Adopting permanent His bundle pacing: learning curves and medium-term outcomes.

Aims: This study aims to determine procedural characteristics, acute success rates, and medium-term outcomes of consecutive patients undergoing His bundle pacing (HBP); and learning curves of experienced electrophysiologists adopting HBP.

Methods And Results: Consecutive HBP patients at three hospitals were recruited. Clinical characteristics, acute procedural details, and medium-term outcomes were extracted from electronic medical records.

A randomised phase II study of osimertinib and bevacizumab versus osimertinib alone as second-line targeted treatment in advanced NSCLC with confirmed EGFR and acquired T790M mutations: the European Thoracic Oncology Platform (ETOP 10-16) BOOSTER trial.

Background: While osimertinib, a third-generation epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) is the standard treatment in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with sensitising EGFR and acquired T790M mutations, progression inevitably occurs. The angiogenic pathway is implicated in EGFR TKI resistance.

Patients And Methods: BOOSTER is an open-label randomised phase II trial investigating the efficacy and safety of combined osimertinib 80 mg daily and bevacizumab 15 mg/kg every 3 weeks, versus osimertinib alone, in patients with EGFR-mutant advanced NSCLC and acquired T790M mutations after failure on previous EGFR TKI therapy.

A dynamic risk factor assessment for myocardial infarction and cardiac arrest in patients undergoing pancreatectomy.

Background: To identify pancreatectomy specific risk factors for myocardial infarction and cardiac arrest (MICA) and to assess whether addition of new information obtained during the hospitalization changes these risk factors.

Methods: Analysis was performed on elective pancreatectomy data from the ACS-NSQIP database (2014-2019). Risk factors were grouped into pre-operative, intra-operative, and postoperative phases.

Machining feature recognition based on deep neural networks to support tight integration with 3D CAD systems.

Recently, studies applying deep learning technology to recognize the machining feature of three-dimensional (3D) computer-aided design (CAD) models are increasing. Since the direct utilization of boundary representation (B-rep) models as input data for neural networks in terms of data structure is difficult, B-rep models are generally converted into a voxel, mesh, or point cloud model and used as inputs for neural networks for the application of 3D models to deep learning. However, the model's resolution decreases during the format conversion of 3D models, causing the loss of some features or difficulties in identifying areas of the converted model corresponding to a specific face of the B-rep model.

Significance of Glasgow Prognostic Scores in NSCLC Patients Treated With Immunotherapy After Platinum-based Cytotoxic Chemotherapy.

Background/aim: Little is known about the prognostic role of the Glasgow prognostic score (GPS) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients treated with immunotherapy after platinum-based cytotoxic chemotherapy.

Patients And Methods: This study used a lung cancer cohort of the Catholic Medical Center of Korea between January 2018 and September 2020.

Results: A total of 78 patients with NSCLC treated with immunotherapy as second or further-line therapy were included.

Polylactic acid face masks: Are these the sustainable solutions in times of COVID-19 pandemic?

The global massive consumption of disposable face masks driven by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has emerged as a blooming disaster to both the land and marine environment that might last for generations. Growing public concerns have been raised over the management and control of this new form of plastic pollution, and one of the proposed sustainable solution is to use renewable and/or biodegradable resources to develop mask materials in order to minimize their environmental impacts. As a representative biodegradable polymer, polylactic acid (PLA) has been proposed as a promising candidate to produce non-woven face masks instead of those fossil-based polymers.

Joseph Murray: Pioneering Plastic Surgeon and Father of the First Organ Transplant.

Dr. Joseph Murray was a plastic surgeon who is best known for performing the first successful human organ transplant. After graduating from Harvard Medical School and completing a surgical internship at Peter Bent Brigham Hospital, Murray enlisted in the US Army Medical Corp and spent 5 years at Valley Forge General Hospital treating World War II soldiers injured in combat.

Improving the predictive capability of Framingham Risk Score for the risk of myocardial infarction based on coronary artery calcium score in healthy Singaporeans.

Introduction: Cardiovascular disease was the top cause of deaths and disability in Singapore in 2018, contributing extensively to the local healthcare burden. Primary prevention identifies at-risk individuals for the swift implementation of preventive measures. This has been traditionally done using the Singapore-adapted Framingham Risk Score (SG FRS).

Postpancreatectomy Acute Pancreatitis (PPAP): Definition and Grading From the International Study Group for Pancreatic Surgery (ISGPS).

Objective: The ISGPS aimed to develop a universally accepted definition for PPAP for standardized reporting and outcome comparison.

Background: PPAP is an increasingly recognized complication after partial pancreatic resections, but its incidence and clinical impact, and even its existence are variable because an internationally accepted consensus definition and grading system are lacking.

Methods: The ISGPS developed a consensus definition and grading of PPAP with its members after an evidence review and after a series of discussions and multiple revisions from April 2020 to May 2021.

The Value of Residual Volume/Total Lung Capacity as an Indicator for Predicting Postoperative Lung Function in Non-Small Lung Cancer.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the most frequently occurring concomitant diseases in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). It is characterized by small airways and the hyperinflation of the lung. Patients with hyperinflated lung tend to have more reserved lung function than conventionally predicted after lung cancer surgery.

Neurotherapeutic Potential of Sibericus on Axon Regeneration and Growth Cone Reformation after HO-Induced Injury in Rat Primary Cortical Neurons.

sibericus (CES), commonly known as deer antler, has been used as a medicinal herb because of its various pharmacological activities, including its anti-infective, anti-arthritic, anti-allergic, and anti-oxidative properties. However, the precise mechanisms by which CES functions as a potent anti-oxidative agent remain unknown; particularly, the effects of CES on cortical neurons and its neurobiological mechanism have not been examined. We used primary cortical neurons from the embryonic rat cerebral cortex and hydrogen peroxide to induce oxidative stress and damage in neurons.

