Impact of experience on visual and Simpson's biplane echocardiographic assessment of left ventricular ejection fraction.

Background: In clinical routine, health care professionals with various levels of experience assess left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) by echocardiography. The aim was to investigate to what extent visual and Simpson's biplane assessment of LVEF, using two-dimensional (2D) transthoracic echocardiography (TTE), is affected by the evaluator's experience.

Methods: Ultrasound images of 140 patients were assessed, visually and with Simpson's biplane method, by six evaluators divided into three groups based on echocardiographic experience level (beginner, intermediate and expert).

Impacts of changing climate and topography on snow cover variability of Parvati River Basin, western Himalayas, India.

Snow cover is an essential element of the Himalayan region (Third Pole), and it represents the impacts induced by climate change. Recently, studies have reported significant variations in the Himalayan snow cover area, which may impact the livelihood of a large portion of the global population. Therefore, in this study, efforts were made to estimate the association between key climate stressors (CSs), i.

The Use of a Medical Center-Based Outpatient Breastfeeding Support Program with Telelactation to Provide Ongoing Breastfeeding Support to a Diverse Patient Population.

Patients from low-income, minoritized communities have limited access to outpatient breastfeeding support with International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs). Telelactation may increase access particularly when appointments can be self-scheduled. To describe a medical center-based, outpatient breastfeeding support program that includes telelactation and serves a diverse patient population.

Acceptability, Feasibility, and Validity of Detecting Respiratory Pathogens During Acute Respiratory Illness in Participant-Collected Swabs in a Low-Income, Community Sample.

Background: Community surveillance for acute respiratory illness (ARI) can include unsupervised participant-collected nasal swabs. Little is known about use of self-swabs in low-income populations or among households including extended family members and the validity of self-collected swabs. We assessed the acceptability, feasibility, and validity of unsupervised participant-collected nasal swabs in a low-income, community sample.

Robot-assisted laparoscopic radical cystectomy with intracorporeal ileal conduit diversion versus open radical cystectomy with ileal conduit for bladder cancer in an ERAS setup (BORARC): protocol for a single-centre, double-blinded, randomised feasibility study.

Background: Radical cystectomy (RC) with urinary diversion is the recommended treatment for selected cases of non-metastatic high-risk non-muscle-invasive and muscle-invasive bladder cancer. It remains unknown whether robot-assisted laparoscopic cystectomy (RARC) offers any advantage in terms of safety compared to open cystectomy (ORC) in an Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) setup. Blinded randomised controlled trials (RCTs) between RARC versus ORC have never been conducted in cystectomy patients.

Impact of Age and Symptom Development on SARS-CoV-2 Transmission in Households With Children-Maryland, New York, and Utah, August 2020-October 2021.

Background: Households are common places for spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). We investigated factors associated with household transmission and acquisition of SARS-CoV-2.

Methods: Households with children age <18 years were enrolled into prospective, longitudinal cohorts and followed from August 2020 to August 2021 in Utah, September 2020 to August 2021 in New York City, and November 2020 to October 2021 in Maryland.

Impact of Unsustainable Environmental Conditions Due to Vehicular Emissions on Associated Lifetime Cancer Risk in India: A Novel Approach.

The Indian Western Himalayas (IWHs) are a world famous tourist spot, and every year millions of tourists visit this area in fossil fuel-driven vehicles. Emissions from these vehicles persistently deteriorate the pristine environment of the IWHs. Therefore, in the current study, efforts were made to assess the compromised environmental conditions of Manali, Himachal Pradesh, India that resulted from the inflow of tourists and the activities undertaken by them.

Quality of life and secondary outcomes for open versus robot-assisted radical cystectomy: a double-blinded, randomised feasibility trial.

Purpose: This study aims to examine quality of life (QoL) before and after radical cystectomy (RC) and compare robot-assisted laparoscopy with intracorporeal urinary diversion (iRARC) to open radical cystectomy (ORC).

Methods: This study is a predefined secondary analysis of a single-centre, double-blinded, randomised feasibility trial. Fifty patients were randomly assigned to iRARC with ileal conduit (n = 25) or ORC with ileal conduit (n = 25).

