A patient reported outcome measure for rectal cancer patients eligible for organ preservation: Development and validation of a Watch-and-Wait module for the Assessment of Burden of disease in ColoRectal Cancer (ABCRC) tool.

Aim: The Assessment of Burden of ColoRectal Cancer (ABCRC)-tool is an integrated tool, developed in conjunction with colorectal cancer (CRC) patients, that measures the experienced burden of disease and lifestyle parameters and visualizes the results. To provide tailored follow-up care for watch-and-wait (WW) patients, in line with their specific needs and preferences, a WW module for the ABCRC-tool was developed. In this paper we describe the development and validation process of the WW module.

Is an Electronic Nose Able to Predict Clinical Response following Neoadjuvant Treatment of Rectal Cancer? A Prospective Pilot Study.

: A watch-and-wait strategy for patients with rectal cancer who achieve a clinical complete response after neoadjuvant (chemo) radiotherapy is a valuable alternative to rectal resection. In this pilot study, we explored the use of an electronic nose to predict response to neoadjuvant therapy by analyzing breath-derived volatile organic compounds. A pilot study was performed between 2020 and 2022 on patients diagnosed with intermediate- or high-risk rectal cancer who were scheduled for neoadjuvant therapy.

Quality of life and functional outcome of rectal cancer patients: A prospective cohort study.

Aim: In the last decade, the Netherlands has implemented various diagnostic and treatment strategies to enhance rectal cancer outcomes. This study, using data from the Prospective Dutch ColoRectal Cancer (PLCRC) cohort, investigates whether these multidisciplinary advancements have translated into improved health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and functional outcomes for the general Dutch rectal cancer population.

Methods: Patients with Stage I-III rectal cancer enrolled in the PLCRC cohort were included.

Higgs Oscillations in a Unitary Fermi Superfluid.

Symmetry-breaking phase transitions are central to our understanding of states of matter. When a continuous symmetry is spontaneously broken, new excitations appear that are tied to fluctuations of the order parameter. In superconductors and fermionic superfluids, the phase and amplitude can fluctuate independently, giving rise to two distinct collective branches.

The Role of Nonmetastatic Lymph Nodes in the Survival of Colorectal Cancer: A Systematic Review.

Objective: In this review, we aim to provide an overview of literature on lymph node (LN) histomorphological features and their relationship with the prognosis in colorectal cancer (CRC).

Background: Lymph nodes play a crucial role in the treatment and prognosis of CRC. The presence of LN metastases considerably worsens the prognosis in CRC patients.

The clinical importance of the host anti-tumour reaction patterns in regional tumour draining lymph nodes in patients with locally advanced resectable gastric cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: The status of regional tumour draining lymph nodes (LN) is crucial for prognostic evaluation in gastric cancer (GaC) patients. Changes in lymph node microarchitecture, such as follicular hyperplasia (FH), sinus histiocytosis (SH), or paracortical hyperplasia (PH), may be triggered by the anti-tumour immune response. However, the prognostic value of these changes in GaC patients is unclear.

Directional dark-field retrieval with single-grid x-ray imaging.

Directional dark-field imaging is an emerging x-ray modality that is sensitive to unresolved anisotropic scattering from sub-pixel sample microstructures. A single-grid imaging setup can be used to capture dark-field images by looking at changes in a grid pattern projected upon the sample. By creating analytical models for the experiment, we have developed a single-grid directional dark-field retrieval algorithm that can extract dark-field parameters such as the dominant scattering direction, and the semi-major and -minor scattering angles.

Burden of disease experienced by patients following a watch-and-wait policy for locally advanced rectal cancer: A qualitative study.

Aim: Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are increasingly being used in routine cancer care to evaluate treatment and monitor symptoms, function and other aspects of quality of life (QoL). There is no suitable PROM for rectal cancer patients following a watch-and-wait (W&W) programme. Insight into patient experiences with this programme is an essential step in the development of a PROM.

Minimally invasive repair of pectus excavatum by the Nuss procedure: The learning curve.

Objectives: To define the learning process of minimally invasive repair of pectus excavatum by the Nuss procedure through assessment of consecutive procedural metrics.

Methods: A single-center retrospective observational cohort study was conducted of all consecutive Nuss procedures performed by individual surgeons without previous experience between June 2006 and December 2018. Surgeons were proctored during their initial 10 procedures.

Nuss Procedure for Pectus Excavatum: A Comparison of Complications Between Young and Adult Patients.

Background: The Nuss procedure is the gold standard surgical treatment for pectus excavatum in young patients. Its use in adults has also been described, although it may be associated with increased postoperative morbidity resulting from higher chest wall rigidity. This study aimed to examine the risk of complications after the Nuss procedure in adult patients compared with young patients with pectus excavatum.

FELINE HERPESVIRUS INFECTION IN FOUR CAPTIVE CHEETAHS () POSTVACCINATION.

Cheetahs () are particularly susceptible to feline herpesvirus-1 (FHV-1). Recommendations for preventive health care in cheetahs include vaccination against FHV-1 using killed and modified live virus (MLV) vaccines. Although MLV vaccines tend to induce a more robust immune response than killed vaccines, they can induce disease.

