Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Breast Cancer Patient Care: Results From a Tertiary Care Center in Lebanon.

Purpose: We aimed to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on breast cancer care in terms of the stage at presentation, treatment delays, and follow-up in a tertiary care center in Lebanon.

Materials And Methods: This retrospective study compared patients with breast cancer who presented to a tertiary care center in Lebanon before (September 2019-December 2019) and during (September 2020-December 2020) the COVID-19 pandemic. We extracted data from the electronic medical records of patients with breast cancer who had their initial presentation, were under treatment, or were on follow-up during our period of interest.

Obesity Is Associated With Worsened Outcomes in Patients With Ulcerative Colitis on Advanced Therapies: A Propensity Matched Cohort Study From the U.S.

Background: Obesity has been linked to a more severe phenotype in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC).

Aim: To evaluate the impact of obesity on outcomes of advanced therapies in UC.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study utilising the TriNetX database comparing the composite score of corticosteroid use, change in advanced therapy or colectomy within two years between two cohorts of patients with UC-those with obesity (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m) and those without (BMI 18.

A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Surgical Approaches for Venous Thoracic Outlet Syndrome.

Introduction: There is currently no consensus on the optimal surgical approach for the treatment of venous thoracic outlet syndrome (vTOS). Surgical exposures for vTOS decompression include infraclavicular (IC), supraclavicular (SC), paraclavicular (PC), and transaxillary (AX) approaches. The purpose of this study is to provide a comprehensive review of the outcomes and major complications of these four surgical techniques.

DeepFocus: a transnasal approach for optimized deep brain stimulation of reward circuit nodes.

Objective: Transcranial electrical stimulation (TES) is an effective technique to modulate brain activity and treat diseases. However, TES is primarily used to stimulate superficial brain regions and is unable to reach deeper targets. The spread of injected currents in the head is affected by volume conduction and the additional spreading of currents as they move through head layers with different conductivities, as is discussed in [1].

Exploring risk factors for all-cause hospital readmissions following chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbation patients discharged on steroid tapers.

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations often lead to hospitalizations and subsequent readmissions. Steroid therapy is a common approach in managing COPD exacerbations, yet a considerable proportion of patients experience readmissions within a short timeframe, highlighting the persistent and complex nature of COPD exacerbations. The aim of this retrospective study is to investigate risk factors for all-cause hospital readmissions in COPD patients discharged on steroid tapers following exacerbations, emphasizing the need for personalized management strategies to reduce readmission rates.

Implementation of Alcohol Use Disorder Training Curriculum Improves Perceived Confidence in Treating Alcohol-Related Liver Disorder Amongst Gastroenterology Fellows.

Background: Alcohol use disorder and alcohol-associated liver disease is increasing in the US, with subsequent and expected increases in morbidity and mortality due to these conditions.

Aims: To determine the impact of an educational intervention regarding alcohol use disorder on gastroenterology fellows.

Methods: A before-after survey study was carried out.

Schizophrenia and Bone Marrow Disorders: An Emerging Clinical Association.

Schizophrenia is a chronic psychiatric disorder with a complex etiology involving genetic, neurobiological, and environmental factors. Many individuals with schizophrenia experience treatment resistance despite advances in pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic interventions. Immune dysregulation, characterized by altered cytokine levels, immune-related gene expression, and neuroinflammation, plays a critical role in schizophrenia's pathogenesis.

The Presence of a Trochlear Bump and Patella Alta May Predict the Risk of Recurrent Instability After Isolated Medial Patellofemoral Ligament Reconstruction: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Background: Medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction (MPFLR) is an excellent surgical option for patients with recurrent patellar instability. This technique has demonstrated significant improvements in patient-reported outcomes, high rates of return to sport, and low rates of failure. However, there is debate regarding the use of isolated MPFLR in the setting of concomitant pathoanatomic features such as patella alta, trochlear dysplasia, or a lateralized tibial tubercle.

Geo-spatial analysis of acute ischemic stroke reperfusion treatment in India: An assessment of distribution and access to centers.

Background: Stroke is a leading cause of global mortality and disability, with a disproportionately high burden in low- and middle-income countries. Access to intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) and endovascular treatment (EVT) remains extremely limited.

Aims: We evaluated the spatial distribution and geographic accessibility of stroke centers in India.

Initial Experience With Safety and Efficacy of Endoscopic Full-Thickness Resection in Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Case Series.

Endoscopic full-thickness resection (EFTR) is a novel endoscopic technique for removing complex colorectal lesions. The inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) population poses unique challenges for endoscopic resection due to an increased prevalence of fibrotic, nonlifting lesions and higher recurrence rates compared with the general population. This case series reports on the successful use of EFTR in 5 patients with IBD who had challenging colonic polyps, including fibrotic and nonlifting lesions.