Effect of a Smoking and Alcohol Cessation Intervention Initiated Shortly Before Radical Cystectomy-the STOP-OP Study: A Randomised Clinical Trial.

Background: Evidence concerning the reduction of postoperative complications due to smoking and alcohol drinking in patients undergoing radical cystectomy is incomplete.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of a 6-wk smoking and/or alcohol cessation intervention, initiated shortly before surgery and continued until 4 wk after, in reducing complications.

Design, Setting, And Participants: Between 2014 and 2018, we enrolled 104 patients with high-risk bladder cancer who were daily smokers or consuming at least 3 units of alcohol daily in a multicentre randomised clinical trial.

Risk of recurrence and long-term mortality following radical cystectomy for bladder cancer.

Purpose: To investigate the risk of recurrence and long-term mortality after radical cystectomy (RC) for bladder cancer (BC) at a high-volume tertiary referral center in Denmark over 19 years.

Materials And Methods: Patients undergoing RC between the 1st of January 2000 to 31st of December 2018 were included. Patient data were manually retrieved from electronic patient files.

Long-Term Renal Function Following Radical Cystectomy for Bladder Cancer.

Objective: To evaluate long-term renal function following radical cystectomy (RC) for bladder cancer and identify risk factors associated with postoperative decline in renal function.

Methods: The study included patients who underwent RC at a single centre in Denmark between 2009 and 2019. Data was collected through national electronic medical records.

Open vs robot-assisted radical cystectomy (BORARC): a double-blinded, randomised feasibility study.

Objective: To examine surgical outcomes and feasibility of blinding patients and care providers to the surgical technique of radical cystectomy (RC).

Patients And Methods: Single-centre, parallel-group, double-blinded, randomised feasibility study of open RC (ORC) vs robot-assisted RC with intracorporeal urinary diversion (iRARC) in an 'Enhanced Recovery After Surgery' setup. A total of 50 patients aged ≥18 years with bladder cancer planned for RC with an ileal conduit were included.

Incidence Rates, Household Infection Risk, and Clinical Characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 Infection Among Children and Adults in Utah and New York City, New York.

Importance: Data about the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection among children compared with adults are needed to inform COVID-19 risk communication and prevention strategies, including COVID-19 vaccination policies for children.

Objective: To compare incidence rates and clinical characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 infection among adults and children and estimated household infection risks within a prospective household cohort.

Design, Setting, And Participants: Households with at least 1 child aged 0 to 17 years in selected counties in Utah and New York City, New York, were eligible for enrollment.

Morbidity and Days Alive and Out of Hospital Within 90 Days Following Radical Cystectomy for Bladder Cancer.

Background: Morbidity after radical cystectomy (RC) is usually quantified in terms of rates of complications, mortality, reoperations, and readmissions, and length of stay (LOS). The overall burden following RC within the first 90 d following RC may be better described using days alive and out of hospital (DAOH), which is a validated, patient-centred proxy for both morbidity and mortality.

Objective: To report short-term morbidity, LOS, and DAOH within 90 d after RC and risk factors associated with these parameters.

Circulating Forms of Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator Receptor in Plasma Can Predict Recurrence and Survival in Patients with Urothelial Carcinoma of the Bladder.

Urothelial carcinoma of the bladder is a highly aggressive disease characterised by a very heterogeneous clinical outcome. Despite cystectomy, patients still have a high recurrence risk and shortened survival. Urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) is present in tumour tissue specimens from patients with urothelial carcinoma.

Respiratory Viral Infections and Infection Prevention Practices Among Women With Acute Respiratory Illness During Delivery Hospitalizations During the 2019-2020 Influenza Season.

Background: We conducted a cross-sectional study of pregnant women with acute respiratory illness during delivery hospitalizations during influenza season to describe clinical testing for respiratory viruses and infection prevention practices.

Methods: Women had nasal swabs tested for influenza and other respiratory viruses. Among 91 enrolled women, 22 (24%) had clinical testing for influenza.