Pharmacokinetics of oral versus intravenous ibuprofen for closure of patent ductus arteriosus: A pilot randomised controlled study.

Aim: This pilot study aimed to compare the pharmacokinetic profiles of oral (PO) and intravenous (IV) ibuprofen for treatment of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) in preterm neonates.

Methods: In a single-centre, parallel, randomised open-label trial, neonates ≤35 weeks, weight <1800 g with haemodynamically significant PDA during the first week of life were recruited between June 2017 and February 2019 and randomised to receive either PO or IV ibuprofen at standard dosage of 10, 5 and 5 mg/kg every 24 h for three consecutive days. Plasma concentrations of ibuprofen were quantified using a validated high-performance liquid chromatography method and pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated.

Erratum: Basik et al. Microbial Degradation of Rubber: Actinobacteria. 2021, , 1989.

The authors wish to make the following changes to the published paper [...

Predictive Role of Prior Radiotherapy and Immunotherapy-Related Adverse Effects in Advanced NSCLC Patients Receiving Anti-PD-1/L1 Therapy.

The present study evaluated the impact of prior radiotherapy (RT) on patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) receiving therapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and further assessed the prognostic factors in patients receiving both RT and ICI. Patients diagnosed with NSCLC at the Catholic Medical Center and Asan Medical Center between January 2016 and October 2020 and who received immunotherapy were retrospectively reviewed. Among 240 patients, poor Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) score, high PD-L1 expression, and ICI-related adverse events (AE) were significantly associated with progression-free survival (PFS) (HR, 2.

Uses and Misuses of Recorded Mental Health Lived Experience Narratives in Healthcare and Community Settings: Systematic Review.

Mental health lived experience narratives are first-person accounts of people with experience of mental health problems. They have been published in journals, books and online, and used in healthcare interventions and anti-stigma campaigns. There are concerns about their potential misuse.

Association of gastroesophageal reflux disease with increased risk of chronic otitis media with effusion in adults: A nationwide population-based cohort study.

This study aimed to evaluate the risk of developing chronic otitis media with effusion (OME) in individuals with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).A retrospective propensity score-matched cohort study was performed using data from the Korea National Health Insurance Service. The GERD group (n = 3532) included certain individuals who had been diagnosed with GERD between January 2002 and December 2005.

The FDA-Approved Anthelmintic Pyrvinium Pamoate Inhibits Pancreatic Cancer Cells in Nutrient-Depleted Conditions by Targeting the Mitochondria.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a lethal aggressive cancer, in part due to elements of the microenvironment (hypoxia, hypoglycemia) that cause metabolic network alterations. The FDA-approved antihelminthic pyrvinium pamoate (PP) has previously been shown to cause PDAC cell death, although the mechanism has not been fully determined. We demonstrated that PP effectively inhibited PDAC cell viability with nanomolar IC50 values (9-93 nmol/L) against a panel of PDAC, patient-derived, and murine organoid cell lines.

Association of gastroesophageal reflux disease with increased risk of chronic otitis media with effusion in adults: A nationwide population-based cohort study.

This study aimed to evaluate the risk of developing chronic otitis media with effusion (OME) in individuals with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).A retrospective propensity score-matched cohort study was performed using data from the Korea National Health Insurance Service. The GERD group (n = 3532) included certain individuals who had been diagnosed with GERD between January 2002 and December 2005.

A brief history of the office of the Surgeon General and the 2 surgeons who have held the position.

Background: The Surgeon General oversees the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) and is viewed as the "Nation's Doctor," responsible for providing the public with information on living healthier and safer lives.

The Imperative of Assessing Quality of Life in Patients Presenting to a Pancreaticobiliary Surgery Clinic.

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine baseline health-related quality of life (QoL) in patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma, periampullary cancers, and benign pancreaticobiliary (PB) conditions at the time of the first visit to a PB surgery clinic, and to explore the relationship between QoL, demographics, clinical parameters, complications, and survival.

Summary Background Data: Few studies have examined baseline QoL measures, the impact of comorbidities, age, sex, and smoking on subsequent postoperative complications and survival in patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma, related PB cancers, and with benign PB conditions.

Methods: Data were collected from scheduled patients at a PB surgery clinic between 2013 and 2018.

Microbial Degradation of Rubber: Actinobacteria.

Rubber is an essential part of our daily lives with thousands of rubber-based products being made and used. Natural rubber undergoes chemical processes and structural modifications, while synthetic rubber, mainly synthetized from petroleum by-products are difficult to degrade safely and sustainably. The most prominent group of biological rubber degraders are Actinobacteria.

Predictability of early changes in derived neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors.

Background: As association between systemic inflammation and disease progression has been suggested, early changes in neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and derived NLR (dNLR) may have accurate predictability for prognosis in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with ICI therapy.

Methods: Complete blood count (CBC) was measured immediately before the first and second cycles of ICI therapy in patients with advanced NSCLC. Differences in NLR and dNLR were measured.

Accuracy of cytopathology evaluation for resected benign and malignant pancreatic disease.

Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) is the preferred method for diagnosing pancreatic masses. While the diagnostic success of EUS-FNA is widely accepted, the actual performance of EUS-FNA is not known. This study sought to define the EUS-FNA accuracy compared with the gold standard, surgically resected specimens.