Effect of the modified NUTRIC score in predicting the prognosis of patients admitted to intensive care units.

Background: Nutritional deficiency is common in critically ill hospitalized patients. This condition may be aggravated by increased dietary requirements and deficiencies in nutrient absorption. This study aimed to evaluate the associations between the modified Nutritional Risk in Critically ill (mNUTRIC) score and mortality and morbidity in patients with sepsis.

The optimal treatment duration for inspiratory muscle strengthening exercises in stroke patients: a double-blinded randomized controlled trial.

Background: Little is known about the ideal duration of inspiratory muscle training in stroke patients.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the effects of short-term and long-term inspiratory muscle strengthening exercises in stroke patients.

Methods: This study was a prospective, double-blind, randomized controlled trial involving 50 stroke patients.

Associated Factors for Liver Fibrosis and Histological Activity Index in Treatment-Naïve HBeAg-Positive Chronic Hepatitis B Infection: Insights from a Retrospective Analysis.

Objective: The study aimed to identify predictors of advanced fibrosis score and histological activity index (HAI) in HBeAg-positive patients to facilitate early disease detection and reduce the need for invasive biopsies.

Materials And Methods: The single-center retrospective study included treatment-naïve HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients. Patients with HAI ≥6 and/or fibrosis ≥2 were considered to have significant liver damage.

Nonlinear processing with linear optics.

Deep neural networks have achieved remarkable breakthroughs by leveraging multiple layers of data processing to extract hidden representations, albeit at the cost of large electronic computing power. To enhance energy efficiency and speed, the optical implementation of neural networks aims to harness the advantages of optical bandwidth and the energy efficiency of optical interconnections. In the absence of low-power optical nonlinearities, the challenge in the implementation of multilayer optical networks lies in realizing multiple optical layers without resorting to electronic components.

Improved diagnostic performance of high-sensitivity cardiac troponins in muscle dystrophies using comprehensive definition criteria for cardiac involvement: A longitudinal study on 35 patients.

Background And Purpose: Sparse information is available on the correct interpretation of elevated high-sensitivity cardiac troponin (hs-cTn) in confirmed muscular dystrophies.

Methods: Serum concentrations of hs-cTn T (hs-cTnT) and hs-cTn I (hs-cTnI) were determined in 35 stable outpatients with confirmed skeletal muscle dystrophies. We calculated sensitivities, specificities, and positive and negative predictive values of hs-cTnT and hs-cTnI for identification of cardiac involvement using a comprehensive definition that included diastolic left ventricular and right ventricular function, strain analysis using two-dimensional transthoracic echocardiogram and magnetic resonance imaging, myocardial biopsies, and consideration of a variety of triggers for cardiac injury, including arrhythmias, conduction disorders, and hypoxemia due to respiratory failure.

Reduced pineal gland volume in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Objective: Patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) can have hyperactivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and may have increased secretion of adrenocorticotropic hormone and cortisol and reduced secretion of melatonin. Examination of pineal gland volumes in patients with OCD compared to healthy controls, thus, is an important consideration and the focus of this study.

Methods: A total of 20 patients with OCD and 20 healthy controls were enrolled.

Effect of impaired kidney function on outcomes and treatment effects of oral anticoagulant regimes in patients with atrial fibrillation in a real-world registry.

Background: The impact of impaired kidney function on outcomes and treatment benefits of vitamin-K antagonists (VKA) versus direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC) in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) has insufficiently been investigated in randomized controlled studies (RCTs). Most studies and registries are either biased due to incomplete enrolment of consecutive patients in large pharma industry sponsored registries, or due to short recruitment periods or incomplete assessment of important variables in national registries.

Methods: This study uses data from the Heidelberg Registry of Atrial Fibrillation (HERA-FIB), a retrospective single-center registry of 10,222 consecutive patients with AF presenting to the emergency department of University Hospital of Heidelberg from June 2009 until March 2020.

The effect of pulmonary rehabilitation on quality of life and functional capacity after chemotherapy in patients with small cell lung cancer.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effect of pulmonary rehabilitation on quality of life during the survival period in individuals with small cell lung cancer.

