Inter-Reader Variability of Volumetric Subsolid Pulmonary Nodule Radiomic Features.

Objective: To evaluate the inter-observer consistency for subsolid pulmonary nodule radiomic features.

Materials And Methods: Subsolid nodules were selected by reviewing radiology reports of CT examinations performed December 1, 2015 to April 1, 2016. Patients with CTs at two time points were included in this study.

RanBP2/Nup358 enhances miRNA activity by sumoylating Argonautes.

Mutations in RanBP2 (also known as Nup358), one of the main components of the cytoplasmic filaments of the nuclear pore complex, contribute to the overproduction of acute necrotizing encephalopathy (ANE1)-associated cytokines. Here we report that RanBP2 represses the translation of the interleukin 6 (IL6) mRNA, which encodes a cytokine that is aberrantly up-regulated in ANE1. Our data indicates that soon after its production, the IL6 messenger ribonucleoprotein (mRNP) recruits Argonautes bound to let-7 microRNA.

Incidence of Medically Attended Acute Respiratory Illnesses Due to Respiratory Viruses Across the Life Course During the 2018/19 Influenza Season.

Background: Although multiple respiratory viruses circulate in humans, few studies have compared the incidence of different viruses across the life course. We estimated the incidence of outpatient illness due to 12 different viruses during November 2018 through April 2019 in a fully enumerated population.

Methods: We conducted active surveillance for ambulatory care visits for acute respiratory illness (ARI) among members of Kaiser Permanente Washington (KPWA).

Disparities in Laryngeal Cancer Treatment and Outcomes: An Analysis by Hospital Safety-Net Burden.

Objectives/hypothesis: To analyze the impact of hospital safety-net burden on survival outcomes for laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) patients.

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Methods: From 2004 to 2015, 59,733 LSCC patients treated with curative intent were identified using the National Cancer Database.

Potential Pitfalls in Imaging of the Mediastinum.

Chest computed tomography (CT) is the modality of choice for mediastinal imaging. The high-resolution images provided by multi-detector CT result in routine visualization of normal anatomic structures, which can be confused with pathology. In addition, many mediastinal abnormalities are discovered incidentally, with a routine chest CT protocol which may be insufficient for definite diagnosis.

Classifications of atherosclerotic plaque components with T1 and T2* mapping in 11.7 T MRI.

Background And Aims: Histopathology is the gold standard for analysis of atherosclerotic plaques but has drawbacks due to the destructive nature of the method. MRI is a non-destructive method to image whole plaques. Our aim was to use quantitative high field MRI to classify plaque components, with histology as gold standard.

Reduced-Dose Radiation Therapy for HPV-Associated Oropharyngeal Carcinoma (NRG Oncology HN002).

Purpose: Reducing radiation treatment dose could improve the quality of life (QOL) of patients with good-risk human papillomavirus-associated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC). Whether reduced-dose radiation produces disease control and QOL equivalent to standard chemoradiation is not proven.

Patients And Methods: In this randomized, phase II trial, patients with p16-positive, T1-T2 N1-N2b M0, or T3 N0-N2b M0 OPSCC (7th edition staging) with ≤ 10 pack-years of smoking received 60 Gy of intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) over 6 weeks with concurrent weekly cisplatin (C) or 60 Gy IMRT over 5 weeks.

Depression and anxiety as barriers to art initiation, retention in care, and treatment outcomes in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Background: Since mental health may influence HIV care among people living with HIV (PLHIV), we sought to evaluate the impact of anxiety and depression on ART initiation and HIV-related outcomes.

Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study of PLHIV in the Umlazi Township of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. We measured depression using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and anxiety using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) scale, both of which have been validated in sub-Saharan Africa, among all patients prior to receiving a positive HIV test.

[The Internal medicine articles that struck us the most in 2020].

2020 has continued to bring important progress in all areas of internal medicine, impacting our daily practice. From a shift to oral stepdown antibiotics in infectious endocarditis, to new indications for apixaban, SLGT-2 inhibitors and macrolide antibiotics, passing by the catheter-based renal denervation in hypertension, early paracentesis in cirrhosis and new diagnostic criteria in pulmonary embolism, internal medicine journals are full of novelties. Every year, the chief residents of internal medicine at the Swiss University Hospital of Lausanne meet up to share their readings: here is their selection of eleven articles, summarized and commented for you.

A national cancer database analysis on stereotactic body radiation therapy of head and neck cancers.

Background: To evaluate demographic, clinicopathological, treatment factors including biological effective radiation dose (BED) that influence overall survival in head and neck cancer (HNC) patients treated with stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT).

Methods: Between 2004 and 2015, 591 SBRT-treated HNC patients were identified from the National Cancer Data Base. A BED using an alpha/beta ratio of 10 (BED), was used to compare dose fractionation of different SBRT regimens.

Corneal Repair with Adhesive Cell Sheets of Fetal Cartilage-Derived Stem Cells.

Background: Corneal scarring or disease may lead to severe corneal opacification and consequently, severe loss of vision due to the complete loss of corneal epithelial cells. We studied the use of epithelial cell sheets differentiated from fetal cartilage-derived stem cells (FCSC) to resurface damaged cornea.

Methods: The FCSC were isolated from the femoral head of immature cartilage tissue.

