The Relationship Between Travel Distance for Treatment and Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Radiation Therapy: A Systematic Review.

Purpose: Although recent technological advances in radiation therapy have significantly improved treatment outcomes, the global distribution of radiation therapy is unbalanced, making access especially challenging for patients in rural or low-resource settings because of travel burden. This systematic review aimed to explore the impact of geographic distance to treatment facilities on survival, as well as other treatment outcomes, among patients undergoing radiation therapy.

Methods And Materials: A search of four databases (PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, and Web of Science) was performed.

No Future Growth Enhancement Expected at the Northern Edge for European Beech due to Continued Water Limitation.

With ongoing global warming, increasing water deficits promote physiological stress on forest ecosystems with negative impacts on tree growth, vitality, and survival. How individual tree species will react to increased drought stress is therefore a key research question to address for carbon accounting and the development of climate change mitigation strategies. Recent tree-ring studies have shown that trees at higher latitudes will benefit from warmer temperatures, yet this is likely highly species-dependent and less well-known for more temperate tree species.

The Impact of Sleep Deprivation on Video Head Impulse Test Results.

Objective: To investigate the association between sleep deprivation and vestibular dysfunction by Video Head Impulse Test (vHIT).

Methods: This prospective clinical trial explores the impact of acute sleep deprivation on the vestibular-ocular reflex (VOR) in medical residents. The study involved healthy physicians from diverse medical disciplines.

Dacryoadenitis associated with linear scleroderma : A case report and review of literature.

Dacryoadenitis in the setting of linear scleroderma (LScs) is an association that has not previously been described in the scientific literature. The purpose of this case report is to describe the co-existence of LScs and chronic dacryoadenitis and how it was managed. We report the case of a 42-year-old woman who presented with a 4-month history of left upper eyelid swelling with radiological enlargement of the left lacrimal gland on orbital CT and MRI imaging.

Is Ortho-Terphenyl a Rigid Glass Former?

Ortho-terphenyl (OTP) has long been used as a model system to study the glass transition due to its apparent simplicity and a widespread assumption that it is a rigid molecule. Here, we employ terahertz time-domain spectroscopy and low-frequency Raman spectroscopy to investigate the rigidity of OTP by direct observation of the low-frequency vibrational dynamics. These terahertz phonons involve complex large-amplitude atomic motions where intramolecular and intermolecular displacements are often mixed.

Integrative oncology for patients with lung cancer: A prospective pragmatic controlled trial.

Introduction: Complementary medicine and integrative oncology modalities (IOM) have been included in the clinical practice guidelines of the American College of Chest Physicians in the treatments of patients with lung cancer. The present study examined the impact of a patient-tailored IOM treatment program on quality of life (QoL)-related concerns among patients with non-small and small lung cancer undergoing active oncology treatment.

Methods: This controlled study was pragmatic and prospective assessing the adherence among patients referred by their oncology healthcare provider to an integrative physician consultation, followed by 6 weekly IOM treatments addressing QoL-related concerns.

Submillimeter-Long WS Nanotubes: The Pathway to Inorganic Buckypaper.

WS nanotubes present many new technologies under development, including reinforced biocompatible polymers, membranes, photovoltaic-based memories, ferroelectric devices, etc. These technologies depend on the aspect ratio (length/diameter) of the nanotubes, which was limited to 100 or so. A new synthetic technique is presented, resulting in WS nanotubes a few hundred micrometers long and diameters below 50 nm (aspect ratios of 2000-5000) in high yields.

Pathways and drivers of canopy accession across primary temperate forests of Europe.

Canopy accession strategies reveal much about tree life histories and forest stand dynamics. However, the protracted nature of ascending to the canopy makes direct observation challenging. We use a reconstructive approach based on an extensive tree ring database to study the variability of canopy accession patterns of dominant tree species (Abies alba, Acer pseudoplatanus, Fagus sylvatica, Picea abies) in temperate mountain forests of Europe and elucidate how disturbance histories, climate, and topography affect canopy accession.

Mechanical Behavior of Hybrid Thin Films Fabricated by Sequential Infiltration Synthesis in Water-Rich Environment.

Sequential infiltration synthesis (SIS) is an emerging technique for fabricating hybrid organic-inorganic materials with nanoscale precision and controlled properties. Central to SIS implementation in applications such as membranes, sensors, and functional coatings is the mechanical properties of hybrid materials in water-rich environments. This work studies the nanocomposite morphology and its effect on the mechanical behavior of SIS-based hybrid thin films of AlO-PMMA under aqueous environments.

Paediatric orbital lymphoma; a case series and review of the literature.

Objective: To describe a series of paediatric orbital lymphoma patients in a single tertiary referral centre.

Methods: A retrospective case-note search in the Oxford Eye Hospital of all patients under the age of 18 years with orbital lymphoma between 2010 and 2020. Demographic and clinical data were obtained, and a literature review was conducted.

Jet stream position explains regional anomalies in European beech forest productivity and tree growth.

The mechanistic pathways connecting ocean-atmosphere variability and terrestrial productivity are well-established theoretically, but remain challenging to quantify empirically. Such quantification will greatly improve the assessment and prediction of changes in terrestrial carbon sequestration in response to dynamically induced climatic extremes. The jet stream latitude (JSL) over the North Atlantic-European domain provides a synthetic and robust physical framework that integrates climate variability not accounted for by atmospheric circulation patterns alone.

dNLR-Based Score Predicting Overall Survival Benefit for The Addition of Platinum-Based Chemotherapy to Pembrolizumab in Advanced NSCLC With PD-L1 Tumor Proportion Score ≥50.