Social Media Savvy, It's More Than Just the #Hashtags: How the Use of Social Media in Transplant Infectious Diseases Can Impact the Field and Patients.

Social media provides platforms for transplant infectious diseases (TIDs) clinicians to network, exchange ideas, and educate each other and the broader public. A #TxIDChat on the social media platform X was conducted on the perceptions of social media in TID by the account @TxID_Fellows. This article examines the current usage of social media by TID clinicians, and its role in education, patient outreach, and networking.

Ticked Off: A Case of Disappearing Cell Lines.

Human granulocytic anaplasmosis (HGA) is transmitted by the black-legged tick and presents with fever, thrombocytopenia, leukocytopenia, and elevated transaminases. If left untreated, HGA can progress to hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), which can be fatal. Here, we discuss a case of a woman diagnosed with anaplasmosis who was treated promptly.

Uniportal video-assisted lung resection versus robotic-assisted lung resection, is there a difference?

Background: There has been increasing adoption of robot-assisted thoracic surgery (RATS) and uniportal video-assisted thoracic surgery (uVATS) for lung resection. We undertook a single-institution retrospective study, comparing these approaches.

Methods: An analysis was performed of patients who underwent lung resection by either uVATS or RATS.

Atraumatic Painful Pseudotendon of Flexor Carpi Radialis: A Literature Review and Case Report.

Introduction: Rupture of the flexor carpi radialis (FCR) tendon is a rare phenomenon that is often described in the setting of rheumatoid arthritis or following trauma. Pseudotendon formation is seen commonly among extensor tendons of the antebrachium, typically as a sequelae of traumatic injury, spontaneous rupture in rheumatism, or postoperatively. Less frequent is the presence of pseudotendon in flexor tendons of the forearm.

Prospective Evaluation of Clinical Outcomes of the Subchondroplasty Procedure for Treatment of Symptomatic Bone Marrow Lesions of the Knee.

Bone marrow lesions (BMLs) have a strong correlation to patient-reported pain, functional limitations, joint deterioration, and rapid progression to total knee arthroplasty. The Subchondroplasty (SCP) procedure uses AccuFill, a calcium phosphate bone substitute material (BSM), to treat bone defects such as microtrabecular fractures and BML. This observational, prospective, multicenter, cohort study evaluated the effect of the SCP procedure at the 2-year follow-up for 70 patients with knee BML.

Effect of industry funding on outcome reporting in cervical disc arthroplasty: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Background Context: Cervical Disc Arthroplasty (CDA) has been shown to be an effective and safe alternative to Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion (ACDF), with randomized controlled trials (RCTs) reporting non-inferior or even favorable outcomes to ACDF. However, the current literature of large RCTs reporting long-term outcomes of CDA primarily comprises of the industry sponsored Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) trials. As a result, CDA has yet to be universally accepted by surgeons due to concerns of bias in the current literature.

Longitudinal accelerated brain age in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease.

Introduction: Brain age is a machine learning-derived estimate that captures lower brain volume. Previous studies have found that brain age is significantly higher in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease (AD) compared to healthy controls. Few studies have investigated changes in brain age longitudinally in MCI and AD.

The Pharmacogenomics Global Research Network Implementation Working Group: global collaboration to advance pharmacogenetic implementation.

Pharmacogenetics promises to optimize treatment-related outcomes by informing optimal drug selection and dosing based on an individual's genotype in conjunction with other important clinical factors. Despite significant evidence of genetic associations with drug response, pharmacogenetic testing has not been widely implemented into clinical practice. Among the barriers to broad implementation are limited guidance for how to successfully integrate testing into clinical workflows and limited data on outcomes with pharmacogenetic implementation in clinical practice.

Prevalence and risk factors associated with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis in patients with infection: A population-based study.

Background: () is associated with the development of gastrointestinal disorders ranging from gastritis to gastric cancer. The evidence of the association between metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) and infection in the literature is scarce. Therefore, we aim to evaluate the risk of developing MASH in patients who have had a diagnosis of infection independently of any confounding variables.

On the Relative Effects of Wall and Intraluminal Thrombus Constitutive Material Properties in Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Wall Stress.

Introduction: An abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a dilation localized in the infrarenal segment of the abdominal aorta that can expand continuously and rupture if left untreated. Computational methods such as finite element analysis (FEA) are widely used with in silico models to calculate biomechanical predictors of rupture risk while choosing constitutive material properties for the AAA wall and intraluminal thrombus (ILT).

Methods: In the present work, we investigated the effect of different constitutive material properties for the wall and ILT on 21 idealized and 10 unruptured patient-specific AAA geometries.