Multi-platform profiling characterizes molecular subgroups and resistance networks in chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Knowledge of the genomic landscape of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) grows increasingly detailed, providing challenges in contextualizing the accumulated information. To define the underlying networks, we here perform a multi-platform molecular characterization. We identify major subgroups characterized by genomic instability (GI) or activation of epithelial-mesenchymal-transition (EMT)-like programs, which subdivide into non-inflammatory and inflammatory subtypes.

Meta-Analysis of the Diagnostic Value of Cell-free DNA for Renal Cancer.

Cell-free DNA (cf-DNA) has been reported to represent a suitable material for liquid biopsy in the diagnosis and prognosis of various cancers. We performed a meta-analysis of published data to investigate the diagnostic value of cf-DNA for renal cancer (RCa). Systematic searches were conducted using Pubmed, Embase databases, Web of Science, Medline and Cochrane Library to identify relevant publications until the 31st March 2021.

Family-Centered Care at Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Units in Germany and the Relationship With Parent and Infant Well-Being: A Study Protocol.

Infants with Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) are at risk for neurodevelopmental delays, emotional, social and behavioral difficulties. Hospitalization early in life and associated stressors may contribute to these challenges. Family-centered Care (FCC) is a health care approach that is respectful of and responsive to the needs and values of a family and has shown to be effective in improving health outcomes of premature infants, as well as the mental well-being of their parents.

Single-stage total hip arthroplasty after failed fixation of proximal femoral fractures: an increased risk for periprosthetic joint infections?

Background: Higher complication rates have been reported for total hip arthroplasty (THA) after osteosynthesis of proximal femur fractures (PFF). This study evaluated the infection risk for conversion of internal fixation of PFF to THA by a single-staged procedure in the absence of clear infection signs.

Methods: Patients undergoing a one-staged conversion to THA (2013-2018) after prior internal fixation of the proximal femur were included.

The Role of Mitochondrial Function in Peripheral Arterial Disease: Insights from Translational Studies.

Recent evidence demonstrates an involvement of impaired mitochondrial function in peripheral arterial disease (PAD) development. Specific impairments have been assessed by different methodological in-vivo (near-infrared spectroscopy, P magnetic resonance spectroscopy), as well as in-vitro approaches (Western blotting of mitochondrial proteins and enzymes, assays of mitochondrial function and content). While effects differ with regard to disease severity, chronic malperfusion impacts subcellular energy homeostasis, and repeating cycles of ischemia and reperfusion contribute to PAD disease progression by increasing mitochondrial reactive oxygen species production and impairing mitochondrial function.

The Safety and Effect of Local Botulinumtoxin A Injections for Long-Term Management of Chronic Pain in Post-Herpetic Neuralgia: Literature Review and Cases Report Treated with Incobotulinumtoxin A.

There are few reports on the safety and effectiveness of long-term botulinumtoxin A (BoNT A) therapy in severe chronic pain of post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN). The literature was searched with the term "neuropathic pain" and "botulinum" on PubMed (up to 29 February 2020). Pain was assessed with the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) before and after BoNT A therapy.

CogTale: an online platform for the evaluation, synthesis, and dissemination of evidence from cognitive interventions studies.

Systematic reviews and meta-analyses are critical in health-related decision-making, and are considered the gold standard in research synthesis methods. However, with new trials being regularly published and with the development of increasingly rigorous standards of data synthesis, systematic reviews often require much expertise and long periods of time to be completed. Automation of some of the steps of evidence synthesis productions is a promising improvement in the field, capable of reducing the time and costs associated with the process.

Recombinant factor VIIa for hemorrhagic stroke treatment at earliest possible time (FASTEST): Protocol for a phase III, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial.

Introduction: Intracerebral hemorrhage is the deadliest form of stroke. Hematoma expansion, growth of the hematoma between the baseline computed tomography scan and a follow-up computed tomography scan at 24 ± 6 h, predicts long-term disability or death. Recombinant factor VIIa (rFVIIa) has reduced hematoma expansion in previous clinical trials with a variable effect on clinical outcomes, with the greatest impact on hematoma expansion and potential benefit when administered within 2 h of symptom onset.

The Potential of Shear Wave Elastography to Reduce Unnecessary Biopsies in Breast Cancer Diagnosis: An International, Diagnostic, Multicenter Trial.

Purpose:  In this prospective, multicenter trial we evaluated whether additional shear wave elastography (SWE) for patients with BI-RADS 3 or 4 lesions on breast ultrasound could further refine the assessment with B-mode breast ultrasound for breast cancer diagnosis.

Materials And Methods:  We analyzed prospective, multicenter, international data from 1288 women with breast lesions rated by conventional 2 D B-mode ultrasound as BI-RADS 3 to 4c and undergoing 2D-SWE. After reclassification with SWE the proportion of undetected malignancies should be < 2 %.

Prognostic and immune implications of a novel ferroptosis-related ten-gene signature in lung adenocarcinoma.

Background: Lung cancer has been the focus of attention for many researchers in recent years due to its leading contribution to cancer-related death worldwide, with lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) being the most common histological type. Ferroptosis, a novel iron-dependent form of regulated cell death, can be induced by sorafenib. Emerging evidence shows that triggering ferroptosis has potential as a cancer therapy.

Comparison of the composition of lymphocyte subpopulations in non-relapse and relapse patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck before, during radiochemotherapy and in the follow-up period: a multicenter prospective study of the German Cancer Consortium Radiation Oncology Group (DKTK-ROG).