Introduction: Both pembrolizumab (P) as a monotherapy or in combination with platinum-based chemotherapy (PCT) represent standard first-line treatment options for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (aNSCLC) with PD-L1 tumor proportion score (TPS)≥50%. No predictive biomarkers exist to guide treatment decisions.

Methods: 423 consecutive patients with EGFR/ALK/ROS1-wild-type PD-L1 TPS≥50% aNSCLC receiving P (n = 302) or PCT (n = 121) as a first-line treatment were identified in the electronic databases of 5 Israeli cancer centers.

Silent sinus syndrome: potentially misleading features that should be recognized.

Objective: Silent sinus syndrome (SSS) usually manifests clinically as hypoglobus and enophthalmos. Patients may experience different symptoms and may present to an assortment of specialties and delay diagnosis and management. The objective of this article was to describe the different and sometimes misleading signs and symptoms of SSS to improve the level of suspicion and reduce time to diagnosis.

Retinal Lineage Therapeutic Specific Effect of Human Orbital and Abdominal Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells.

Retinal degenerative diseases are one of the main causes of complete blindness in aged population. In this study, we compared the therapeutic potential for retinal degeneration of human mesenchymal stem cells derived from abdominal subcutaneous fat (ABASCs) or from orbital fat (OASCs) due to their accessibility and mutual embryonic origin with retinal tissue, respectively. OASCs were found to protect RPE cells from cell death and were demonstrated to increase early RPE precursor markers, while ABASCs showed a raise in retinal precursor marker expression.

Influence of mental stress on intraocular pressure and visual field testing: is there a white coat syndrome in glaucoma?

Purpose: To investigate the effects of mental stress stimulus on intraocular pressure (IOP) measurement and visual field (VF) testing.

Methods: Patients with open angle glaucoma underwent a baseline IOP measurement and VF testing. Afterwards, they completed a computerized mental stress test (Stroop test) which is a known standardized method to induce mental stress.

European primary forest database v2.0.

Primary forests, defined here as forests where the signs of human impacts, if any, are strongly blurred due to decades without forest management, are scarce in Europe and continue to disappear. Despite these losses, we know little about where these forests occur. Here, we present a comprehensive geodatabase and map of Europe's known primary forests.

Biotic threats for 23 major non-native tree species in Europe.

For non-native tree species with an origin outside of Europe a detailed compilation of enemy species including the severity of their attack is lacking up to now. We collected information on native and non-native species attacking non-native trees, i.e.

Applying a dual-Scheimpflug camera to measure tear film thickness.

Purpose: To assess the tear film thickness in healthy individuals by using a dual-Scheimpflug camera and topical 0.1% fluorescein.

Methods: A prospective study on healthy individuals who underwent a bilateral tomography examination using the GALILEI dual-Scheimpflug with assessments of the thinnest and central corneal thickness (TCT and CCT, respectively), at baseline and 1 min after applying 2 and 4 µl of 0.

The management of periorbital nodular fasciitis using intra-lesional triamcinolone: a case report and review of the literature.

Nodular fasciitis (NF) is a subcutaneous, nodular, pseudo-sarcomatous, fibroblastic proliferation. It is rarely reported in the periorbital region and the management approach is variable.Presented is an eight-year-old female with a three month history of a periorbital mass.

Posterior Corneal Surface Changes After Pterygium Excision Surgery.

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of pterygium excision on the posterior corneal surface and analyze the factors associated with those changes.

Methods: A prospective, interventional study including 33 eyes of 31 patients who underwent pterygium excision at the Tel Aviv Medical Center (Tel Aviv, Israel). Exclusion criteria included corneal dystrophy, pseudopterygium, corneal scarring, or previous ocular surgery in the treated eye.

Orbital Compartment Syndrome: An Update With Review Of The Literature.

Orbital compartment syndrome (OCS) is a potentially blinding condition characterized by a rapid increase in intra-orbital pressure. OCS is most commonly seen in the context of intra-orbital hemorrhage secondary to either trauma or surgery. A review of the literature indicates that better visual outcomes are achieved when interventions occur within the first 2 hrs.

Endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy: reasons for failure.

Objective: Endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR) is a widely performed and safe procedure for the treatment of nasolacrimal duct obstruction manifested as epiphora or dacryocystitis. Current success rates are above 90%. Data on causes for failure of the procedure are sparse.

Efficacy and Safety of BRAF Inhibitors With or Without MEK Inhibitors in BRAF-Mutant Advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer: Findings From a Real-Life Cohort.

Background: Real-life comparative data on BRAF inhibitors (BRAFi) and BRAFi + MEK inhibitors (MEKi) combination in BRAF-mutant (BRAFm) non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is lacking.

Patients And Methods: Consecutive BRAFm advanced NSCLC patients (n = 58) treated in 9 Israeli centers in 2009-2018 were identified. These were divided according to mutation subtype and treatment into groups A1 (V600E, BRAFi; n = 5), A2 (V600E, BRAFi + MEKi; n = 15), A3 (V600E, no BRAFi; n = 7), B1 (non-V600E, BRAFi ± MEKi; n = 7), and B2 (non-V600E, no BRAFi; n = 23); one patient received both BRAFi and BRAFi + MEKi.