Methods: Thirty-six patients with a diagnosis of small cell lung cancer (SCLC), who completed chemotherapy treatment and were in the survival period, were included in the study. A pulmonary rehabilitation program was applied to individuals at 40-70% of submaximal heart rate, 3 days a week for 8 weeks.

The effect of preoperative embolization rate on surgical outcomes for carotid paraganglioma resection.

Objective: Preoperative embolization of paragangliomas decreases tumor volume and reduces intraoperative blood loss. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the rate of devascularization achieved by preoperative embolization of carotid body tumors on surgical outcomes.

Methods: Patients with carotid body tumors who underwent preoperative transarterial embolization between 2013 and 2024 were included in this retrospective study.

CT radiomics-based machine learning model for differentiating between enchondroma and low-grade chondrosarcoma.

It may be difficult to distinguish between enchondroma and low-grade malignant cartilage tumors (grade 1) radiologically. This study aimed to construct machine learning models using 3D computed tomography (CT)-based radiomics analysis to differentiate low-grade chondrosarcoma from enchondroma. A total of 30 patients with enchondroma and 26 with chondrosarcoma were included in this retrospective study.

Clinical Approach and Anatomical Results in the Treatment of Retinopathy of Prematurity.

Background:  Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a disease associated with abnormal development of retinal vessels in low birth weight and preterm infants. In this study, it was aimed to show that the disease can be controlled almost perfectly with early diagnosis and treatment in retinopathy developing in premature babies.

Methods:  In the study, 66 eyes of 33 patients who needed ROP treatment were evaluated.

Determination of associated factors with death in Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia in hospitalized patients during the COVID-19 pandemic: A single-center, retrospective study.

Unlabelled: The effect of COVID-19 on the outcomes of patients with Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia is still unknown.

Aim: In this study, we aimed to determine associated factors for mortality in patients with S. aureus bacteremia and to explore the impact of prior COVID-19.

Interpretation of elevated baseline concentrations and serial changes of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T in confirmed muscular dystrophies.

Aims: Concentrations of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) are frequently elevated in stable patients with confirmed muscle dystrophies. However, sparse information is available on the interpretation of serial concentration changes.

Methods: Hs-cTnT was collected in 35 stable outpatients with confirmed skeletal muscle dystrophies at 0 and 1 h and after 6-12 months during scheduled outpatient visits.

Electrowriting of SU-8 Microfibers.

As microfiber-based additive manufacturing (AM) technologies, melt electrowriting (MEW) and solution electrowriting (SEW) have demonstrated efficacy with more biomedically relevant materials. By processing SU-8 resin using MEW and SEW techniques, a material with substantially different mechanical, thermal, and optical properties than that typically processed is introduced. SU-8 polymer is temperature sensitive and requires the devising of a specific heating protocol to be properly processed.

Predicting difficult airway in morbidly obese patients using ultrasound.

Background/aim: Difficult mask ventilation and difficult intubation are more common in obese patients. Ultrasound is a reliable and noninvasive method for evaluating the airway. The aim of this study was to investigate the contribution and availability of anterior neck soft tissue (ANS) thickness at different levels, tongue volume (TV), hyomental distance (HMD), the ratio of preepiglottic distance to distance between the epiglottis and the midpoint of vocal cords (PE/E-VC) measured by ultrasonography in predicting difficult airway in morbidly obese patients.

Optimizing resource allocation: Cost-effectiveness of specified D-dimer cut-offs in cancer patients with suspected venous thromboembolism.

An accurate diagnosis of venous thromboembolism (VTE) is crucial, given the potential for high mortality in undetected cases. Strategic D-dimer testing may aid in identifying low-risk patients, preventing overdiagnosis and reducing imaging costs. We conducted a retrospective, comparative analysis to assess the potential cost savings that could be achieved by adopting different approaches to determine the most effective D-dimer cut-off value in cancer patients with suspected VTE, compared to the commonly used rule-out cut-off level of 0.

Design, Rationale and Initial Findings From HERA-FIB on 10 222 Patients With Atrial Fibrillation Presenting to an Emergency Department Over An 11-Year Period.