We're in This Together: A Reflection on How Bioethics and Public Health Can Collectively Advance Scientific Efforts Towards Addressing Racism.

Racism is a key driver of the social, political, and economic injustices that cause and maintain health inequities. Over centuries and across continents, racism has become deeply ingrained within societies. Therefore, we believe that it is our professional and ethical obligation as scientists, and public health scholars specifically, to address racism head on in order to ameliorate racialized health disparities.

Social Perceptions of Pediatric Hearing Aids.

Objectives: To determine whether hearing aid (HA) use affects social perceptions of general public adults and age-matched peers and if so, determine if effects are modulated by lack of societal representation of pediatric HAs.

Methods: A 10-year-old boy was presented in six photographic conditions with and without HAs and eyeglasses (a worn sensory aid with wider societal representation). HAs were presented in neutral skin tone and bright blue colors.

Immediate Postoperative Radiation Therapy after Free Tissue Transfer for Keloid Treatment.

Keloids present a challenging clinical problem due to their propensity for recurrence and need for adjuvant therapy. We present a case where a large keloid resection required free tissue transfer and immediate radiation therapy was employed 24 hours postoperatively. There were no significant issues with flap survival, wound healing, or recurrence 2 years postoperatively.

Synthesis, Cytotoxicity, ADMET and Molecular Docking Studies of Some Quinoline-Pyrimidine Hybrid Compounds: 3-(2-Amino-6-arylpyrimidin-4- yl)-4-hydroxy-1-methylquinolin-2(1H)-ones.

Aims: This study aims are the synthesis of 3-(2-amino-6-arylpyrimidin-4-yl)-4-hydroxy-1- methylquinolin-2(1H)-ones and estimation their anticancer activities on HepG2 and KB cancer lines.

Background: Many derivatives of quinoline-2-on have been interested to synthesize and evaluate their biological properties by organic chemists due to their various biological effects, including antibacterial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer activities. Quinoline-pyrimidine hybrid compounds exhibited various biological activities, such as antituberculosis, antibacterial, anticancer, antifungal, etc.

Imaging spectrum of adverse events of immune checkpoint inhibitors.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), a form of immunotherapy, are increasingly used for a variety of malignancies and have been linked to numerous treatment-related side effects known as immune-related adverse events (irAEs). IrAEs can affect multiple organ systems and are important to recognise in order to avoid misinterpretation as progressive tumour and to ensure appropriate management. In this pictorial review, we will briefly discuss radiological response criteria of immunotherapy and describe the imaging appearances of the wide spectrum of these ICI-associated toxicities.

Comparable specimen collection from both ends of at-home mid-turbinate swabs.

Unsupervised upper respiratory specimen collection is a key factor in the ability to massively scale SARS-CoV-2 testing. But there is concern that unsupervised specimen collection may produce inferior samples. Across two studies that included unsupervised at-home mid-turbinate specimen collection, ~1% of participants used the wrong end of the swab.

Robotic Surgery: The Impact of Simulation and Other Innovative Platforms on Performance and Training.

Objective: To review the current status of robotic training and the impact of various training platforms on the performance of robotic surgical trainees.

Data Sources: Literature review of Google Scholar and PubMed. The search terms included a combination of the following: "robotic training," "simulation," "robotic curriculum," "obgyn residency robotic training," "virtual reality robotic training," "DaVinci training," "surgical simulation," "gyn surgical training.

The effect of a pharmacist consultation on pregnant women's quality of life with a special focus on nausea and vomiting: an intervention study.

Background: Maternal wellbeing and quality of life (QOL) are increasingly being recognized as important for healthy pregnancies. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of a pharmacist consultation on pregnant women's QOL focusing on nausea and vomiting in pregnancy (NVP), and patient satisfaction.

Methods: For this intervention study in 14 community pharmacies, women in early pregnancy were recruited and assigned to a pharmacist consultation (intervention) or standard care (control).

Ipsilateral radiation for squamous cell carcinoma of the tonsil: American Radium Society appropriate use criteria executive summary.

Background: We conducted the current systemic review to provide up-to-date literature summary and optimal evidence-based recommendations for ipsilateral radiation for squamous cell carcinoma of the tonsil.

Methods: We performed literature search of peer-reviewed journals through PubMed. The search strategy and subject-specific keywords were developed based on the expert panel's consensus.

Viral genomes reveal patterns of the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak in Washington State.

The rapid spread of SARS-CoV-2 has gravely impacted societies around the world. Outbreaks in different parts of the globe are shaped by repeated introductions of new lineages and subsequent local transmission of those lineages. Here, we sequenced 3940 SARS-CoV-2 viral genomes from Washington State to characterize how the spread of SARS-CoV-2 in Washington State (USA) was shaped by differences in timing of mitigation strategies across counties, as well as by repeated introductions of viral lineages into the state.

In Situ Pulmonary Artery Thrombosis: Unrecognized Complication of Radiation Therapy.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the CT and clinical characteristics of in situ pulmonary artery thrombosis (PAT) associated with radiation therapy (RT). A database search was performed to identify patients who had PAT develop after receiving RT. The CT characteristics of PAT, including the number, location, and appearance of filling defects as well as the presence of associated lung fibrosis, were recorded.