Robotic-assisted surgery in the Arab world: are we there yet?

Robotic-assisted surgery (RAS) has revolutionized surgical practice worldwide, with urology leading its adoption. Despite its global expansion, significant disparities exist in regional implementation, particularly in the Arab world. This study evaluates the current landscape of robotic surgery in the Arab world, highlighting advancements, challenges, and future directions.

Development and Validation of a Class Imbalance-Resilient Cardiac Arrest Prediction Framework Incorporating Multiscale Aggregation, ICA and Explainability.

Objective: Despite advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) for predicting cardiac arrest (CA) with multivariate time-series vital signs data, existing models continue to face significant problems, particularly concerning balance, efficiency, accuracy, and explainability. While neural networks have been proposed to extract multiscale features from raw data in various applications, to our knowledge, no work has utilized multiscale feature extraction, specifically for diagnostic CA prediction. This paper presents a new framework that tackles these difficulties by utilizing multiscale feature aggregation via Independent Component Analysis (ICA).

Advancing Medical Research Through Artificial Intelligence: Progressive and Transformative Strategies: A Literature Review.

Background And Aims: Artificial intelligence (AI) has become integral to medical research, impacting various aspects such as data analysis, writing assistance, and publishing. This paper explores the multifaceted influence of AI on the process of writing medical research papers, encompassing data analysis, ethical considerations, writing assistance, and publishing efficiency.

Methods: The review was conducted following the PRISMA guidelines; a comprehensive search was performed in Scopus, PubMed, EMBASE, and MEDLINE databases for research publications on artificial intelligence in medical research published up to October 2023.

Dynamic Augmented Reality Cues for Telementoring in Minimally Invasive Surgeries: Scoping Review.

Background: Remote surgeons use telementoring technologies to provide real-time guidance during minimally invasive surgeries (MIS). Such technologies are continuously improving with the integration of dynamic augmented reality (AR) cues. This includes virtual overlays of hand gestures, pointers, and surgical tools onto the operating surgeon's view.

Quantitative prediction of toxicological points of departure using two-stage machine learning models: A new approach methodology (NAM) for chemical risk assessment.

Point of departure (POD) is a concept used in risk assessment to calculate the reference dose of exposure that is likely to have no appreciable risk on health. POD can be directly utilized from no observed adverse effect levels (NOAEL) which is the dose or exposure level at which there is little or no risk of adverse effects. However, NOAEL values are unavailable for most of the chemicals due to inconsistent animal toxicity data.

A holographic telementoring system depicting surgical instrument movements for real-time guidance in open surgeries.

Background And Objective: During open surgeries, telementoring serves as a valuable tool for transferring surgical knowledge from a specialist surgeon (mentor) to an operating surgeon (mentee). Depicting the intended movements of the surgical instruments over the operative field improves the understanding of the required tool-tissue interaction. The objective of this work is to develop a telementoring system tailored for open surgeries, enabling the mentor to remotely demonstrate the necessary motions of surgical instruments to the mentee.

Graph-Based Electroencephalography Analysis in Tinnitus Therapy.

Tinnitus is the perception of sounds like ringing or buzzing in the ears without any external source, varying in intensity and potentially becoming chronic. This study aims to enhance the understanding and treatment of tinnitus by analyzing a dataset related to tinnitus therapy, focusing on electroencephalography (EEG) signals from patients undergoing treatment. The objectives of the study include applying various preprocessing techniques to ensure data quality, such as noise elimination and standardization of sampling rates, and extracting essential features from EEG signals, including power spectral density and statistical measures.

Development of a flexible liver phantom for hepatocellular carcinoma treatment planning: a useful tool for training & education.

Purpose: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common types of liver cancer that could potentially be surrounded by healthy arteries or veins that a surgeon would have to avoid during treatment. A realistic 3D liver model is an unmet need for HCC preoperative planning.

Methods: This paper presents a method to create a soft phantom model of the human liver with the help of a 3D-printed mold, silicone, ballistic gel, and a blender.

Efficacy and Clinical Outcomes of mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine in Pregnancy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: The world has witnessed one of the largest pandemics, dubbed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). As of December 2020, the USA alone reported 98,948 cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection during pregnancy, with 109 related maternal deaths. Current evidence suggests that unvaccinated pregnant women infected with SARS-CoV-2 are at a higher risk of experiencing complications related to COVID-19 compared to nonpregnant women.

Percutaneous nephrolithotomy in supine position with less than 24-hour hospital stay; a single-center experience.

Objectives: To report our initial experience of day care percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) with early hospital discharge within less than 24 hours of the procedure.

Patients And Methods: The files of patients treated with PCNL between 1st January 2020 till 31st December 2022 were retrospectively reviewed. Day care PCNL was defined as the discharge of patients either on the same day or within 24 hours after surgery.

Chronic kidney diseases and the risk of colorectal cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: We conducted this review to offer a comprehensive search and up-to-date overview of the currently available information about the probability risk of colorectal cancer among chronic kidney disease patients.

