Metabolic Syndrome in Patients with Depressive Disorder: A Cross-sectional Study.

Background: Depression not only fosters the development of metabolic syndrome through behavioral, physiological, genetic, and treatment-related factors, but it also doubles the risk of experiencing metabolic syndrome. The objectives were to assess the sociodemographic and clinical profile of patients with depressive disorder, to assess the various metabolic parameters of metabolic syndrome in patients with depressive disorder, and to study the association between the severity of depression and metabolic syndrome.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among patients diagnosed with depression (n = 160) attending the Psychiatry outpatient department of a tertiary healthcare facility in Puducherry.

Anticoagulant Overdose With Paradoxical Thrombotic Risk.

We report a case of an unusual polypharmacy overdose including warfarin in a patient with a metallic heart valve, complicated by the history that he had ceased taking anticoagulation in the preceding few months, that placed him in an initial prothrombotic phase during his presentation. Our case highlights the importance of elucidating all relevant clinical details in a polypharmacy overdose, as clearly and rapidly as feasible, to enable appropriate management.

Characterization of jugular bulb position on computed tomography (CT) with implications for excision of vestibular schwannomas.

To describe the distribution of jugular bulb position and pneumatization of posterior lip of internal auditory meatus (IAM) in patients with vestibular schwannoma (VS). This retrospective study included 43 patients who had a thin slice (< 2 mm) CT temporal bone for preoperative planning of retrosigmoid approach for excision of VS between March 2011 and March 2021. On computed tomography (CT), high riding jugular bulb was defined by its relationship to IAM and correlated with type of jugular bulb according to Manjila et al.

Targeting N-Myc in neuroblastoma with selective Aurora kinase A degraders.

The N-Myc transcription factor, encoded by MYCN, is a mechanistically validated, yet challenging, target for neuroblastoma (NB) therapy development. In normal neuronal progenitors, N-Myc undergoes rapid degradation, while, in MYCN-amplified NB cells, Aurora kinase A (Aurora-A) binds to and stabilizes N-Myc, resulting in elevated protein levels. Here, we demonstrate that targeted protein degradation of Aurora-A decreases N-Myc levels.

The Impact of Sugar Conformation on the Single-Stranded DNA Selectivity of APOBEC3A and APOBEC3B Enzymes.

The APOBEC3 family of polynucleotide cytidine deaminases has diverse roles as viral restriction factors and oncogenic mutators. These enzymes convert cytidine to uridine in single-stranded (ss)DNA, inducing genomic mutations that promote drug resistance and tumor heterogeneity. Of the seven human APOBEC3 members, APOBEC3A (A3A) and APOBEC3B (A3B) are most implicated in driving pro-tumorigenic mutations.

Mid-Term Results of Pulmonary Valve-Sparing Repair for Tetralogy of Fallot With Pulmonary Stenosis.

Objective: The transannular patch remains the most common procedure performed for patients with Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) with pulmonary stenosis. Pulmonary regurgitation has a negative impact on early and late outcomes. To address this issue pulmonary valve-sparing repair (PVSR) has been developed.

Serum Proteomic Predictors of Calcification of Solitary Cysticercus Granuloma.

Solitary cysticercus granulomas (SCG), prevalent among Indian patients with new-onset seizures, either resolve completely or transform into calcified granulomas. This study aimed to identify serum proteins through liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry that could predict calcification of SCGs in 20 patients with SCG with at least 6-months of follow-up. At a median follow-up of 14 months, the SCG had calcified (n = 5), resolved (n = 11), or persisted (n = 4).

Short-Term Results With Ozaki Valved Conduit-A Simple Solution for Patients Needing Right Ventricle to Pulmonary Artery Conduit in a Low-Resource Setting.

Background: The repair of certain types of complex congenital cardiac defects may require a right ventricle-pulmonary artery (RV-PA) conduit. Using the Ozaki Aortic valve neocuspidization (AVNeo)technique, a valved RV-PA conduit was constructed with an Ozaki valve inside a Dacron graft. This study aims to evaluate the short-term outcome of the Ozaki valved RV-PA conduit.

Common Practice Patterns in the Diagnosis and Management of Acute Retinal Necrosis: A Survey Study of Uveitis Specialists.

Purpose: Due to lack of large randomized clinical trials to determine best practices in treating acute retinal necrosis (ARN), there is not a clear consensus amongst ophthalmologists on how to best manage this potentially blinding condition. The aim of this study is to survey common practice patterns and analyze the factors that affect ophthalmologists' management of ARN.