Background: Radiochemotherapy (RCT) has been shown to induce changes in immune cell homeostasis which might affect antitumor immune responses. In the present study, we aimed to compare the composition and kinetics of major lymphocyte subsets in the periphery of patients with non-locoregional recurrent (n = 23) and locoregional recurrent (n = 9) squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) upon primary RCT.

Methods: EDTA-blood of non-locoregional recurrent SCCHN patients was collected before (t0), after application of 20-30 Gy (t1), in the follow-up period 3 (t2) and 6 months (t3) after RCT.

Risk of herpes zoster (shingles) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis under biologic, targeted synthetic and conventional synthetic DMARD treatment: data from the German RABBIT register.

Objective: To compare event and incidence rates of herpes zoster (HZ), also known as shingles, in patients with rheumatoid arthritis under treatment with conventional synthetic (cs), targeted synthetic (ts) or biologic (b) disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs).

Methods: Patients were prospectively enrolled from 2007 until October 2020. Reported HZ events were assigned to ongoing treatments or those terminated within 1 month prior to the HZ event.

Current state of social media utilization in neurosurgery amongst European Association of Neurosurgical Societies (EANS) member countries.

Background: Social Media (SoMe) is becoming increasingly used in the medical community, and its use has been related with academic productivity. However, utilization of SoMe in the European neurosurgical community has not been assessed systematically.

Methods: An online search was undertaken to discover SoMe accounts of (1) national and related neurosurgical societies listed on the EANS website, (2) neurosurgical journals present on EANS website, (3) neurosurgery centers within EANS member countries, as listed on their website.

Prognostic effect of low-level HER2 expression in patients with clinically negative HER2 status.

Purpose: Assessment of HER2 overexpression using immunohistochemistry (IHC) and/or in situ hybridisation (ISH) for the detection of HER2 amplifications is standard to identify patients for established HER2-directed treatments. Patients with lower HER2 expression levels have recently also become candidates for novel therapies targeting HER2. This study aimed to assess tumour and patient characteristics and prognosis in patients with advanced breast cancer (aBC), relative to low HER2 expression levels.

Inhibitory Control Deficits in Children with Tic Disorders Revealed by Object-Hit-and-Avoid Task.

Background: Tic disorders may reflect impaired inhibitory control. This has been evaluated using different behavioural tasks, yielding mixed results. Our objective was to test inhibitory control in children with tics through simultaneous presentation of multiple, mobile stimuli.

Effect of Celecoxib vs Placebo as Adjuvant Therapy on Disease-Free Survival Among Patients With Breast Cancer: The REACT Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Patients with breast cancer remain at risk of relapse after adjuvant therapy. Celecoxib has shown antitumor effects in preclinical models of human breast cancer, but clinical evidence is lacking.

Objective: To evaluate the role of celecoxib as an addition to conventional therapy for women with ERBB2 (formerly HER2)-negative primary breast cancer.

Apixaban versus PhenpRocoumon: Oral AntiCoagulation plus antiplatelet tHerapy in patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome and Atrial Fibrillation (APPROACH-ACS-AF): Rationale and design of the prospective randomized parallel-group, open-label, blinded-endpoint, superiority, multicenter-trial of a triple therapy versus a dual therapy in patients with Atrial Fibrillation and Acute Coronary Syndrome undergoing coronary stenting.

Background: A regimen of dual (DAT) vs. triple (TAT) antithrombotic therapy reduces bleeding in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). However, recent evidence suggests that DAT may be associated with an increased ischemic risk.

Development and Validation of a Robust Ferroptosis-Related Prognostic Signature in Lung Adenocarcinoma.

Background: Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is the most common subtype of non-small cell lung cancer. Ferroptosis is a newly recognized process of cell death, which is different from other forms of cell death in morphology, biochemistry, and genetics, and has played a vital role in cancer biology. This study aimed to identify a ferroptosis-related gene signature associated with LUAD prognosis.

Percutaneous Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion Yields Favorable Neurological Outcomes in Patients with Non-Valvular Atrial Fibrillation.

Background And Objectives: Prior studies have shown that stroke patients treated with percutaneous left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) for non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) experience better outcomes than similar patients treated with warfarin. We investigated the impact of percutaneous left atrial appendage closure on post-stroke neurological outcomes in NVAF patients, compared with non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulant (NOAC) therapy.

Methods: Medical records for 1,427 patients in multiple registries and for 1,792 consecutive patients at 6 Korean hospitals were reviewed with respect to LAAO or NOAC treatment.

Information technology aspects of large-scale implementation of automated surveillance of healthcare-associated infections.

Introduction: Healthcare-associated infections (HAI) are a major public health concern. Monitoring of HAI rates, with feedback, is a core component of infection prevention and control programmes. Digitalization of healthcare data has created novel opportunities for automating the HAI surveillance process to varying degrees.

Evaluation of cage subsidence in standalone lateral lumbar interbody fusion: novel 3D-printed titanium versus polyetheretherketone (PEEK) cage.

Purpose: This study aims to compare the early subsidence rate (6-12 months) of standalone novel 3D-printed titanium (Ti) versus polyetheretherketone (PEEK) interbody cages after lateral lumbar interbody fusion (LLIF).

Method: A retrospective study of 113 patients (186 levels) who underwent LLIF surgery with Ti or PEEK cages was conducted. Early subsidence was measured in each treated level using the Marchi et al.