spatial arrangement of farms, can reduce emissions as a result of reducing fuel consumption. The subjects of this study are the veracity of this statement and the scope of variation in the potential reduction of carbon emissions.

Identification of Deep Cervical Fascial Layers During Anterior Cervical Spine Exposure.

Background: Anterior approaches to the cervical spine are among the most common exposures by which neurosurgeons and orthopedic surgeons access the prevertebral space and ultimately the cervical disk and vertebral bodies. There is a paucity of literature describing the microanatomic fascial planes of the neck with respect to anterior cervical approaches.

Objective: To delineate the microanatomic connections of the cervical fascial planes pertinent to anterior cervical exposure.

30-day morbidity and mortality after transoral robotic surgery for human papillomavirus (HPV) associated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma: A retrospective analysis of two prospective adjuvant de-escalation trials (MC1273 & MC1675).

Objective: Dose de-escalation of adjuvant therapy (DART) in patients with HPV(+)OPSCC was investigated in two prospective Phase II and III clinical trials (MC1273 and MC1675). We report the 30-day morbidity and mortality associated with primary TORS resection in patients enrolled in these trials.

Materials And Methods: Patients with HPV(+)OPSCC, who underwent TORS resection between 2013 and 2020 were considered in this analysis.

Analysis of Early Outcomes of Pencil Beam Proton Therapy Compared with Passive Scattering Proton Therapy for Clival Chordoma.

Objective: To assess the early outcomes of the following 2 types of proton therapy: passive scattering proton therapy (PSPT) and pencil beam proton therapy (PBPT).

Methods: The consecutive patients who had surgery in our facility were retrospectively reviewed.

Results: Thirty-two patients were identified (PBPT 22 patients [69%]).

Pleomorphic Liposarcoma of the Parapharyngeal Space: A Rare Case Report.

Pleomorphic liposarcomas (PLS) are the rarest subtype of liposarcomas, representing only 5-10% of liposarcomas. Pleomorphic liposarcomas are extremely aggressive and have a poor prognosis. Here, we present the case of a 66-year-old female who presented with difficulty swallowing, talking, and hearing.

Single-port robotic transcervical long-segment thoracic tracheal reconstruction: Cadaveric proof-of-concept study.

Objective: Slide tracheoplasty is the standard technique to repair congenital long-segment tracheal stenosis. This operation most commonly requires median sternotomy, which has drawbacks in young children. We hypothesized that a transcervical approach without sternotomy would be feasible if done with a single-port robotic system.

Mortality in people with mental disorders in Poland: A nationwide, register-based cohort study.

Background: Mortality among people with mental disorders is higher in comparison with the general population. There is a scarcity of studies on mortality in the abovementioned group of people in Central and Eastern European countries.

Methods: The study aimed to assess all-cause mortality in people with mental disorders in Poland.