Treatment of Internal Mammary Nodes is Associated With Improved Overall Survival in Breast Cancer: A Meta-Analysis.

Introduction: The role of internal mammary nodal irradiation (IMNI) as a component of regional nodal radiotherapy is a controversial issue in breast radiation oncology with conflicting results presented in recent landmark trials. We thus created a meta-analysis of available data to better ascertain the potential benefit of IMNI. We hypothesize that with the increased power available within a meta-analysis, IMNI will prove to improve overall survival (OS) in breast cancer.

Explainable Artificial Intelligence to Identify Dosimetric Predictors of Toxicity in Patients with Locally Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Secondary Analysis of RTOG 0617.

Purpose: Dosimetric predictors of toxicity in patients treated with definitive chemoradiation for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer are often identified through trial and error. This study used machine learning (ML) and explainable artificial intelligence to empirically characterize dosimetric predictors of toxicity in patients treated as part of a prospective clinical trial.

Methods And Materials: A secondary analysis of the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) 0617 trial was performed.

Exploring the potential role of higher education and ICT in China on green growth.

The upsurge in higher education is considered a key determinant for enhancing green growth. Moreover, ICT development is also the main catalyst of green growth. This research explores the role of higher education and ICT on green growth for China from 1995 to 2020.

Influence of Dexamethasone Premedication on Acute Lung Toxicity in Lung SBRT.

Introduction: The cooperative group experience of thoracic sterotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) in medically inoperable patients with early stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) historically utilized corticosteroid premedication. Patterns of care have been mixed as to whether premedication adds benefit in terms of improved lung toxicity and treatment tolerance.

Methods: Patients treated for NSCLC from 2014 to 2017 with definitive thoracic SBRT (BED≥100) at a single institution, in a prospectively collected database were evaluated.

Is Radiation Therapy Cost-Effective in the Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography Era for Early-Stage Favorable Hodgkin Lymphoma With Alternative Payment Models?

Purpose: Despite multiple randomized trials, variation in practice remains regarding the most effective treatment for early-stage, favorable-risk Hodgkin lymphoma. With increasing emphasis on alternative payment models, we investigate the cost-effectiveness of chemotherapy alone versus combined modality therapy (CMT).

Methods And Materials: A Markov model was formed to compared 2 cycles of adriamycin, bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine (ABVD) to 2 cycles of ABVD followed by 20 Gy in 10 fractions involved-site radiation therapy.

Environmental costs of political instability in Pakistan: policy options for clean energy consumption and environment.

Using time series data of Pakistan from 1990 to 2019, this study explores the asymmetric effects of political instability on clean energy consumption and CO emissions. The results from the traditional ARDL model show that political stability lessens environmental damage by reducing CO emissions in the long run. However, when we used the nonlinear ARDL approach, we found that political instability not only reduces the consumption of clean energy but also leads to damage environmental quality in the long run in Pakistan,while political stability not only increases the consumption of clean energy but also helps improve environmental quality in the short run in Pakistan.

Resistive Switching in HfO/LaSrMnO Heterostructures: An Intriguing Case of Low H-Field Susceptibility of an E-Field Controlled Active Interface.

High-performance nonvolatile resistive random access memories (ReRAMs) and their small stimuli control are of immense interest for high-speed computation and big-data processing in the emerging Internet of Things (IoT) arena. Here, we examine the resistive switching (RS) behavior in growth-controlled HfO/LaSrMnO (LSMO) heterostructures and their tunability in a low magnetic field. It is demonstrated that oxygen-deficient HfO films show bipolar switching with a high on/off ratio, stable retention, as well as good endurance owing to the orthorhombic-rich phase constitution and charge (de)trapping-enabled Schottky-type conduction.

Exploring the asymmetric effects of renewable energy production, natural resources, and economic progress on CO emissions: fresh evidence from Pakistan.

A bulk of literature has examined the asymmetric impact of renewable energy consumption on CO emissions by using the advanced econometric approach. While the asymmetric role of renewable energy production in the CO equation is largely unknown, our present study quantifies the asymmetric relationship between renewable energy production, natural resources, economic progress, and CO emission for Pakistan by using the NARDL approach. It is found that positive change in renewable energy production has a positive effect on CO emissions, while a negative change in renewable energy production has a negative effect on CO emissions in the long run.

Radiation Toxicity in Patients With Collagen Vascular Disease: A Meta-Analysis of Case-Control Studies.

Purpose: Several retrospective series have reported that patients with collagen vascular disease (CVD) are at increased risk of radiation (RT) toxicity. However, the evidence is mixed, and many series lack control groups. We performed a meta-analysis including only case-cohort or randomized studies that examined the risk of RT toxicity for patients with CVD compared with controls.

Outcome of Surgical Management of Sacrococcygeal Pilonidal Sinus Disease with Rotation Flap in 52 Patients-A Retrospective Study.

 Surgical treatment of sacrococcygeal pilonidal sinus disease (SPSD) consists of radical excision of the entire tract and treatment of the resultant raw area. Here, the authors have reviewed the results of the rotation flap for closure of the SPSD.  This study aims to evaluate the outcomes following SPSD excision and rotation flap closure.

Compassion Inequities and Opioid Use Disorder: A Matched Case-Control Analysis Examining Inpatient Management of Cancer-Related Pain for Patients With Opioid Use Disorder.