Methods: An anonymous survey was distributed to uveitis and retina specialists who are members of the American Uveitis Society (AUS) via email to query practice patterns regarding ARN.

Mass Spectrometry Identifies Taenia solium Proteins in Sera of Patients With and Without Parenchymal Neurocysticercosis.

Neurocysticercosis (NCC), a major cause of global acquired epilepsy, results from Taenia solium larval brain infection. T. solium adult worms release large numbers of infective eggs into the environment contributing to high levels of exposure in endemic areas.

Pott's puffy tumor: An unusual complication of rhino-orbito-cerebral mucormycosis.

Objective: To describe clinicoradiological features and surgical outcomes in a series of nine patients with rhino-orbito-cerebral mucormycosis (ROCM) who presented with Pott's puffy tumor (ROCM-PPT).

Methods: The records of nine patients with ROCM-PPT seen between March 2020 and December 2021 were analysed. Clinical features, radiology, histopathology, operative findings, management and outcome were noted.

Optic Disc Edema Is an Under-Recognized Feature of Birdshot Chorioretinitis.

Background: Optic disc edema is a feature of many ophthalmic and neurologic conditions. It remains an underappreciated feature of birdshot chorioretinitis (BSCR), leading to delay in diagnosis and treatment. The purpose of our study was to identify clinical features that are concomitant with optic disc edema and suggest a diagnosis of BSCR.

Shifts in ophthalmic care utilization during the COVID-19 pandemic in the US.

Background: Healthcare restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in ophthalmology, led to a differential underutilization of care. An analytic approach is needed to characterize pandemic health services usage across many conditions.

Methods: A common analytical framework identified pandemic care utilization patterns across 261 ophthalmic diagnoses.

Correlation between Monocyte Gene Expression and Inflammation on Brain Imaging in Patients with Solitary Cerebral Cysticercus Granuloma.

Prior work has shown that 14 monocyte genes are upregulated in patients with different forms of parenchymal neurocysticercosis, including solitary cysticercus granuloma (SCG). The aim of this study was to investigate whether changes in inflammation associated with SCG seen on follow-up brain imaging are also reflected in changes in expression of these 14 genes. Peripheral blood CD14+ monocytes were isolated from 20 patients with SCG at initial diagnosis and at clinical and imaging follow-up of 6 months or more.

Efficacy of Biosimilar Infliximab-Dyyb in Non-Infectious Uveitis.

Purpose: To describe the frequency of uveitis recurrences in patients with non-infectious uveitis treated with the biosimilar infliximab-dyyb.

Design: Retrospective case series.

Methods: Records of uveitis patients treated with the biosimilar infliximab-dyyb between 2016 and 2022 at two institutions were reviewed.

Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachment in Syphilitic Uveitis: A Case Series and Comprehensive Review of the Literature.

Purpose: Uveitis is the most common ocular manifestation of syphilis. However, an association between syphilitic uveitis and rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) is not widely recognized. We report a consecutive series of six new cases of syphilitic uveitis complicated by RRD and describe the typical characteristics, clinical course, and surgical management of such cases.

Correlation Between Post-Radiosurgery Perinidal Hyperintensity and AVM Obliteration Following LINAC-Based Stereotactic Radiosurgery.

Objective: We studied the correlation between new-onset perinidal hyperintensity (PH) on T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging and obliteration of intracranial arteriovenous malformation (AVM) after stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS).

Methods: A retrospective study of 148 patients with an intracranial AVM who underwent SRS between September 2005 and June 2018 and had ≥1 radiological follow-up (early magnetic resonance imaging) 12-18 months after SRS was performed to analyze the correlation between PH (graded from 0 to 2) and AVM obliteration.

Results: Of the 148 patients, 95 were male.

The spectrum of COVID-19-associated chorioretinal vasculopathy.

Purpose: Although conjunctivitis represents the most common ocular manifestation of COVID-19 infection, sight-threatening retinal involvement has been reported. Herein, we report and characterize with multimodal retinal imaging 5 cases of acute vision loss secondary to presumed chorioretinal vasculopathy temporally associated with COVID-19 infection with varying severity, visual morbidity, and treatment response, and review the available literature on the association between COVID-19 infection and retinal microvascular changes.

Design: Observational case series and literature review.

Recovering biogas and nutrients via novel anaerobic co-digestion of pre-treated water hyacinth for the enhanced biogas production.

The present investigation explores the feasibility of generating biogas from water hyacinth (WH) through a pretreatment process. The WH samples were subjected to a high concentration of HSO pretreatment to enhance biogas production. The HSO pretreatment aids in breaking down the lignocellulosic materials found in the WH.