Method: We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews (PRISMA) and meta-analysis guidelines. We identified, reviewed, and extracted from Scopus, PubMed, EMBASE, and Komaki Databases for research publications on chronic kidney disease and colorectal cancer published between February 2016 and January 2023.

Comparing trimodal therapy with radical cystectomy in muscle-invasive bladder cancer: an updated meta-analysis.

Background: We conducted this meta-analysis to compare the two muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) treatment modalities in terms of cancer-specific survival (CSS) and other outcome indicators.

Method: A systematic review and meta-analysis were performed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews (PRISMA) guidelines. The search was conducted using various academic databases including Scopus, PubMed, Cochrane database, EMBASE, Chinese biomedical literature database, Wan fang databases, and China National Knowledge Internet databases between 1966 and December 2023.

Psychosocial impact of COVID-19 pandemic: experience of healthcare workers in Qatar.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound and global impact on healthcare systems worldwide, presenting unprecedented challenges for healthcare workers (HCWs) on the front. We aimed to evaluate the prevalence of anxiety and depression symptoms during the coronavirus pandemic among healthcare professionals in Qatar.

Methods: A cross-sectional study where an electronic questionnaire containing demographics, and psychosocial questions were made on Google Docs and Microsoft Team, and were sent through email and WhatsApp to healthcare workers, including doctors, nurses, allied health and others working at Hamad Medical Corporation in Qatar, from June 1, 2021, to January 1st 2023.

The Association of Hypertension with Increased Mortality Rate During the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Update with Meta-analysis.

Background And Aim: The impact of multiple risk factors on COVID-19 mortality has been previously reported in multiple systematic reviews and meta-analyses. The aim of this review is to provide a comprehensive update on the association between hypertension (HTN) and mortality in patients with COVID-19.

Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis were performed and followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews (PRISMA) guidelines.

Organoboronic acids/esters as effective drug and prodrug candidates in cancer treatments: challenge and hope.

Boronic acids/esters have recently emerged in the field of medicinal and pharmaceutical research due to their exceptional oxophilicity, low toxicity, and unique structure. They are known as potent enzyme inhibitors, cancer therapy capture agents, and can mimic certain types of antibodies to fight infections. They have been designed and developed into drugs, and this approach has emerged in the last 20 years.

Testosterone treatment and change of categories of the International prostate symptom score (IPSS) in hypogonadal patients: 12 years prospective controlled registry study.

Functional hypogonadism is a condition characterized by low testosterone concentrations, occurring more commonly in men as they age. The International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) is used to categorize the severity of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and related symptoms in hypogonadal men. Testosterone therapy (TTh) has previously shown potential in improving total IPSS in men with hypogonadism.

Voiding function improves under long-term testosterone treatment (TTh) in hypogonadal men, independent of prostate size.

Background: Functional hypogonadism is a condition in which some, but not all, older men have low testosterone levels. Rather than chronological age per se, the causality of hypogonadism includes obesity and impaired general health (e.g.

A Bibliometric Analysis and Visualization of Decision Support Systems for Healthcare Referral Strategies.

Background: The referral process is an important research focus because of the potential consequences of delays, especially for patients with serious medical conditions that need immediate care, such as those with metastatic cancer. Thus, a systematic literature review of recent and influential manuscripts is critical to understanding the current methods and future directions in order to improve the referral process.

Methods: A hybrid bibliometric-structured review was conducted using both quantitative and qualitative methodologies.

COVID-19 effect on patients with noncommunicable diseases: A narrative review.

Background And Aims: On March 11, 2020, the WHO has declared COVID-19 a global pandemic, affecting our day-to-day lives. Physical distancing and lockdown made significant obstacles to populations, particularly healthcare systems. Most healthcare workers were reallocated to COVID-19 facilities.

Urology Residents' Perspectives on the In-House On-Call Systems: A Study in an Accredited Academic Center.

Introduction: Medical education and training are crucial in maintaining patients' safety and improving patient care quality. Multiple studies have evaluated the effects of restrictive policies on the resident's quality of life and education. Due to the compiling data and the fact that these trials evaluated programs with a substantial number of residents, it remains uncertain whether these conclusions can be extended to urology programs with a small number of residents.

Memokath for treating ureteric stricture post cryoablation of renal mass: A case report of rare complication and proposed alternative management.

The use of cryoablation in the management of small renal masses is widely acceptable. Although rare but ureteral injury during the procedure with subsequent stricture formation can result in devastating effects on renal function. On the other hand, the management of such strictures requires reconstructive surgery as gold standard.

Definition of clinically insignificant residual fragments after percutaneous nephrolithotomy among urologists: a world-wide survey by EAU-YAU Endourology and Urolithiasis Working Group.

Introduction: The aim of this article was to evaluate the current perception of urologists as to what size is considered as a clinically insignificant residual fragment (CIRF).

Material And Methods: A survey was globally distributed to the members of the Endourological Society via SurveyMonkey.

Results: A total of 385 participants responded to the survey on CIRF.