Reliability of HR-pQCT Derived Cortical Bone Structural Parameters When Using Uncorrected Instead of Corrected Automatically Generated Endocortical Contours in a Cross-Sectional Study: The Maastricht Study.

Most HR-pQCT studies examining cortical bone use an automatically generated endocortical contour (AUTO), which is manually corrected if it visually deviates from the apparent endocortical margin (semi-automatic method, S-AUTO). This technique may be prone to operator-related variability and is time consuming. We examined whether the AUTO instead of the S-AUTO method can be used for cortical bone analysis.

Unrecognized Isolated Medial Trochlear Fracture Leading to Malunion: A Case Report.

Case: A twenty-year-old woman presented with an isolated intra-articular fracture of the medial part of the trochlea twelve weeks after a traumatic fall. The fracture had gone undetected during the initial twelve weeks following injury, resulting in an anteriorly and superiorly displaced malunion and severe range-of-motion restrictions of the elbow.

Conclusion: Vigilant clinical examination is imperative to avoid missing this uncommon fracture pattern and complication.

A 3-Dimensional Anatomic Study of the Distal Biceps Tendon: Implications for Surgical Repair and Reconstruction.

Background: Complete rupture of the distal biceps tendon from its osseous attachment is most often treated with operative intervention. Knowledge of the overall tendon morphology as well as the orientation of the collagenous fibers throughout the musculotendinous junction are key to intraoperative decision making and surgical technique in both the acute and chronic setting. Unfortunately, there is little information available in the literature.

Accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging in detecting biceps pathology in patients with rotator cuff disorders: comparison with arthroscopy.

Background: There is limited information on the validity of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in detection of biceps disease. The purpose of this study was to examine the measurement properties of noncontrasted MRI in diagnosis of biceps disease using arthroscopic surgery as the "gold standard."

Materials And Methods: Prospectively collected surgical data of patients with impingement syndrome or rotator cuff tear, with biceps disease (study group) or without biceps disease (control group), were reviewed.

Venous thromboembolism after shoulder arthroplasty: a report of three cases.

Venous thromboembolism after shoulder arthroplasty is considered a rare phenomenon, but can be a dangerous and life-threatening condition. We report three cases of venous thromboembolism sustained after shoulder arthroplasty. One of the patients had a non-fatal pulmonary embolism.

Short-Term Effectiveness of Precut Kinesiology Tape Versus an NSAID as Adjuvant Treatment to Exercise for Subacromial Impingement: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Objective: To compare the short-term effectiveness of precut kinesiology tape (PCT) to a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) as adjuvant treatment to exercise physiotherapy in improving pain and function in patients with shoulder impingement.

Design: Randomized, controlled assessor-blind parallel-design trial with 3 groups.

Setting: Academic-community hospital.

Practice patterns of canadian physiotherapists mobilizing patients with external ventricular drains.

Purpose: To describe current mobilization practices of Canadian physiotherapists when treating patients with external ventricular drains (EVDs).

Methods: A quantitative, descriptive, cross-sectional study design using an online questionnaire via SurveyMonkey. An email invitation and questionnaire link was distributed in March 2010 to physiotherapists currently working with this patient population in Neurosurgical Centres across Canada.

Utility of the Pectoralis Major Index in the Diagnosis of Structurally Significant Pectoralis Major Tears.

Background: Diagnosis of pectoralis major tears early in the acute phase is important for optimizing surgical repair and outcomes. However, physical examination of pectoralis major injuries can be misleading, often resulting in a potentially detrimental delay in surgical treatment.

Purpose: To establish and validate a quantifiable clinical diagnostic test for structurally significant pectoralis major tears.

Venous thromboembolism after shoulder arthroplasty: a systematic review.

Background: Shoulder arthroplasty (SA) is a common orthopaedic procedure that is being performed on a more and more frequent basis. Venous thromboembolism (VTE) as a complication has received little attention when it occurs after SA. The literature lacks a comprehensive summary of the incidence, risk factors, and prophylaxis of VTE in this population of patients.

Metacarpophalangeal joint extensor tendon subluxation: a reconstructive stabilization technique.

Extensor tendon subluxation can result from a disruption to the extensor retinacular system and/or the sagittal band at the metacarpophalangeal joint. When conservative treatment is insufficient to correct the subluxation, surgical treatment is necessary and various surgical techniques exist. We present a novel stabilization technique to centralize the extensor tendon using a junctura tendinum to lengthen an extensor digitorum communis tendon graft.

Polyurethane scaffold formation via a combination of salt leaching and thermally induced phase separation.

Porous scaffolds have been made from two polyurethanes based on thermally induced phase separation of polymer dissolved in a DMSO/water mixture in combination with salt leaching. It is possible to obtain very porous foams with a very high interconnectivity. A major advantage of this method is that variables like porosity, pore size, and interconnectivity can be independently adjusted with the absence of toxic materials in the production process.

Isolation of FRET-positive cells using single 408-nm laser flow cytometry.

Background: Flow cytometry may be used to isolate large amounts of living, fluorescently labeled cells. Certain fluorescent labels, like enhanced cyan fluorescent protein (ECFP) and enhanced yellow fluorescent protein (EYFP), allow the assessment of direct protein-protein interaction in situ, by fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). However, current flow cytometric methods either require elaborate technical adaptations or, using a single laser protocol, are hampered by background signal.