Multi-Label Retinal Disease Classification Using Transformers.

Early detection of retinal diseases is one of the most important means of preventing partial or permanent blindness in patients. In this research, a novel multi-label classification system is proposed for the detection of multiple retinal diseases, using fundus images collected from a variety of sources. First, a new multi-label retinal disease dataset, the MuReD dataset, is constructed, using a number of publicly available datasets for fundus disease classification.

Identifying neurocognitive heterogeneity in Older Adults with Bipolar Disorder: a cluster analysis.

Background: Cognitive profiles of BD patients show a demonstrated heterogeneity among young and middle-aged patients, but this issue has not yet deeply explored in Older Adults with bipolar disorder (OABD). The aim of the present study was to analyze cognitive variability in a sample of OABD.

Methods: A total of 138 OABD patients and 73 healthy controls were included in this study.

Religious affiliation and the intention to choose psychiatry as a specialty among physicians in training from 11 Latin American countries.

The worldwide scarcity of psychiatrists makes the identification of the factors associated with the intention to choose this specialty an important issue. This study aims to evaluate the association between religious affiliation and the intention to choose psychiatry as a specialty among medical students from 11 Latin American countries. We conducted a cross-sectional, multi-country study that included first- and fifth-year students of 63 medical schools in 11 Latin-American countries between 2011 and 2012.

Impact of immunosuppression treatment on the improvement in graft survival after deceased donor renal transplantation: a long-term cohort study.

We analyzed graft half-life and attrition rates in 1045 adult deceased donor kidney transplants from 1986-2001, with follow-up to 2011, grouped in two periods (1986-95 vs. 1996-01) according to immunosuppression. The Kaplan-Meier curve showed a significant increase in graft survival during 1996-2001.

Characterizing pilomatricomas in children: a single institution experience.

Background/purpose: Pilomatricomas, or calcifying epitheliomas of Malherbe, are among the most common superficial cutaneous soft tissue lesions in children. Familiarity with the presenting signs and symptoms allows for the diagnosis to be made on physical examination alone in most patients, avoiding expensive and unnecessary diagnostic imaging.

Methods: A retrospective IRB-approved review of surgical pathology archives and medical records of all patients undergoing excision of pilomatricomas between 1982 and 2010 was performed to determine the characteristics of the pilomatricoma tumors.

Conn syndrome and Crohn disease in a pediatric case: an interesting parallel.

Conn syndrome is characterized by surreptitious secretion of aldosterone in which patients are found to have hypertension, hypokalemia, and metabolic alkalosis. Although rare, the most common presentation in the pediatric population is bilateral hyperplasia of the adrenal glands as opposed to an adenoma. Crohn disease is part of the spectrum of inflammatory bowel disease, which manifests in children as flare-ups of bloody diarrhea and abdominal pain.

Pulmonary metastasectomy for children with malignant tumors.

In children with primary solid malignant tumors the most frequent site of metastasis is usally the lung. Pulmonary metastasectomy is part of the standard of care in adult malignancies but its role in pediatric patients has been poor characterized. This review article discusses the benefits, outcomes according tumor histology, selection criteria, adjuvant therapies and surgical techniques employed in the resection of pulmonary metastases in children with malignant tumors.

Tumor volume to fetal weight ratio as an early prognostic classification for fetal sacrococcygeal teratoma.

Purpose: This study was designed to develop a prognostic factor for fetuses with sacrococcygeal teratoma (SCT) that may be useful to predict outcome and guide counseling early in pregnancy. We hypothesize that, in fetuses with SCT, the ratio of tumor size to estimated fetal weight in the second trimester predicts outcome.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed charts of all patients evaluated at our Fetal Center for SCT between 2004 and 2009.

Near-infrared spectroscopy measurement of abdominal tissue oxygenation is a useful indicator of intestinal blood flow and necrotizing enterocolitis in premature piglets.

Purpose: A major objective of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) research is to devise a noninvasive method of early detection. We hypothesized that abdominal near-infrared spectroscopy (A-NIRS) readings will identify impending NEC in a large animal model.

Methods: Piglets were prematurely delivered and received parenteral nutrition followed by enteral feedings.

Ex-utero intrapartum treatment procedure for giant neck masses--fetal and maternal outcomes.

Background/purpose: For fetuses with giant neck masses and tracheal obstruction, an ex-utero intrapartum treatment (EXIT) procedure allows for safe nonemergent airway management while on placental support. Our objective was to examine fetal and maternal outcomes after EXIT procedure specifically for giant neck masses.

Methods: The medical records of all patients referred to a comprehensive fetal center for a giant neck mass between 2001 and 2010 were reviewed retrospectively.

Impact of prenatal evaluation and protocol-based perinatal management on congenital diaphragmatic hernia outcomes.

Background/purpose: Although intuitive, the benefit of prenatal evaluation and multidisciplinary perinatal management for fetuses with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is unproven. We compared the outcome of prenatally diagnosed patients with CDH whose perinatal management was by a predefined protocol with those who were diagnosed postnatally and managed by the same team. We hypothesized that patients with CDH undergoing prenatal evaluation with perinatal planning would demonstrate improved outcome.

Minimization of immunosuppressive therapy after renal transplantation: results of a randomized controlled trial.

Modern immunosuppressive regimens reduce the acute rejection rate by combining a cornerstone immunosuppressant like tacrolimus or cyclosporine with adjunctive agents like corticosteroids, mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) or azathioprine, often associated with untoward side effects. A 6-month randomized study was conducted in 47 European centers. Triple therapy with tacrolimus (trough levels 5-15 ng/mL), corticosteroids (dosage 10 mg/day) and MMF (1 g/day) was administered for 3 months.