Context: The opioid epidemic spurred guidelines intended to reduce inappropriate prescribing. Although acute cancer-related pain was excluded from these recommendations, studies demonstrate reduced opioid prescribing for patients hospitalized with advanced cancer.

Objectives: We performed a matched case-control analysis to determine how a history of opioid use disorder (OUD) affects inpatient management of cancer pain.

Intraoperative Radiation Therapy Versus Whole Breast Radiation for Early-Stage Breast Cancer Treatment in Rural Appalachia.

Background: Intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) is an alternate accelerated form of radiation following breast-conserving surgery (BCS). Lack of data regarding long-term outcomes has limited adoption. We report our experience with IORT in patients undergoing BCS versus whole breast radiation therapy (WBRT).

Consolidation radiotherapy following positron emission tomography complete response in early-stage Hodgkin lymphoma: a meta-analysis.

Despite a number of randomized trials, there is clinical equipoise whether de-escalation with the omission of radiotherapy (RT) in positron emission tomography (PET) responders is safe in early-stage Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). A comprehensive Medline and conference abstracts search was performed to identify prospective studies with the following criteria: early-stage (stage I/II) HL treated with anthracycline-based chemotherapy with PET-directed randomization to ± consolidation RT. Four studies were meta-analyzed with a total of 2267 patients (RT:  = 1136, no RT:  = 1131).

Pseudoaneurysm of Left proximal Common Carotid Artery following penetrating trauma.

A 33-year male with history of penetrating trauma to left upper chest in 2006, presented through Medical unit to Radiology Department with complain of hemoptysis. Chest X-ray showed a soft tissue lesion in left upper lobe with a linear metallic foreign body. Contrast enhanced CT scan of chest and later CTA was performed which showed a saccular aneurysm arising from mediastinal part of left common aortic artery surrounded by thrombosis with a cylindrical linear metallic foreign body.

Effects of High Temperature and Thermal Cycling on the Performance of Perovskite Solar Cells: Acceleration of Charge Recombination and Deterioration of Charge Extraction.

In this work, we investigated the effects of high operating temperature and thermal cycling on the photovoltaic (PV) performance of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) with a typical mesostructured (m)-TiO-CHNHPbICl-spiro-OMeTAD architecture. After temperature-dependent grazing-incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering, in situ X-ray diffraction, and optical absorption experiments were carried out, the thermal durability of PSCs was tested by subjecting the devices to repetitive heating to 70 °C and cooling to room temperature (20 °C). An unexpected regenerative effect was observed after the first thermal cycle; the average power conversion efficiency (PCE) increased by approximately 10% in reference to the as-prepared device.

Adjuvant Radiotherapy Versus Wait-and-See Strategy for Pathologic T3 or Margin-Positive Prostate Cancer: A Meta-Analysis.

Objective: To conduct a meta-analysis of the randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing adjuvant radiotherapy (ART) to wait-and-see (WS) strategy in pathologic T3 or margin-positive prostate cancer.

Methods: A comprehensive EMBASE, MEDLINE, http://www.clinicaltrails.

Pulsed laser-deposited MoS₂ thin films on W and Si: field emission and photoresponse studies.

We report field electron emission investigations on pulsed laser-deposited molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) thin films on W-tip and Si substrates. In both cases, under the chosen growth conditions, the dry process of pulsed laser deposition (PLD) is seen to render a dense nanostructured morphology of MoS2, which is important for local electric field enhancement in field emission application. In the case of the MoS2 film on silicon (Si), the turn-on field required to draw an emission current density of 10 μA/cm(2) is found to be 2.

A back-to-back MOS-Schottky (Pt-SiO2-Si-C-Pt) nano-heterojunction device as an efficient self-powered photodetector: one step fabrication by pulsed laser deposition.

An efficient self-powered photodetector design involving a C-Si hetero-interface with back-to-back MOS-Schottky (Pt-SiO2-Si-C-Pt) device action is presented. Pulsed laser deposition of a carbon thin film is used which dynamically removes the native surface oxide to form the desired Schottky interface. The combined device action yields two orders of magnitude photoresponse at zero bias.

Citrate milling of oxides: from poly-dispersed micron scale to nearly mono-dispersed nanoscale.

Complex (multivalent/mixed valent) oxides involving two or more cations (e.g. ABO3, AB2O4 and A2B2O7) exhibit the most fascinating range of physical and chemical properties amongst the family of materials systems.

Cranial decompression for the treatment of malignant intracranial hypertension after ischemic cerebral infarction: decompressive craniectomy and hinge craniotomy.

Object: Recent randomized trials have demonstrated a positive role (improved survival) in patients treated with cranial decompression for malignant cerebral infarction. However, many variables regarding operative decompression in this setting remain to be determined. Hinge craniotomy is an alternative to decompressive craniectomy, but its role in space-occupying cerebral infarctions has not been delineated.

Resource utilization in the management of traumatic brain injury patients in a critical care unit: An audit from rural setup of a developing country.

Introduction: Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) are steadily increasing and are a major cause of mortality and morbidity, particularly in the young population, leading to the loss of life and productivity in the developing countries. Providing critical care to these patients with TBI is a challenge even in well-advanced centers in major cities of India. In the present study, we describe our experience of resource utilization in the management of TBI in a critical care unit (CCU) from a rural setup.