Background: For the majority of patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), disease management has improved in recent years. However, there are still populations underrepresented or excluded in current registries and randomized controlled trials. HERA-FIB (Heidelberg Registry of Atrial Fibrillation) was planned to assess real-world evidence for the prevalence, demographic characteristics and management of patients with the diagnosis of AF presenting consecutively to a chest pain unit.

Predictors of Significant Histological Hepatic Abnormality in Treatment-Naive Patients Infected with HBeAg-Negative Chronic Hepatitis B.

Objective: This study aimed to determine the predictors for significant hepatic abnormality (SHA), a treatment indication, by assessing demographic, laboratory, and radiological results of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients who underwent liver biopsy.

Materials And Methods: In this retrospective study, individuals with untreated hepatitis B e-antigen (HBeAg)-negative CHB infection were enrolled. Multivariate analysis modeling was conducted with parameters identified as predictors for SHA in univariate analysis.

Postnatal weight gain and retinopathy of prematurity in preterm infants: a population-based retrospective cohort study.

Objective: Infants who meet the screening guidelines for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) based on birth weight and gestational age undergo serial ophthalmological examinations for its detection and treatment. However, <10% of patients require treatment, and less than half develop ROP. Poor postnatal weight gain has been reported to be a strong indicator of ROP development; however, the information regarding this is unclear.

Independent predictors for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in patients with treatment-naïve chronic hepatitis B.

Objective: There are limited data on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in chronic hepatitis B virus infection. We aimed to determine the predictors for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in patients with treatment-naïve chronic hepatitis B virus infection.

Methods: All consecutive treatment-naïve patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection at the Haseki Training and Research Hospital between October 1, 2021, and September 31, 2022, were retrospectively enrolled.

Examining Postoperative Posterior Cruciate Ligament Index: A Structural Paradigm in Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Reconstructions With Hamstring Tendon Autograft.

Background: The current study aimed to compare the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) index values of patients who underwent hamstring tendon (HT) autograft reconstruction due to an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear. The comparison involved assessing these values in a similar cohort and evaluating the association between the alteration in the PCL index and functional results.

Methods: Patients who were clinically diagnosed with a complete, unilateral ACL tear and underwent ACL reconstruction (ACLR) using HT autograft between January 2018 and January 2021 constituted the operated group (Group 1) of the study.

Third molar angulation and retromolar space after functional orthodontic treatment : Evaluation of panoramic radiographs after monoblock or Herbst appliance.

Purpose: The aim of this respectively cohort study was to evaluate the lower second and third molars and canine angulations, retromolar space and occlusal relationships after functional orthodontic treatments with the monoblock or Herbst appliance using panoramic radiographs.

Methods: Pre- and posttreatment cephalometric and panoramic radiographs of 133 patients (mean age 13.89 ± 1.

Comparison of the clinical chemistry score to other biomarker algorithms for rapid rule-out of acute myocardial infarction and risk stratification in patients with suspected acute coronary syndrome.

Background: The clinical chemistry score (CCS) comprising high-sensitivity cardiac troponins (hs-cTn), glucose and estimated glomerular filtration rate has been previously validated with superior accuracy for detection and risk stratification of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) compared to hs-cTn alone.

Methods: The CCS was compared to other biomarker-based algorithms for rapid rule-out and prognostication of AMI including the hs-cTnT limit-of-blank (LOB, <3 ng/L) or limit-of-detection (LOD, <5 ng/L) and a dual marker strategy (DMS) (copeptin <10 pmol/L and hs-cTnT ≤14 ng/L) in 1506 emergency department (ED) patients with symptoms suggestive of acute coronary syndrome. Negative predictive values (NPV) and sensitivities for AMI rule-out, and 12-month combined endpoint rates encompassing mortality, myocardial re-infarction, as well as stroke were assessed.

Different doses of hyaluronic acid injections in patients with knee osteoarthritis: A multicenter, randomized, prospective, single-blind, clinical study.

Background: Many formulations and dosing regimens are available for hyaluronic acid (HA).

Objective: To compare different doses of linear, high-molecular weight (HMW) HA injections among patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA).

Methods: Hundred patients were included in this randomized, single-blinded trial and randomly divided into three HA injection groups.