Compromising situation of India's bio-medical waste incineration units during pandemic outbreak of COVID-19: Associated environmental-health impacts and mitigation measures.

COVID-19 induced pandemic situations have put the bio-medical waste (BMW) management system, of the world, to test. Sudden influx, of COVID-infected patients, in health-care facilities, has increased the generation of yellow category BMW (Y-BMW) and put substantial burden on the BMW-incineration units of India. This study presents the compromising situation of the BMW-incineration units of India, in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic, from 21st March 2020 to 31st August 2020.

Implications of COVID-19-induced nationwide lockdown on children's behaviour in Punjab, India.

Background: Lockdown is one of the prevalent tools that are used to control the spread of COVID-19 virus in India. Under the circumstances created during lockdown period, children are deprived from the social interaction and companionship; because of which, they are susceptible to psychiatric disorders. Therefore, in this study, efforts were to understand the impacts of lockdown on the mental status of the children of India and their specific causes.

Oncological outcomes of radical nephroureterectomy for upper urinary tract urothelial neoplasia in Denmark.

To report the oncological outcomes of radical nephroureterectomy for upper urinary tract urothelial neoplasia in a large study sample. This was a nationwide multicenter registry-based cohort study of all patients with upper urinary tract urothelial neoplasia in Denmark found to be eligible for nephroureterectomy between April 2004 and April 2017 ( = 1384). Primary endpoints were intravesical recurrence-free survival and overall survival.

Evaluation of groundwater contamination in Chandigarh: Source identification and health risk assessment.

The major objective of the current study is to estimate the groundwater quality and identify the likely sources of contamination in Chandigarh, India. Total 80 groundwater samples were collected from different locations and at various depths. Further, physcio-chemical analysis was done to estimate pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids, total hardness (TH), total alkalinity (TA), Na, K, Cl, SO, PO and NO.

Reasons why not all Danish patients with muscle invasive bladder cancer receive neoadjuvant chemotherapy before radical cystectomy.

Danish guidelines on muscle invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) recommend neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) for non-metastatic patients fit for cisplatin-based chemotherapy. The current indication is urothelial MIBC in patients less than 75 years old with no metastasis on imaging and normal renal function (GFR ≥ 60 ml/min). Data from the Danish Bladder Cancer Database (DaBlaCa-Data) reveals that only 40-50% of MIBC patients below 75 years of age receive NAC prior to cystectomy.

Light-absorbing impurities in snow of the Indian Western Himalayas: impact on snow albedo, radiative forcing, and enhanced melting.

Seasonal snow cover in the Himalayas acts as source of fresh water for several Asian rivers such as Indus, Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Yangtze. Early loss of seasonal snow exposes the ice layer of the glaciers directly to sunlight, consequently leading to their ablation and alterations in discharge of glacier-fed rivers. Therefore, any alteration in the melting rate of the Himalayan snow pack can significantly affect the ecological balance in the region.

Human papillomavirus and squamous cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder: DaBlaCa-10 study.

Objective: To evaluate a potential association between Human Papillomavirus (H.P.V.

Health risk assessment of the workers exposed to the heavy metals in e-waste recycling sites of Chandigarh and Ludhiana, Punjab, India.

Investigations were made to analyze the effects of heavy metals on the adults and children working in informal e-waste recycling sectors of Chandigarh and Ludhiana, Punjab, India. Soil samples of the ground where recycling was being done, dust from the platform where recycling activities were done and dermal samples of workers were collected to estimate the presence of heavy metals (As, Cu, Co, Cd, Cr, Ni, Fe, Zn, Pb, Ba) in them. High concentration of Ba, Cu, Pb and Zn was observed in the soil and dust samples.

Complications and health-related quality of life after robot-assisted versus open radical cystectomy: a systematic review and meta-analysis of four RCTs.

Background: Radical cystectomy is associated with high rates of perioperative morbidity. Robotic-assisted radical cystectomy (RARC) is widely used today despite limited evidence for clinical superiority. The aim of this review was to evaluate the effect of RARC compared to open radical cystectomy (ORC) on complications and secondary on length of stay, time back to work and health-related quality of life (HRQoL).